Rome, Italy, Jan 18, 2019 / 12:19 pm
The path to Christian unity takes a willingness to acknowledge and share in the gifts other Christian communities have also received, Pope Francis said at an ecumenical Vespers service Friday.
To take the first step toward unity requires humble recognition of the fact that the blessings Catholics and other Christians have received do not belong to them by "right," but are a gift meant to be shared with others, he said Jan. 18.
"Then, we must acknowledge the value of the grace granted to other Christian communities," he continued. "As a result, we will want to partake of the gifts of others. A Christian people renewed and enriched by this exchange of gifts will be a people capable of journeying firmly and confidently on the path that leads to unity."
Held at Rome's Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, the service marked the beginning of the Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity.