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"We have a service of charity and a testimony of common faith to exercise", speech of the Holy Father to the Lutheran delegation of Finland
Vatican City
on the occasion of the feast of Saint-Henri, The Pope received a delegation from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland at the Vatican
In his speech, the Pontiff recalled that "ecumenism is a requirement of faith that we profess, a requirement born of our identity as followers of Jesus ". The pope added that ecumenism is also an irreversible path as has been pointed out by various pontiffs since Vatican Council II.
Charity and testimony of faith
He then recalled that we had a charity service. and a testimony of common faith to exercise. And these are rooted in baptism, in our Christian being: it is the center! ", Said the pope." When we pray together, when we proclaim the gospel and serve the poor and the needy, we find ourselves on the path and the path itself progresses toward the goal visible unity. "
During ecumenism, Francisco continues, we are not the only ones:
" There are common witnesses who, like St. Henry, precede us along the way. It is therefore true that tradition is not a dilemma, but a gift (…). Tradition is not something that we can appropriate to distinguish ourselves, but a task entrusted to us to enrich each other.
Finally, Francis spoke of the theme of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (celebrated in Brazil between Ascension and Pentecost): "You will seek justice, nothing but justice" (see Dt 16, 18-20):
: "The sentence is plural and reminds us that we can not act individually by justice: justice for all must be sought and sought together. In a world marked by wars, hatreds, nationalisms and divisions, prayer and the common commitment to greater justice can not be deferred. These are omissions that we can not afford. "
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