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Skriven 2006-01-18 21:47:52 av Marc Lewis (1:396/45)
Ärende: Vatican Information Service - Press Release
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                The following press release is Copyrighted by the
                          Vatican Information Service.
                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                               VIS-Press releases

COMMUNION IN CHRIST SUSTAINS THE ECUMENICAL MOVEMENT

VATICAN CITY, JAN 18, 2006 (VIS) - Benedict XVI dedicated his catechesis during
today's general audience to the subject of the Week of Prayer for Christian
Unity, which begins today. The audience, held in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall,
was attended by 8,000 people.

The Week of Prayer, the Pope began, represents "an important opportunity to
reflect upon the drama of division within the Christian community and to ask,
together with Jesus Himself, that 'all might be one, ... that the world may
believe'."

"Prayer for the 'union of all' involves - in different forms, times and ways -
Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants, united by faith in Jesus Christ, the one
Lord and Savior," said the Pope. Such prayer, he added, "is part of the central
nucleus that Vatican Council II called 'the soul of the whole ecumenical
movement'."

"The elements that, despite the permanent division, still unite Christians,
sustain the possibility of raising a common prayer to God. This communion in
Christ upholds the entire ecumenical movement and indicates the goal of the
search for unity among all Christians in the Church of Christ. This
distinguishes the ecumenical movement from all other initiatives of dialogue
and contact with other religions and ideologies."

The Holy Father recalled how prayers raised throughout the world during this
period, and during Pentecost, are also an expression of "the shared commitment
to re-establish the full communion of all Christians."

However, these prayers must not simply be a petition. "We can also give thanks
to the Lord for the new situation painstakingly created through ecumenical
relations among Christians in their newfound brotherhood, for the strong links
of solidarity that have been forged, for the growth of communion, and for the
convergence, ... between various forms of dialogue. The future stands before
us."

Benedict XVI concluded by recalling the words of John Paul II - "who did and
suffered so much for the ecumenical question" - in his Encyclical "Ut unum
sint:" "An appreciation of how much God has already given is the condition
which disposes us to receive those gifts still indispensable for bringing to
completion the ecumenical work of unity."
AG/CHRISTIAN UNITY/... VIS 060118 (350)

SUMMARY

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