Pope welcomes WCC head, renews pledge to promote Christian unity

Published: 2005-06-16

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI repeated his pledge to promote Christian unity as he welcomed the general secretary of the World Council of Churches to the Vatican June 16. "In the very first days of my pontificate, I stated that my 'primary task is the duty to work tirelessly to rebuild the full and visible unity of all Christ's followers,'" he told the council's delegation, led by the Rev. Samuel Kobia. "The commitment of the Catholic Church to the search for Christian unity is irreversible," the pope said. A Methodist minister from Kenya, Rev. Kobia was elected general secretary of the council in 2004. The WCC membership includes more than 340 Orthodox, Protestant and Anglican churches and communities in more than 120 countries. The Roman Catholic Church is not a member of the World Council of Churches, although for 40 years a Vatican-WCC joint working group has promoted cooperation and collaboration.

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