VATICAN - Benedict XVI tells Ecumenical Delegation from Finland: “Together, let us thank God for all that has been achieved to date in Catholic-Lutheran relations, and let us pray that the Spirit of truth will guide us towards ever greater unity, in the service of the Gospel.”

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - “Dear distinguished Friends from Finland, it is with great joy that I welcome all of you on this annual visit to Rome for the feast of your patron, Saint Henrik...These pilgrimages are an occasion for shared prayer, reflection and dialogue in the service of our quest for full communion.” These were the words of welcome given by the Holy Father Benedict XVI to the members of an Ecumenical Delegation from Finland, whom he received in audience on January 19.
Highlighting the fact that their visit took place during the Week of Prayer of Christian Unity whose theme this year is taken from the Book of Ezekiel: “That they may become one in your hand” (Ez 37:15-23), the Holy Father explained that this vision of the prophet, “in the context of ecumenism, it speaks to us of God who constantly draws us into deeper unity in Christ, by renewing us and liberating us from our divisions.”
The Pope also recalled the 10th anniversary of the Joint Declaration on Justification, “and the Commission is now studying its implications and the possibility of its reception. Under the theme Justification in the Life of the Church, the dialogue is taking ever fuller account of the nature of the Church as the sign and instrument of the salvation brought about in Jesus Christ, and not simply a mere assembly of believers or an institution with various functions.”
“Your pilgrimage to Rome takes place within the Pauline Year - the two thousandth anniversary of the birth of the Apostle to the Nations, whose life and teaching were tirelessly committed to the unity of the Church. Saint Paul reminds us of the marvellous grace we have received by becoming members of Christ’s body through baptism. The Church is this mystical Body of Christ, and is continuously guided by the Holy Spirit; the Spirit of the Father and the Son...From Paul we also learn that the unity we seek is nothing less than the manifestation of our full incorporation into the Body of Christ.”
Expressing his hope that their visit to Rome “will further strengthen the ecumenical relations between Lutherans and Catholics in Finland, which have been so positive for many years,” the Holy Father concluded his address with this exhortation: “Together, let us thank God for all that has been achieved to date in Catholic-Lutheran relations, and let us pray that the Spirit of truth will guide us towards ever greater unity, in the service of the Gospel.” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 20/1/2009)