At a January 25 Vespers service closing the Week of Prayer for
Christian Unity, Pope Benedict XVI said that ecumenical work is a “moral
imperative” for all Christians.
The Holy Father reminded the congregation at the basilica of St.
Paul-outside-the-Walls that Jesus prayed for unity among the faithful.
That unity, he said, “cannot be reduced to recognizing our reciprocal
differences and achieving peaceful coexistence.”
The followers of Christ
cannot be satisfied until they have achieved full communion, he said.
True Christian unity, the Pope continued, “cannot be realized only at
the level of organizational structures,” but must be forged among the
faithful, “confessing the one faith, celebrating divine worship in
common, and keeping the fraternal harmony of the family of God.”
The Pope acknowledged that ecumenical work faces significant obstacles,
and many Christians have begun to question whether progress toward unity
has stalled.
But in light of Christ’s command, he said, the faithful
must “overcome the temptation to despondency and pessimism, which is a
lack of faith in the power of the Holy Spirit.”
SIC: CC/INT'L