Week of Christian Unity updates

(UOC-MP) - At the invitation of the public religious charitable organization - St Egidius' community (Roma), on the blessing of His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr of Kyiv and All Ukraine on January 24 the Vicar of the Kyiv Metropolis, His Grace Theodosius of Brovary participated in the theological conference in Genoa, held in the framework of the Week of Prayer for the Christian unity.

In the course of the conference His Grace Theodosius made a report themed "Liturgical life in the Orthodox Church", which excited live interest of the forum participants. His Grace was asked on the rite of the rites of the Divine Liturgy in the Orthodox Church, on the spiritual preparation of laity and clergymen to the sacrament of Eucharist, on the participation of youth in the liturgy. The audience also took interest in the work with youth in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Taking part in the conference's work, His Grace Theodosius made a visit to the elderly people's home of a familial type of St Egidius Community, asked questions about the legal provisions for such kind of establishment, having left a memorial note in the book of honored guests. Besides, His Grace bowed unto the great shrines of the Christian world, kept in Genoa: the Wonder working icon of the Savior Not-Made-by-Hands, the relics of St John the Forerunner, the Prophet of God, the holy martyrs' relics, the tray of Herodiade (on which the cut head of St John the Forerunner laid), the cup of ablution, in which Our Lord Jesus Christ washed the feet of his disciples. The trip of His Grace Theodosius, Vicar Bishop of the Kyiv Metropolis to the conference in Genoa was organized by the Department for External Church Relations of the UOC.

ROME (CNS) - Giving in to the temptation of thinking the Christian churches will never be fully united is a sign of weak faith, Pope Benedict XVI said.

"One must resist the temptation of resignation and pessimism, which is a lack of trust in the power of the Holy Spirit," the pope said Jan. 25 at an ecumenical evening prayer service marking the close of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

The pope presided over the service at Rome's Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls with a German Lutheran delegation, an international group of Oriental Orthodox bishops and theologians and Orthodox, Anglican and Protestant leaders from Rome.

Special prayers were read by Orthodox Metropolitan Gennadios of Italy and Malta and by the Rev. David Richardson, the Anglican archbishop of Canterbury's representative to the Vatican and director of the Anglican Center in Rome.

In his homily, the pope said the search for Christian unity is "a moral imperative, a response to a precise call of the Lord."

The theme of the 2011 week of prayer, "One in the apostles' teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer," described the unity experienced within the early Christian community, the pope said.

The early Christian community in Jerusalem "was not closed in on itself, but from its birth it was catholic, universal, capable of embracing people of different languages and cultures," the pope said.

"It was a community not founded on a pact among its members, or on the simple sharing of a project or ideal, but on profound communion with God," he said.

Pope Benedict repeated what he had said Jan. 19 during his weekly general audience at the Vatican: The theme's four ingredients are the four pillars of Christian faith and are "the fundamental dimensions of unity of the visible body of the church."

To be fully united, he said, Christians must hold firm to the faith taught by the apostles, they must gather together, they must share the Eucharist, and they must pray constantly.

Because unity must be based on faith believed and lived in common, he said at the prayer service, Christian unity cannot be reduced to a recognition and acceptance of differences and an agreement to coexist peacefully.

"That for which we yearn is the unity for which Christ himself prayed and which, by its nature, is manifested in a communion of faith, sacraments and ministry," Pope Benedict said.