“Working relentlessly on the reconstruction of the full and visible unity of all the followers of Christ”: it was the “primary commitment” made by Benedict XVI at the beginning of his pontificate, and it was confirmed by the Pope this morning, during the meeting with the 150 delegates of Churches, Bishops’ Conferences, communities and ecumenical organizations from all over Europe, gathering in Rome for the “first stage” of the Third European Ecumenical Meeting (AEE3 – Sibiu – 4-8 September 2007). Meaningfully, the “ecumenical pilgrimage” started “exactly here, in Rome, where the preaching and the martyrdom of the apostles Peter and Paul took place”, said the Pope to the delegates at hearing. And the Pope reminded them that the chosen subject (The light of Christ enlightens everybody. Hope for renewal and unity in Europe) “shows us that this is the real priority for Europe: committing oneself so that the light of Christ may shine and enlighten the steps of the European Continent at the beginning of the new Millennium, giving it renewed energy”. “I hope – went on the Pope – that every step of this pilgrimage will be marked by the light of Christ, and that the next European ecumenical meeting may contribute to making the Christians in our countries more aware of the duty to witness our faith in the current cultural context, quite often characterized by relativism and indifference. This – He concluded – is the necessary service for the European community, which expanded its borders in these years”.
