The search for Christian unity has not been easy, but it already has
drawn Christians closer to one another and made Christianity more
attractive to those who do not believe, Pope Benedict XVI has said.
A
sense of brotherhood among Christians “is the most tangible sign of
unity, especially for those outside” the Christian community, the Pope
said at his weekly general audience.
As he does each
year at his audience during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Pope
Benedict dedicated his talk to explaining the theme chosen by the
Vatican and the World Council of Churches for the week.
The theme for 2011 was: “One in the Apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer.”
Pope
Benedict said the theme, drawn from the Acts of the Apostles, contains
the four characteristics that made the early Church in Jerusalem “a
place of unity and love”.
The first, essential characteristic, he
said, is that Christians remain faithful to the Gospel and the teaching
of the Apostles, which is the foundation of Christian faith.
Second, he said, there is fellowship and fraternity, the experience of each person sharing and caring for one another.
“The
history of the ecumenical movement is marked by difficulties and
uncertainties, but it also is a story of brotherhood and co-operation,
of spiritual and human sharing, which has significantly changed
relations between believers in the Lord Jesus. All of us are committed
to continuing on this path.”
The Pope told the estimated 2,500
people at his audience: “Communion with God creates communion among us
and must necessarily be expressed in concrete communion,” and sharing
with one another.
“No one in the community should be hungry, should be
poor. This is a basic obligation,” he said.
The third element is
participating together in “the breaking of the bread,” in which Christ
makes himself present, the Pope said. Sharing the Eucharist is the sign
of fully sharing faith, which is why the Catholic Church insists that
divided Christians cannot normally share Communion, he said.
Especially during the week of prayer, he said, Christians should feel “regret for the impossibility” of sharing the Eucharist.
The
fourth characteristic of a united community is a constant tendency
toward prayer, he said.
In prayer, people recognise themselves as
children of God and, therefore, brothers and sisters to one another, the
Pope said.
SIC: CHO/INT'L