Pope Benedict XVI calls for honest dialogue among Christians in quest for unity

(26 Jan. 2007) : Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday called for honest dialogue among Christians as he presided at a prayer service in St. Paul Outside the Walls Basilica in Rome to mark the end of a week of prayer. The week of prayer is dedicated in churches around the world, to efforts aimed at uniting Christians. In his homily during the solemn ceremony attended by representatives of other Christian Churches and communities, Pope Benedict said, “Honest and loyal dialogue constitutes the typical and indispensable instrument in the search for unity. Through such encounters, it has been possible to perceive the joy of brotherhood, together with sadness for the tensions that remain,” Pope Benedict said. "Christians were praying so that all the disciples of Christ be one, and so, they can give harmonious testimony to the men and women of our times," said the pontiff, who is devoting much of his papacy to efforts at achieving Christian unity. The Vatican is eager for Christian churches to work together on positions they can share, such as opposition to abortion, euthanasia and same-sex marriages. Benedict reached a milestone on the path toward possible Christian unity two months ago when he met in Istanbul with the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I.