“Christian unity and synodality are connected”, both of which must be followed in the ecumenical path, Francis said this Friday (11/10), in his homily at the Ecumenical Awakening with the Fathers: “Today we express our opinion. Not seeing the Lord Jesus together is an insult to the blasphemy of Christians. Faithful to the work of the Church “The world needs a common witness”.
Andrea Collette – Vatican News
The Synod Fathers’ Friday (11/10) ended with an ecumenical vigil in Protomartyrs Square inside the Vatican. The date commemorating the opening of the Second Vatican Council, Pope Francis recalled in his homily, “marked the official entry of the Catholic Church into the ecumenical movement”. The sermon was not read by the Holy Father, but delivered to the participants. The Square of the Roman Protomartyrs is a tribute to the first martyrs of the Church of Rome, who professed their faith in Christ with their own blood. “Let these martyrs strengthen in us the conviction that as we draw closer to Christ we draw closer to one another”, because “Christians are drawn closer to Christ and they are drawn closer to each other”.
Therefore, the Pope appreciated that “Christian unity and synodality are linked” and that both should be followed in a liturgical path. In both processes, the Pope continued, “it is not so much about creating something, but about welcoming and making fruitful the gift we already have. And what does the gift of communion look like? The synodal experience helps to discover. Some aspects”.
Ecumenical Prayer of the Fathers led by Pope Francis (Vatican Media)
Unity is a grace
The Pope then began to come up with some teachings about communion. First, she “A grace, an unpredictable gift” “Whose times and ways we cannot predict”:
Unity is a path
Another teaching of the synodal process is that “Unity is a path: matures on the journey, on the way. It grows in mutual service, in the dialogue of life, in cooperation among all Christians. However, in a common pilgrimage, a path to be followed “according to the Spirit (cf. Gal 5, 16-25)” “to the rhythm of God”.
Ecumenical Prayer of the Fathers led by Pope Francis (Vatican Media)
Unity is harmony
The third teaching is that “Unity is harmony“, made of the beauty of the Church, in the synod, “her various faces” and going on the path of the Holy Spirit:
“Unity is not uniformity, not the result of compromises or balances. Christian unity is harmony in the various passions raised up by the Spirit for the edification of all Christians.”
Unity of work
Finally, as in synodality, “Unity is for work“, in the testimony of the Council Fathers, “Our sect is “a scandal to the world, as well as damages the most sacred cause of preaching the Gospel to every creature” (UR, 1)” when they said:
“The ecumenical movement was born out of the desire to witness together with others, not with each other. In this place, the pioneers remind us that today in many parts of the world, Christians of different traditions give their lives together because of their faith in Jesus Christ, and their witness is stronger than any word, because the unity is God’s comes from the cross.
At the end of the homily, the Pope recalled the penitential celebration that took place before the start of the second session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which runs until October 27 at the Vatican. “Francis reinforced the need to promote the path to full communion, in harmony with each other and with all creation:
A homily of the bishops led by Pope Francis (Vatican Media).