Pope Francis highlights ecumenical vocation of Christians

Pope Francis underlined the ecumenical vocation that Christians share during an audience this Monday held in the Vatican with Finnish representatives of various Christian confessions, who have made a pilgrimage to Rome on the occasion of the feast of Saint Henry, celebrated on January 19.

The head of the Finnish Orthodox Church, Archbishop Elías of Helsinki, as well as the Catholic Bishop Raimo Goyarrola, of the Diocese of Helsinki, and Bishop Matti Salomäki, of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, participated in the meeting at the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican.

The Holy Father stressed that bearing witness to the incarnate love of Christ “is our ecumenical vocation, in the communion of all the baptized.”

Within the framework of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and the Jubilee Year, he highlighted that Saint Henry, patron saint of Finland, represents an icon of hope “that finds its safe and firm foundation in God.”

As a messenger of peace, he continued, Saint Henry “exhorts us to never cease to raise our prayers for the precious and fragile gift of peace.”

At the same time, he noted that it is “a symbol of the unity given by God,” since its festival continues to unite “Christians from different Churches and Ecclesial Communities in common praise to the Lord.”

He also applauded that this pilgrimage is accompanied by the choir of the Chapel Sof Maryemphasizing that “he who sings, prays twice.”

He then referred to the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed that Christians share as an “extraordinary score of faith” and a “symphony of truth,” with Jesus Christ at the center.

“Whoever listens to this ‘symphony of truth’, not only with the ears, but with the heart, will be touched by the mystery of God who leans towards us, full of love, in his Son,” he stated.

To confidently express the ecumenical “filial vocation,” Pope Francis invited those present to pray the Our Father prayer.