(Vatican Radio) The vital role that men and women religious of different Christian Churches play in the ecumenical journey was at the heart of Pope Francis’s meeting on Saturday with participants in a conference on consecrated life and the search for Christian Unity. The three day meeting, which concludes on Sunday, comes in the context of both this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and the Year of Consecrated Life. Participants are concluding each day with Vespers in the Orthodox, Anglican and Catholic traditions, including the liturgy presided over by Pope Francis in the Basilica of St Paul’s Outside the Walls on Sunday.
Listen to the report by Philippa Hitchen:
In his meeting with the men and women religious, Pope Francis recalled the words of the Second Vatican Council document ‘Unitatis Redintegratio’ stressing that spiritual ecumenism is the soul of the whole ecumenical movement. Consecrated people like yourselves, he said, therefore have a particular vocation in this work of promoting unity.
The Pope also mentioned ecumenical communities like Taizé and Bose which have taken up this vocation and are privileged places of encounter between Christians of different denominations.
The Pope spoke of three conditions at the core of the search for Christian unity – firstly, there’s no unity without conversion of heart, which includes forgiving and asking for forgiveness.
Secondly he said there is no unity without prayer and therefore men and women religious who pray for unity are like ‘an invisible monastery’ bringing together Christians of different denominations from different countries around the world.
Thirdly, the Pope said, there is no unity without holiness of daily life. so the more we put our search for unity into practise in our relations with others, the more we will be modelling our lives on the message of the Gospel.
(from Vatican Radio)…
Following Malawian President Peter Mutharika’s declaration on 13 January 2015 that 15 districts in the country are disaster areas, Pope Francis through the office of Apostolic Nunciature in Malawi has conveyed a message of solidarity to the people of Malawi through Archbishop Thomas Msusa, Vice President of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM). The message was…
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Following Malawian President Peter Mutharika’s declaration on 13 January 2015 that 15 districts in the country are disaster areas, Pope Francis through the office of Apostolic Nunciature in Malawi has conveyed a message of solidarity to the people of Malawi through Archbishop Thomas Msusa, Vice President of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM). The message was…
Read more
Following Malawian President Peter Mutharika’s declaration on 13 January 2015 that 15 districts in the country are disaster areas, Pope Francis through the office of Apostolic Nunciature in Malawi has conveyed a message of solidarity to the people of Malawi through Archbishop Thomas Msusa, Vice President of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM). The message was…
Read more
Following Malawian President Peter Mutharika’s declaration on 13 January 2015 that 15 districts in the country are disaster areas, Pope Francis through the office of Apostolic Nunciature in Malawi has conveyed a message of solidarity to the people of Malawi through Archbishop Thomas Msusa, Vice President of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM). The message was forwarded to ECM by the Apostolic Nuncio to Malawi, Archbishop Julio Murat.
In his statement to Archbishop Msusa, the Apostolic Nuncio stated, “I would like to forward you the message of His Holiness Pope Francis on the tragic consequences of heavy rains in Malawi.”
The message signed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State at the Vatican reads:
” His Holiness Pope Francis, informed of the tragic consequences of the heavy rains in Malawi, has asked me to convey his closeness and solidarity to you and the Catholic faithful, and all beloved people of Malawi. He assures you of his prayers for the victims, their families and all affected by this catastrophe. The Holy Father invokes God’s blessings of strength and perseverance upon those engaged in the massive work of relief, and he expresses his fervent hope that the international community will respond generously and effectively to the needs of the suffering. To all, as a pledge of hope and peace in the Lord, he sends his blessing.”
At least 200 people are reported killed by floods and tens of thousands evacuated in what has been branded the worst flooding on record in the Southern African nation.
Apart from killing about 200 people, the floods have also displaced at least 200,000. Others left homes and schools submerged in water. Several roads have been washed away by the deluge.
(e-mail: engafrica@vatiradio.va)
(from Vatican Radio)…