VATICAN CITY, January 28, 2013, thanks to Zenit.org – Here is the translation of Pope
Benedict XVI’s Homily during the ecumenical celebration of Vespers of the
Solemnity of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle. The occasion marked the
end of the XLVI Week of Prayer for Christian Unity on the theme: “What
Does the Lord Require of Us” (Micah 6:6-8)
* * *
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
It is always a joy and a special grace to come together, around
the tomb of the Apostle Paul, to conclude the Week of Prayer for Christian
Unity. I greet with affection the Cardinals present, first of all Cardinal
Harvey, Archpriest of this Basilica, and with him the Abbot and the community
of monks who are hosting us. I greet Cardinal Koch, President of the Pontifical
Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and all the collaborators of this
dicastery. I express my cordial and fraternal greetings to His Eminence
Metropolitan Gennadios, representative of the Ecumenical Patriarch, to the Rev.
Canon Richardson, personal representative in Rome of the Archbishop of
Canterbury, and all the representatives of the different Churches and ecclesial
communities, gathered here this evening. In addition, I am particularly pleased
to greet the members of the Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between
the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Churches, to whom I wish a
fruitful work for the plenary session that is taking place these days in Rome,
as well as students of the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey, on a visit to Rome
to deepen their knowledge of the Catholic Church and the Orthodox and Eastern
Orthodox young people who study there. Lastly, I greet all those present
gathered to pray for the unity of all the disciples of Christ.
This celebration is part of the Year
of Faith, which began on 11 October, the fiftieth anniversary of
the opening of the Second Vatican Council. Communion in the same faith is the
basis for ecumenism. Unity is given by God as inseparable from faith; St. Paul
expresses this effectively: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you
were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one
baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and
in all”(Eph.
4:4-6). The baptismal profession of faith in God, the Father and Creator, who
revealed himself in his Son Jesus Christ, pouring out the Spirit who gives life
and holiness, already unites Christians. Without faith – which is primarily a
gift of God, but also man’s response – the whole ecumenical movement would be
reduced to a form of “contract” to enter into out of a common
interest. The Second Vatican Council reminds Christians that “the closer
their union with the Father, the Word, and the Spirit, the more deeply and
easily will they be able to grow in mutual brotherly love”(Decr. Unitatis redintegratio,
7). Doctrinal issues that still divide us must not be overlooked or minimized.
They should rather be faced with courage, in a spirit of brotherhood and mutual
respect. Dialogue, when it reflects the priority of faith, can open to the
action of God with the firm conviction that we cannot build unity alone: it is
the Holy Spirit who guides us toward full communion, who allows us to grasp the
spiritual wealth present in the different Churches and ecclesial communities.
In today’s society it seems that the Christian message affects
personal and community life less and less, and this represents a challenge for
all the Churches and ecclesial communities. Unity is in itself a privileged
instrument, almost a prerequisite to announcing the faith in an ever more credible
way to those who do not yet know the Saviour, or who, having received the
proclamation of the Gospel, have almost forgotten this precious gift. The
scandal of division that undermined missionary activity was the impulse that
started the ecumenical movement that we know today. Full and visible communion
among Christians is to be understood as a fundamental characteristic of an even
clearer witness. While we are on the path towards full unity, it is necessary
to pursue concrete cooperation among the disciples of Christ for the sake of
passing on the faith to the contemporary world. Today there is a great need for
reconciliation, dialogue and mutual understanding, not in a moralistic
perspective, but in the name of Christian authenticity for a more incisive
presence in the reality of our time.
True faith in God is inseparable from personal holiness, as well
as from the pursuit of justice. In the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity,
which ends today, the theme offered for our meditation was, “What Does the
Lord Requires of Us,” inspired by the words of the prophet Micah, which we
have heard (cf. 6:6-8). It was proposed by the Student Christian Movement in
India, in collaboration with the All India Catholic University Federation and
the National Council of Churches in India, who also prepared the aids for
reflection and prayer. To those who have collaborated, I want to express my
deep gratitude and, with great affection, I assure you of my prayers for all
the Christians of India, who sometimes are called to bear witness to their
faith in difficult conditions. “Walking humbly with God” (cf. Micah 6:8) above all
means walking in radical faith, like Abraham, trusting in God, or rather
placing in Him all our hopes and aspirations, but it also means walking past
the barriers, past hatred, racism and social and religious discrimination that
divide and harm society as a whole. As St. Paul says, Christians must first
provide a shining example in their search for reconciliation and communion in
Christ, that overcomes every kind of division. In the Letter to the Galatians,
the Apostle of the Gentiles says, “As many of you as were baptized into
Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or
Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female;
for all of you are one in Christ Jesus”(3:27-28).
Our search for unity in truth and in love, then, must never lose
sight of the perception that Christian unity is the work and gift of the Holy
Spirit, and goes far beyond our own efforts. Therefore, spiritual ecumenism,
especially prayer, is the heart of ecumenical commitment (cf. Decr. Unitatis redintegratio,
8). However, ecumenism will not bear lasting fruit unless it is accompanied by
concrete gestures of conversion that move consciences and foster the healing of
memories and relationships. As stated in the Decree on Ecumenism of the Second
Vatican Council, “there is no true ecumenism without interior
conversion” (no. 7). Authentic conversion, as suggested by the prophet
Micah and of which the Apostle Paul is a significant example, will bring us
closer to God, to the center of our lives, in such a way as to draw us also
closer to each other. This is a key element of our ecumenical commitment. The
renewal of the inner life of our heart and our mind, which is reflected in
everyday life, is crucial in any process of reconciliation and dialogue, making
of ecumenism a mutual commitment to understanding, respect and love, “so
that the world may believe” (Jn
17:21).
Dear brothers and sisters, let us invoke the Virgin Mary with
confidence, the incomparable model of evangelization, so that the Church,
“a sign and instrument of intimate union with God and of unity among all
men” (Const. Lumen
Gentium, 1), may announce with all frankness, even in our time,
Christ the Savior. Amen.
[Translation by Peter Waymel]