Sunday, May 29, 2005

Corpus Domini in Bari...

Today the Holy Father concelebrated Mass with the Italian epsicopate and many priests at the National Eucharistic Congress at Bari. The motto of the Congress was 'Without Sunday We Cannot Live' the cry of the Martyrs of Abitane and it's no surprise that his homily urged the importance of Sunday for a Christian life. He also reaffirmed his commitment to Christian unity in very strong terms:
Proprio qui, a Bari, città che custodisce le ossa di San Nicola, terra di incontro e di dialogo con i fratelli cristiani dell’Oriente, vorrei ribadire la mia volontà di assumere come impegno fondamentale quello di lavorare con tutte le energie alla ricostituzione della piena e visibile unità di tutti i seguaci di Cristo. Sono cosciente che per questo non bastano le manifestazioni di buoni sentimenti. Occorrono gesti concreti che entrino negli animi e smuovano le coscienze, sollecitando ciascuno a quella conversione interiore che è il presupposto di ogni progresso sulla via dell’ecumenismo.

Right here in Bari, the city which keeps the bones of St Nicholas, the land of meeting and dialogue with (our) Eastern Christian Brothers, I wish to drive home my intention to assume as a fundamental duty that of working with all my energy for the reconstitution of full and visible unity of all the followers of Christ. I am aware that for this expressions of good feelings do not suffice. Concrete gestures are demanded which enter souls and move consciences, bringing about in everyone that interior conversion which is the precondition of any progress on the path of ecumenism.
I've already heard the question being asked - will Benedict be able to go where John Paul couldn't? Will he make it to Moscow?

Any captions?

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