“The Lord wants each one of us to be a builder of unity, and even if we are not yet alone, our imperfect communion should not be an obstacle to walking together,” said the pope, speaking to Anglican Archbishop Justin Welby and bishops of the Anglican Commonwealth on May 2. They have chosen Rome as their meeting place for this year -in about 450 bishops in 160 countries.
Inese Steinert – Vatican City
This year, celebrating Vespers together on the Feast of the Return of St. Paul, Pope Francis and Archbishop Justin Welby ordered some pairs of Catholic and Anglican bishops to work together to “reconcile all Christians in the -speed up the world. the bosom of one and one Church of Christ.” The Holy Father thanked Archbishop Welby for this fraternal collaboration for the sake of the Gospel. He also remembered the two who visited Sudan together South and said it is the country where the wife of the Anglican archbishop works. The Pope also praised the work done by the International Anglican-Catholic Commission, which is working to overcome various obstacles that in terms of unity, over the past 50 years.
“Brothers and sisters,” Francis told members of the delegation, “the Easter season forces us to return to the beginning through the readings from the Acts of the Apostles.” The author does not hide moments of tension and misunderstanding, which often arose because of the fragility of the disciples, or because of different interpretations of past traditions. But the whole story shows that the main place belongs to the Holy Spirit. The apostles will come to conclusions and solutions by obeying him. The Pope called not to be afraid of conversations, but to live, leaving the first place to the Parracit, to pray and listen, try to understand the other and ask ourselves the were we obedient to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, or did we submit to our personal or group ideas.
The Pope said that the divine vision is never a division, never a break in communication. “God’s way leads to closer adherence to the Lord Jesus, because it is only in communion with him that we can find complete unity with each other,” said Francis, speaking to the leaders of the Anglican Church.
The Bishop of Rome noted that today’s torn world must know Christ. There is no lack of suffering either in countries that are affected by war and poverty, or in those that enjoy peace and prosperity. The poor are everywhere. In such a situation, what can Christians offer, if not Jesus the Savior? “Our mission is to bring it in,” said the Holy Father.
“Dear primates of the Anglican Commonwealth,” the Pope addressed the audience, “thank you for choosing to meet this year in the city of the apostles Peter and Paul. Feeling close to the communities you represent is a gift to me. I know that the office of the bishop of Rome is still a controversial and divisive issue among Christians. However, according to the beautiful saying of Pope Gregory the Great, who sent Saint Augustine on a mission to England, the bishop of Rome is “servus servorum Dei” – “servant of God’s servants”. Francis expressed his happiness that positive results have been achieved in several ecumenical discussions regarding the primacy of the pope as a “gift to be shared”.
At the end of the address, the Holy Father noted that the Catholic Church is currently involved in the synod process. He expressed his satisfaction that several representatives from the Church of England, including one bishop from the Commonwealth, attended the first session of the General Assembly last year. The Pope made sure that he expects ecumenical participation also in the session, which will be held in the autumn of this year. “I pray that a better understanding of the role of the Bishop of Rome will be one of the results of the Synod,” Francis said.
2024-05-02 15:10:00
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