Seoul (AsiaNews) – Prayer is “an integral part of Christian life and a foundation of communal life in the Church built by Christ.” for this reason Christian unity “does not depend on verifying who is responsible for our divisions but begins with prayers in which we entrust ourselves to the Holy Spirit, confessing together 'one Lord, one faith, one baptism’.”
This is the thrust of a message that Mgr Hyginus Kim Hee-joong, chairman of the Committee for Promoting Christian Unity and Inter-religious Dialogue of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, sent to Korean Catholics on the occasion of the upcoming week of prayers for Christian unity set to take place on 18-25 January on the theme “Pray Without Ceasing.”
In his message the bishop said that “prayer that joins Jesus' prayer for unity in the Holy Spirit can be the starting point of authentic spiritual ecumenism. [. . .] Our own minds and hearts are shaped by prayer as we seek opportunities to translate that prayer into practice.”
He then appealed to the faithful to meditate on ecumenism and make an effort towards it. He noted that “prayer for Christian unity leads all Christians called for the glory of God to recognise how our reality of division is contrary to His will” and teachings.