| Vatican City (Fides Service) – The urgent need to continue to pray for unity among Christians and not be discouraged by difficulties, was the centre of Pope John Paul II’s Sunday Angelus reflection on 25 January, also the feast of the Conversion of St Paul and the closing day of the annual Week for Prayer for Christian Unity, during which “in every corner of the earth Christians have prayed together for ever deeper communion among themselves as desired by the Lord”. "Ut unum sint – may they be one" (Jn 17,21) – the Pope said -. This ardent invocation made by Jesus in the Upper Room continues to remind Christian communities that unity is a gift to welcome and to develop ever more deeply.”
The Holy Father then said: “unity among Christians has been a constant concern of my Pontificate and it continues to be a demanding priority of my ministry”, and he encouraged those present not to lessen “commitment to pray for unity but to strive for it unceasingly”... “Obstacles, difficulties, ever misunderstandings and failure cannot and must not discourage us”. He ended by entrusting the ecumenical journey to Mary, Mother of Christ and Mother of the Church.
After leading the Angelus prayer, the Pope mentioned the Day of Solidarity with Lepers asking people to pray for those who suffer from leprosy and for those who care for them and he encouraged, “efforts by the international community to eradicate this disease”.
(S.L.) (Fides Service 26/1/2004 – lines 16; words 221)
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