Pope says inability to concelebrate Eucharist must spur unity efforts

Published: 2005-09-06

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The lack of full communion between Catholics and Orthodox and the resulting inability to concelebrate the Eucharist together should spur Christians everywhere to increase efforts toward achieving full Christian unity, Pope Benedict XVI said. "Reaching full communion among Christians must be the objective of all those who profess their faith in a church that is one, holy, catholic and apostolic," he said. The pope's appeal came in a written message to Catholic and Orthodox participants in an inter-Christian symposium Sept. 4-7 in Assisi, Italy. The message, addressed to Cardinal Walter Kasper, head of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, was released by the Vatican Sept. 5. The pope said the symposium's focus this year on the Eucharist and the role it can play in ecumenism "is very significant for the life of Christians and for the restoring of full communion among all Christ's disciples."

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