Pope Francis told a
group of mostly Lutheran pilgrims on Thursday that proselytism
was a potential threat to Christian unity.
"The last thing you must do is 'to say, to convince'. It's
not right to convince someone of your faith," he said.
"Proselytism is the strongest venom against the path of
ecumenism".
The pope was speaking to around 1,000 pilgrims in the
Vatican - most of them German Lutherans - who are in Rome as
part of ecumenical preparations for the 500th anniversary of the
beginning of the Lutheran reformation.
"The Apostle Paul tells us that, by virtue of our baptism,
we all form the one Body of Christ," the pope said.
"The different members, in fact, are one body. This is why
we belong to each other and when one suffers, all suffer, when
one rejoices, all rejoice. Let us continue with confidence on
our ecumenical journey, because we know that, beyond the many
open questions that still separate us, we are already united.
What unites us is much more than what divides us".
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
