Posted on 01/21/2008 9:16:14 PM PST by kellynla
Vatican City, Jan 20, 2008 / 12:03 pm (CNA).- After greeting a throng of some 200,000 people who came to St. Peter’s Square to prayerfully support Pope Benedict, the Holy Father turned to the subject of his Angelus address, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The Pope exhorted the faithful in his reflections to “never grow tired of praying for unity among Christians!”
During this week of prayer, Catholics, Orthodox, Anglicans and Protestants, "implore the Lord together, in a more intense way, for the gift of communion," the Pontiff reminded the faithful.
The Pope acknowledged the Franciscan Friars and Sisters of the Atonement, the "spiritual sons and daughters" of Fr. Paul Wattson, who began the initiative 100 years ago and who was dedicated entirely to the work of healing divisions between Christians.
This year's theme for the week of prayer for Christian unity, "Pray always," is a "biblical theme that is dense with significance."
The Holy Father said, "With this appeal, St Paul wanted to make it understood that new life in Christ and in the Holy Spirit brings the capacity to overcome selfishness, to live together in peace and fraternal unity, and to bear willingly the sufferings of others. We must never grow tired of praying for unity among Christians!"
He continued, "When at the last supper, Jesus prayed that "they all might be one", he had in mind the precise end, "that the world believe." The evangelical mission of the Church is thus an ecumenical walk, a journey of unity in faith, in evangelical witness and authentic fraternity."
Concluding his Angelus reflection, the Pope invited everyone to participate in solemn Vespers on January 25, the conclusion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, at the basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.
ping
Well, I definitely agree with him on that.
check out all the anti-Catholic & anti-Pope remarks posted on the website.
I guess anti-Catholicism is the last “safe” bigotry. LOL
I know this should be prayed for, but, honestly, I haven’t done so on this subject for years.
I will do so tonight.
It is one of them for sure. Fat folks, white males, southerners, evangelicals, hunters/gun owners are also considered as fair game. I think that the Church draws a lot of heat cause it’s the biggest target.
Freegards
The waters are getting very gray for many believers in the other churches right now, even quicker then the time leading up to now. I think we will see an increase in conversion to Catholicism overtime. People that strongly believe want to also worship in churches that honor God given moral clarity and not just human driven agendas and compromises as is increasingly happening in many, many churches.
oh yeah and I want to also add there is a very large fear and misunderstanding of the disciplined practices in the Catholic tradition.
Thank you for posting. I will pray too.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35)
It’s great that the Pope wants to pray for unity...every Christian leader desires unity (unfortunately their idea of unity often means unity on their terms). The only question I have is what will the Pope do about it? After all, he was the one who coined the phrase “ecclesial community”. It’s difficult to build bridges with others when you are constantly reminding those others how much better you are than they.
Of course those others (particularly Anglicans) must behave in ways that makes building bridges with them worthwhile. Presently, the Anglicans are in no position to engage in serious ecumenical discussion with any other branch of Christendom.
Pope Benedict XVI prays that the prayer of Jesus in Chapter 17 of John’s Gospel that all the believers will be ONE just as Jesus and the Heavenly Father are ONE.
***check out all the anti-Catholic & anti-Pope remarks posted on the website**8
How does strong disagreement = bigotry?
FYI, religion is faith based, if ya don’t like what we believe; don’t let the door hit you in the rear. LMAO
The so-called "experts" who show up on Catholic threads espousing knowing about the Catholicism while slamming Catholicism & Catholics based on inaccuracies are nothing more than "Catholic haters." PERIOD
“Lutherans to Open Doors to Cash-Strapped Catholics in Germany...?”
point?
Seeing how this is an open forum that supports a wide variety of denominations, and as long as I play by the rules, I don't have to exit the door, now do I?
BTW, the victim mentality is more appropriate for a lib board wouldn't you agree?
We are one...We have unity...
All those who are saved by faith without works are united...We are one...
And I suppose those that those that might be saved some day, if they get baptized, eat and drink the flesh and blood of Jesus, etc., etc., are united as well...
Thing is, we could never be united with each other...We'd have to give up our guaranteed salvation to unite with you (and your religion)...
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