Pope says in praying for unity Christians identify cost of divisions

Published: 2008-01-23

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- In praying for Christian unity, those who follow Jesus recognize their divisions prevent others from believing in the Gospel message of peace, love and salvation, Pope Benedict XVI said. "In common prayer, Christian communities place themselves together before the Lord and, becoming aware of the contradictions arising from their divisions, they demonstrate their desire to obey his will, relying on his almighty assistance," the pope said Jan. 23 at his weekly general audience. As is customary during the Jan. 18-25 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, the pope dedicated his entire audience talk to ecumenism. Pope Benedict said that common prayer is not a strategy for publicizing the need for Christian unity, "but is an expression of the faith that unites all the disciples of Christ," who had prayed that his followers would be one. "It is the awareness of our human limits that leads us to abandon ourselves with trust into the hands of the Lord," he said.

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