TIRELESSLY IMPLORE THE GIFT OF UNITY AND PEACE

VATICAN CITY, JAN 26, 2006 (VIS) - Yesterday evening in the basilica of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls, Benedict XVI presided at the second Vespers of the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. The ceremony marked the end of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, the theme of which was: "Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them."

  In his homily, the Pope affirmed that "the aspiration of all Christian communities and of each individual faithful to unity, and the strength to achieve it, are gifts of the Holy Spirit, and go hand in hand with an ever more profound and radical faithfulness to the Gospel. We realize that conversion of heart lies at the base of ecumenical commitment."

  Recalling the title of his first Encyclical, "Deus caritas est," the Holy Father stated: "God is Love. Upon this firm rock the entire faith of the Church rests. ... Fixing our gaze on this truth, the peak of divine revelation, divisions, while maintaining their painful magnitude, appear surmountable and do not discourage us."

  "True love," he went on, "does not cancel legitimate differences, but harmonizes them into a higher unity, one that is not imposed from outside, but that from within gives form, so to say, to the whole."

  Benedict XVI then indicated that "the longed-for achievement of unity depends, in the first instance, upon the will of God, Whose design and generosity surpass man's understanding, even exceeding his requests and expectations. By relying on divine goodness, we intensify our common prayer for unity, which is a necessary and highly effective instrument."

  "Unity is our shared mission; it is the condition necessary for the light of Christ to spread more effectively all over the world, that men and women may be converted and saved."

  After highlighting the fact that much still remains to be done, Benedict XVI concluded by saying: "Let us not lose faith, rather let us resume the journey with greater energy. Christ goes before us and accompanies us. We rely upon His unfailing presence; from Him we implore, humbly and tirelessly, the precious gift of unity and peace."
HML/CHRISTIAN UNITY/ST. PAUL OUTSIDE-THE-WALLS       VIS 20060126 (370)