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Dear
Brothers and Sisters!
It
is always a joy and a special grace to come together, around the tomb of the
Apostle Paul, to conclude the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. I greet with
affection the Cardinals present, first of all Cardinal Harvey, Archpriest of
this Basilica, and with him the Abbot and the community of monks who are hosting
us. I greet Cardinal Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting
Christian Unity, and all the collaborators of this dicastery. I express my
cordial and fraternal greetings to His Eminence Metropolitan Gennadios,
representative of the Ecumenical Patriarch, to the Rev. Canon Richardson,
personal representative in Rome of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and all the
representatives of the different Churches and ecclesial communities, gathered
here this evening. In addition, I am particularly pleased to greet the members
of the Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and
the Eastern Orthodox Churches, to whom I wish a fruitful work for the plenary
session that is taking place these days in Rome, as well as students of the
Ecumenical Institute of Bossey, on a visit to Rome to deepen their knowledge of
the Catholic Church and the Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox young people who study
there. Lastly, I greet all those present gathered to pray for the unity of all
the disciples of Christ.
This
celebration is part of the Year of Faith, which
began on 11 October, the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second
Vatican Council. Communion in the same faith is the basis for ecumenism. Unity
is given by God as inseparable from faith; St. Paul expresses this effectively:
"There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of
your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who
is above all and through all and in all"(Eph. 4:4-6). The
baptismal profession of faith in God, the Father and Creator, who revealed
himself in his Son Jesus Christ, pouring out the Spirit who gives life and
holiness, already unites Christians. Without faith - which is primarily a gift
of God, but also man's response - the whole ecumenical movement would be reduced
to a form of "contract" to enter into out of a common interest. The Second
Vatican Council reminds Christians that "the closer their union with the Father,
the Word, and the Spirit, the more deeply and easily will they be able to grow
in mutual brotherly love"(Decr. Unitatis redintegratio,
7). Doctrinal issues that still divide us must not be overlooked or minimized.
They should rather be faced with courage, in a spirit of brotherhood and mutual
respect. Dialogue, when it reflects the priority of faith, can open to the
action of God with the firm conviction that we cannot build unity alone: it is
the Holy Spirit who guides us toward full communion, who allows us to grasp the
spiritual wealth present in the different Churches and ecclesial
communities.
In
today's society it seems that the Christian message affects personal and
community life less and less, and this represents a challenge for all the
Churches and ecclesial communities. Unity is in itself a privileged instrument,
almost a prerequisite to announcing the faith in an ever more credible way to
those who do not yet know the Saviour, or who, having received the proclamation
of the Gospel, have almost forgotten this precious gift. The scandal of division
that undermined missionary activity was the impulse that started the ecumenical
movement that we know today. Full and visible communion among Christians is to
be understood as a fundamental characteristic of an even clearer witness. While
we are on the path towards full unity, it is necessary to pursue concrete
cooperation among the disciples of Christ for the sake of passing on the faith
to the contemporary world. Today there is a great need for reconciliation,
dialogue and mutual understanding, not in a moralistic perspective, but in the
name of Christian authenticity for a more incisive presence in the reality of
our time.
True
faith in God is inseparable from personal holiness, as well as from the pursuit
of justice. In the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which ends today, the
theme offered for our meditation was, "What Does the Lord Requires of Us,"
inspired by the words of the prophet Micah, which we have heard (cf. 6:6-8). It
was proposed by the Student Christian Movement in India, in collaboration with
the All India Catholic University Federation and the National Council of
Churches in India, who also prepared the aids for reflection and prayer. To
those who have collaborated, I want to express my deep gratitude and, with great
affection, I assure you of my prayers for all the Christians of India, who
sometimes are called to bear witness to their faith in difficult conditions.
"Walking humbly with God" (cf. Micah 6:8) above all
means walking in radical faith, like Abraham, trusting in God, or rather placing
in Him all our hopes and aspirations, but it also means walking past the
barriers, past hatred, racism and social and religious discrimination that
divide and harm society as a whole. As St. Paul says, Christians must first
provide a shining example in their search for reconciliation and communion in
Christ, that overcomes every kind of division. In the Letter to the Galatians,
the Apostle of the Gentiles says, "As many of you as were baptized into Christ
have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is
no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are
one in Christ Jesus"(3:27-28).
Our
search for unity in truth and in love, then, must never lose sight of the
perception that Christian unity is the work and gift of the Holy Spirit, and
goes far beyond our own efforts. Therefore, spiritual ecumenism, especially
prayer, is the heart of ecumenical commitment (cf. Decr. Unitatis redintegratio,
8). However, ecumenism will not bear lasting fruit unless it is accompanied by
concrete gestures of conversion that move consciences and foster the healing of
memories and relationships. As stated in the Decree on Ecumenism of the Second
Vatican Council, "there is no true ecumenism without interior conversion" (no.
7). Authentic conversion, as suggested by the prophet Micah and of which the
Apostle Paul is a significant example, will bring us closer to God, to the
center of our lives, in such a way as to draw us also closer to each other. This
is a key element of our ecumenical commitment. The renewal of the inner life of
our heart and our mind, which is reflected in everyday life, is crucial in any
process of reconciliation and dialogue, making of ecumenism a mutual commitment
to understanding, respect and love, "so that the world may believe" (Jn
17:21).
Dear
brothers and sisters, let us invoke the Virgin Mary with confidence, the
incomparable model of evangelization, so that the Church, "a sign and instrument
of intimate union with God and of unity among all men" (Const. Lumen Gentium, 1), may
announce with all frankness, even in our time, Christ the Savior.
Amen.
[Translation
by Peter Waymel]
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