UNITY OF CHRISTIANS IS THE FRUIT OF GRACE

VATICAN CITY, JAN 19, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received an ecumenical delegation from Finland for the occasion of the feast of St. Henrik, apostle and patron of that country. "It is a happy coincidence," said the Pope, "that your visit falls during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity."

The Holy Father affirmed that "it is vital that Christians should pray incessantly for unity, which will come not as the fruit of human effort, but as a grace given at a time and in a way which we do not know. Our prayer however must be joined by a determination to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ with one heart and voice, 'so that the world may believe'."

"We," the Pope concluded, "have already travelled far on the ecumenical journey and there can be no turning back. Certainly the Catholic Church remains 'committed irrevocably to following the path of the ecumenical venture.' ... The Spirit must lead us, step by step, to discover the things that we can do together to hasten the full and visible communion of all Christians."

AC;UNITY CHRISTIANS;...;...;VIS;20020121;Word: 190;