Register Summary

Pope John Paul II met with 4,000 pilgrims during his general audience Jan. 21 and encouraged Christians everywhere to seek Christ's own peace during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which is observed every year in January.

“The world longs for peace and needs peace,” the Pope noted, “but often seeks it in inappropriate ways, even, at times, by resorting to force or by trying to achieve an equilibrium through opposing powers.”

Christ's peace, he pointed out, reconciles, purifies and brings conversion. “The quest for unity touches every believer, who is called to be part of the one people of those who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ on the cross,” he said.

The Holy Father encouraged all Christians to develop a profound spirituality of peace and peacemaking, and noted that many encouraging developments have taken place in the quest for Christian unity.

“Along with prayer,” he said, “we also feel strongly called to make an effort to be genuine ‘peacemakers’ wherever we live.”

Christ's peace reconciles souls, purifies hearts and transforms minds.

“Peace I leave with you” (John 14:27). This year's week of prayer and reflection for Christian unity is centered on these words that Jesus spoke during the Last Supper. In a certain sense, they are his spiritual testament. The promise Christ made to his disciples was fully fulfilled in his resurrection. When he appeared to the eleven disciples in the upper room, he greeted them three times with these words: “Peace be with you” (John 20:19).

However, the gift Christ gave to the apostles is not just any kind of peace but his very own peace — “my peace,” as he said. He explained it in even more simple terms so they would understand: I give you my peace “not as the world gives” (John 14:27).

Desire for Peace

The world longs for peace and needs peace — today just as before — but often seeks it in inappropriate ways, even, at times, by resorting to force or by trying to achieve equilibrium through opposing powers. In such a situation, a man's spirit is troubled by fear and uncertainty. Christ's peace, on the other hand, reconciles souls, purifies hearts and transforms minds.

An ecumenical group from the city of Aleppo in Syria proposed the theme for this year's Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. For this reason, my thoughts turned to the pilgrimage I had the joy of making to Damascus. In particular, I recall with gratitude the warm welcome the two Orthodox patriarchs and the Greek-Catholic patriarch gave me. That meeting still represents a sign of hope for our ecumenical journey. Ecumenism, however, as the Second Vatican Council reminds us, is not genuine without “interior conversion. For it is from newness of attitudes of mind, from self-denial and unstinted love that desires of unity take their rise and develop in a mature way” (Decree on Ecumenism, 7).

Spirituality of Peace

There is a growing awareness of the need for a profound spirituality of peace and peacemaking, not only among those who are directly involved in ecumenical work but also among all Christians. Indeed, the quest for unity touches every believer, who is called to be part of the one people that has been redeemed by the blood of Christ on the cross.

It is encouraging to see how the quest for unity among Christians is growing more and more thanks to very opportune developments that are of interest to the different realms of those who are committed to ecumenism. Among these signs of hope, I am please to include the growth of brotherly love and the progress that has been made in theological dialogs with various churches and church communities. Through these dialogs, it has been possible to achieve, to varying degrees and with various goals, important agreements on topics that were highly controversial in the past.

Charity and Love

Keeping these positive signs in mind, we must not be discouraged when we face old or new difficulties; we need to confront them with patience and understanding, always counting on God's help.

“Where there is charity and love, God is there.” This is the song and prayer of this week's liturgy, as we relive the climate in the upper room. Mutual charity and love are the source of peace and unity among all Christians, who can make a decisive contribution so mankind will overcome the reasons for divisions and conflicts.

Along with prayer, dear brothers and sisters, we also feel strongly called to make an effort to be genuine “peacemakers” (see Matthew 5:9) wherever we live.

May the Virgin Mary, who, on Calvary, was a witness of Christ's redeeming sacrifice, assist us and walk with us on this path of reconciliation and peace!

(Register translation)