Pope asks “for mercy and forgiveness for the behavior of Catholics towards Christians of other Churches” that did not reflect Gospel values
On the final day of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Francis said that “there can be no Christian unity without mercy and forgiveness.” Christians are making “important steps towards unity” listening “to the Word of God together and seek[ing] to put it into practice”. As they share the mission of proclaiming God’s merciful love as well as walk and work together, they realise that they are "already united in the name of the Lord.”
Rome (AsiaNews) – In his homily at the closing Vespers of the 49th Annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, a service traditionally held in the Basilica of St Paul "Outside the Walls" in Rome, Pope Francis said that “there cannot be an authentic search for Christian unity without trusting fully in the Father’s mercy.” For this reason, in the Year of Mercy, he asked “for mercy and forgiveness for the behavior of Catholics towards Christians of other Churches which has not reflected Gospel values.”
For the pontiff, Christians are taking “important steps towards unity” and are listening “to the Word of God together and seek[ing] to put it into practice.” Indeed, they share the mission of proclaiming God’s merciful love as well as walking and working together. This way, they realise that they are "already united in the name of the Lord.”
During the service, which came on the day of the announcement of Francis’ participation in the "ecumenical commemoration" in Sweden on 31 October, what the Holy Father calls “the ecumenism of blood” was evoked during the prayer for "Christian victims of persecution" so that they may feel the “solidarity of all humanity, but especially that of their brothers and sisters in faith."
The pope, who entered the Basilica through the Holy Door together with Metropolitan Gennadios and David Moxon, personal representative in Rome of the Archbishop of Canterbury, delivered the homily for Second Vespers of the Solemnity of the Conversion of St Paul starting with the First Epistle of Peter (1 Peter 2: 9) in which God’s people are ‘Called to proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord,’ which is the topic of the this year’s event.
“St Peter,” Francis said, “is writing to members of small and fragile communities, exposed to threats of persecution, and he applies to them the glorious titles attributed to the holy people of God: a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession. For those first Christians, like today for all of us baptized Christians, it is a source of comfort and of constant amazement to know that we have been chosen to be part of God’s plan of salvation, put into effect through Jesus Christ and through the Church. “Why Lord? Why me? Why is it us?” Here we touch the mystery of mercy and of God’s choice. The Father loves us all and wants to save us all, and for this reason He calls some people conquering them through His grace, so that through them His love can reach all people. The mission of the whole people of God is to announce the marvellous works of the Lord, first and foremost the Pasqual mystery of Christ, through which we have passed from the darkness of sin and death to the splendour of His new and eternal life.
“In light of the Word of God which we have been listening to, and which has guided us during this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, we can truly affirm that all of us, believers in Christ, have been called to proclaim the mighty works of God. Beyond the differences which still separate us, we recognise with joy that at the origin of our Christian life there is always a call from God Himself. We can make progress on the path to full visible communion between us Christians not only when we come closer to each other, but above all as we convert ourselves to the Lord, who through His grace, chooses and calls us to be His disciples. And converting ourselves means letting the Lord live and work in us. For this reason, when Christians of different Churches listen to the Word of God together and seek to put it into practice, they make important steps towards unity.it is not only the call which unites us, but we also share the same mission to proclaim to all the marvellous works of God. Like St Paul, and like the people to whom St Peter is writing, we too cannot fail to announce God’s merciful love which has conquered and transformed us.
“While we are moving towards full communion among Christians, we can already develop many forms of cooperation to aid the spread of the Gospel. By walking and working together, we realise that we are already united in the name of the Lord.
“In this Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, we must always keep in mind that there cannot be an authentic search for Christian unity without trusting fully in the Father’s mercy. We ask first of all for forgiveness for the sins of our divisions, which are an open wound in the Body of Christ. As Bishop of Rome and pastor of the Catholic Church, I want to ask for mercy and forgiveness for the behavior of Catholics towards Christians of other Churches which has not reflected Gospel values. At the same time, I invite all Catholic brothers and sisters to forgive if they, today or in the past, have been offended by other Christians. We cannot cancel out what has happened, but we do not want to let the weight of past faults continue to contaminate our relationships. God’s mercy will renew our relationships.
“I cordially greet also the young Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox students who are here in Rome with the support of the Committee for Cultural Collaboration with the orthodox churches, working through the Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity, as well as the students from the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey who are visiting Rome to deepen their knowledge of the Catholic Church.
“Dear brothers and sisters, let us unite ourselves with the prayer that Jesus Christ prayed to his Father: “May they be one, so that the world may believe”. Unity is the gift of mercy from God the Father. In front of the tomb of St Paul, the apostle and martyr, kept here in this splendid Basilica, we feel that our humble request is sustained by the intercession of the multitudes of Christian martyrs, past and present. They replied generously to the call of the Lord, they gave faithful witness with their lives to the wonderful works that God has done for us and they already enjoy full communion in the presence of God the Father. Sustained by their example and comforted by their intercessions, we make our humble prayer to God.”
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15/10/2018 11:11
