Unity among Christians does not yet exist, but “we cannot give way to discouragement, even if the stages that still remain to be completed be of long duration”, say the Spanish bishops of the Episcopal Commission for inter-confessional relations, in their message “Christ illuminates all”, prepared in view of the imminent Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (18-25 January). “As disciples of Christ we cannot turn back, tempted by the security of a past without relations between the Churches”, point out the bishops, who recall that “all the great ecclesial communions” aspire to recognize each other as “sister churches”. The message also focuses particular attention on the forthcoming ecumenical meeting of the European Churches at Sibiu (Romania): “We are fully convinced that the 3rd European Ecumenical Assembly will help to make us Christians of Europe understand each other more and better, in order to tackle together the common challenge of our time: that of ensuring that Christ may continue to illuminate the life of the countries that have known him and in whose light they have grown”.
