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Skriven 2007-01-30 07:30:24 av Marc Lewis (1:396/45)
Ärende: Vatican Information Service (Press Release)
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                               VIS-Press releases

THE WORLD AWAITS THE JOINT TESTIMONY OF CHRISTIANS

VATICAN CITY, JAN 26, 2007 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon in the Roman basilica of
St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls, the Pope presided at the celebration of the
second Vespers of the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. The ceremony, which
marked the end of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, was attended by
representatives from other Churches and ecclesial communities.

In his homily, the Holy Father recalled how the theme of this year's Week of
Prayer, taken from the Gospel of St. Mark - "He even makes the deaf to hear and
the mute to speak" - had been proposed by Christian communities in South
Africa. "These words," he said, "are good news announcing the coming of the
Kingdom of God and the healing of the incapacity to communicate."

"Listening to the Word of God ... is a priority in our ecumenical efforts.
Indeed, it is not we who organize the unity of the Church; the Church does not
create herself and does not live by herself, but by the Word that comes from
the mouth of God."

"Whoever undertakes to listen to the word of God can and must then speak out
and transmit it to others, to those who have never heard it, or to those who
have forgotten it and buried it under the 'thorns' of the cares and illusions
of the world.

"We Christians must ask ourselves," the Pope added, "whether we have not become
too silent. Whether we do not lack the courage to speak out and bear witness.
... Our world has need of such witness, it awaits above all the joint testimony
of Christians. Unity can clearly not be imposed; it must be shared, and founded
on a joint participation in a single faith. Listening and speaking,
understanding others and communicating one's faith are, then, essential
dimensions of ecumenical practice. Honest and faithful dialogue is the ...
indispensable instrument of unity."

"It is crucial," he continued, "that 'doctrine should be clearly presented in
its entirety,' for a dialogue that confronts, discusses and overcomes the
differences that still exist between Christians. Yet, at the same time, 'the
way and method in which the Catholic faith is expressed should never become an
obstacle to dialogue with our brethren'."

The Pope highlighted the fact that "ecumenical dialogue ... leads to reciprocal
spiritual enrichment in the sharing of true experiences of faith and Christian
life. For this to happen, we must tirelessly implore the assistance of God's
grace and the illumination of the Holy Spirit."

At the end of his homily, the Holy Father entrusted to St. Paul, "indefatigable
builder of unity in the Church, the fruits of the dialogue and shared testimony
we have experienced in many fraternal meetings ... during the course of 2006."

Benedict XVI closed by thanking all those people who "have contributed to
intensifying ecumenical dialogue through prayer, and the offer of their
suffering and their tireless activities."
HNL/VESPERS:ECUMENISM/ST. PAULVIS 070126 (500)

SUMMARY

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