One of the chief preoccupations of Pope Benedict XVI's pontificate has been increasing the unity of the Church. He has repeatedly reached out to the Eastern Orthodox; set up a structure for Anglicans to return to Rome; begun the process of reconciling the traditionalist Society of Saint Pius X; extended the use of the Traditional Latin Mass, to (among other things) preclude further traditionalist schisms; and approved the issuing of a very important document that makes the Catholic Church's understanding of ecclesiology, which must be the basis for any ecumenical dialogue, crystal-clear.
And, of course, Pope Benedict's monthly prayer intentions often focus on Christian unity. And so, as we enter into the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (January 18-25), let us join with the Holy Father by offering as our novena of the week A Devout Exercise for the Unity of the Church.
More on Christian Unity:
- What Is the Church? A Restatement of Catholic Tradition
- What Is the Church? The Role of Vatican II
- What Is the Church? The Church of Christ "Subsists" in the Catholic Church
- What Is the Church? Orthodox, Protestants, and the Mystery of Salvation
- What Is the Church? The Orthodox Churches and Union
- What Is the Church? Protestant "Communities," Not Churches