Last Sunday we began the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity dedicated this
year to the theme: “that they may become one in your hand” (Ezek 37:17). This
scripture passage recalls God’s command to Ezekiel to take two sticks, one representing
Judah and the other Israel, and join them together as a symbol of the Lord’s power
to gather his people into one. As Christians, we read these words as an exhortation
to pray and work for the full unity of Christ’s disciples. As the Second Vatican
Council reminds us, “there can be no ecumenism worthy of the name without a change
of heart” (Unitatis Redintegratio, 7). This week offers us an opportunity
to thank God for all he has done and continues to do to bring Christians closer to
one another. I am personally grateful for the many opportunities I have had to meet
with representatives of Churches and Ecclesial Communities, both in the Vatican and
during my travels abroad. Let us pray that the various initiatives this week at the
local and universal levels will encourage all who confess “one Lord, one faith, and
one baptism” to listen more attentively to the Word of God, to deepen prayer, and
to intensify dialogue, so as to imitate Saint Paul’s example of a life completely
devoted to the Lord and the unity of his Body, the Church.
I offer a warm
welcome to all the English-speaking visitors present at today’s Audience. My particular
greeting goes to the pilgrimage group from Malta led by Archbishop Paul Cremona.
Upon all of you I cordially invoke an abundance of joy and peace in the Lord.