"Today, as usual, the world needs our joint testimony of Christ and the hope of the Gospel": it was said this morning by the Pope, as he received in audience the members of the International Commission for Dialogue of the Papal Council for the Unity of the Christians-World Baptist Alliance, in Rome for their meeting. "The subject chosen for this series of contacts: the Word of God in the life of the Church, the Scriptures, tradition and koinonia commented Benedict XVI , offers a promising context for the review of historically-controversial issues, such as the relations between Scriptures and tradition, the understanding of baptism and Sacraments, the place of Mary in the communion of the Church" and the nature of the "primacy in the ministerial structure of the Church". "To accomplish our hope of reconciliation and a wider friendship between Baptists and Catholics went on Benedict XVI , we have to address these subjects together, in a spirit of openness, mutual respect and faithfulness to the liberating truth and salvific power of the Gospel". "Obedience to the Lord should urge us all the time to commit ourselves to that unity that has been expressed so movingly in His priestly prayer", because "the loss of unity between Christians openly contradicts Christ’s will".
