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                               VIS-Press releases

INVOKING THE GIFT OF FULL COMMUNION

VATICAN CITY, 19 JAN 2011 (VIS) - In his general audience, held this morning in
the Paul VI Hall, the Pope dedicated his catechesis to the Week of Prayer for
Christian Unity, which is taking place from 18 to 25 January and during which
"all those who believe in Christ are invited to come together in prayer, so as
to bear witness to the profound ties that unite them and to invoke the gift of
full communion".

The Holy Father remarked on "the providential fact that prayer is at the centre
of the journey to unity. This", he said, "reminds us once again that unity
cannot be a product of mere human efforts, is its above all a gift of God. ...
We do not 'construct' unity, God 'constructs' it, it comes from Him, from the
mystery of the Trinity".

Benedict recalled how the theme chosen for this year's Week of Prayer "refers
to the experience of the first Christian community in Jerusalem, as described
in the Acts of the Apostles: 'They devoted themselves to the Apostles' teaching
and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers'".

This quotation identifies "four characteristics defining the first Christian
community of Jerusalem", he said, "which still act as pillars for
the life of
all Christian communities, and constitute the solid foundation on which to
continue to construct the visible unity of the Church".

Commenting on the first of these characteristics, the Pope noted that, "even
today, the community of believers recognises the norms of its own faith in that
reference to the teaching of the Apostles. All efforts to build unity among
Christians must, then, involve increasing faithfulness to the 'depositum fidei'
handed down to us by the Apostles".

The Holy Father then turned to the second element, "fraternal communion, ...
the most tangible expression of unity between disciples and the Lord,
especially for the outside world. ... The history of the ecumenical movement
has been marked by difficulties and doubts, but it is also a history of
fraternity, of co-operation and of human and spiritual sharing, which has
significantly altered relations among believers in the Lord Jesus. We are all
committed to continuing this journey".

On the subject of the third characteristic, "the breaking of
bread", the Holy
Father noted that "communion in Christ's sacrifice is the pinnacle of our union
with God and, therefore, it also represents the completeness of the unity of
Christ's disciples, full communion". In this context he noted also how "the
impossibility of sharing the same Eucharist ... also gives a penitential
dimension to our prayers. This must be a reason for ever more generous
commitment on everyone's part so that, having removed the obstacles to full
communion, the day may come when it will be possible to gather around the table
of the Lord, together breaking the Eucharistic bread and drinking from the same
chalice.

"Finally", he added, "prayer was the fourth characteristic
of the early Church
in Jerusalem ... Prayer also means opening ourselves to the fraternity that
stems from our being children of the one heavenly Father; it means being ready
for forgiveness and reconciliation".

"Like the first Christian community of Jerusalem, on the basis of what we
already share we must offer a powerful witness - well-founded spiritually and
well-supported by reason - of the one God Who revealed Himself and speaks to us
in Christ, in order to be bring a message which guides and illuminates the path
of modern man, who often lacks clear points of reference. It is important,
then, to increase our mutual love every day, striving to overcome the barriers
that still exist between Christians, in the knowledge that true inner unity
does exist among people who follow the Lord. We must collaborate as much as
possible, working together on outstanding questions and, above all, aware that
we need the Lord's help on this journey. He must still help us a lot because
without Him, alone, without 'abiding in Him', we can do nothing".
AG/VIS 20110119 (680)

SUMMARY

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