Christian community needs commitment to truth, Gospel, says pope

Published: 2006-04-05

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The love and unity that are essential marks of a truly Christian community cannot endure without a strong commitment to truth and fidelity to the Gospel, Pope Benedict XVI said. Those who believe in Christ and want to live in communion with his church have "a precise obligation" to "interrupt communion with those who have moved themselves away from the doctrine that saves," the pope said April 5 at his weekly general audience. Differences and divisions have marked the history of the church since its beginning, he said, "and we should not be surprised that it exists today as well." Preserving the unity of the church requires a firm commitment to loving others and to holding fast to the truth, the pope said during an audience talk marked by repeated departures from his prepared text. "Truth and love are two sides of the same gift that comes from God and is preserved in the church thanks to the apostolic ministry," he said.

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