By Katie Yoder
Pope Francis on Friday called for the recovery of Christian unity under the guidance of the Holy Spirit on his vacation in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
“Unfortunately, through our divisions, we have wounded the holy body of the Lord; however, the Holy Spirit, who unites all members, is greater than our divisions according to the flesh,” the pontiff said on vacation in the Muslim island country of the Persian Gulf.
“Therefore, it is right to say that what unites us surpasses what separates us, and that the more we walk according to the Spirit, the more we will be led to preference and, with God’s help, repair the complete unity among us. “
The 85-year-old pontiff made his comments as he reflected on Pentecost at an ecumenical assembly and a prayer for peace at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia on his Nov. 3-6 apostolic adventure in Bahrain. The Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, was present. , as well as several Christian leaders from the region.
The Holy Spirit “does not imprison us in uniformity but disposes us to conform to one another in our differences,” he said. “This happens when other people live through the Spirit. They are informed to reunite with their brothers and sisters in religion. “as a component of the framework to which they themselves belong.
“This is the spirit of the ecumenical journey,” he added.
Throughout his trip, Pope Francis addressed the theme of his visit: “Peace on earth to men of will,” encouraged through Luke 2:14. They are called to proclaim peace.
He is the first pope in the country, located east of Saudi Arabia and west of Qatar. Bahrain has a total population of 1. 5 million, according to a 2022 estimate through the CIA’s World Factbook. While more than 70 percent Muslim, there are about 161,000 Catholics, many of whom are immigrants from Asia, specifically the Philippines and India, according to 2020 Vatican statistics. The country is home to two Catholic churches and 20 Catholic priests.
In the cathedral, Pope Francis reflected on Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon Christ’s disciples. The pontiff arrived there in a wheelchair and won baskets of children’s flowers before praying in front of the statue of Our Lady of Arabia.
The Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia, an arch-shaped design with capacity for 2300 people, consecrated in 2021 and built on land donated through Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the king of Bahrain.
Noting that two things about Pentecost are useful for “our adventure of communion,” the pope spoke first of “unity in diversity. “
While the early fanatics of Christ may simply worship God and do good, the Holy Spirit descended upon them as they gathered. Today he asked: “What is the ‘meeting place’, the ‘spiritual High Room’ of our communion?
“It is the praise of God, which the Spirit arouses in all,” he replied, calling prayer of praise and adoration “the form of prayer. “
The prayer of praise, he added, unites only the faithful on earth but also the earth in heaven.
“Because not only here on earth, but also in heaven, there is a song of praise that unites us, sung through the many Christian martyrs of the confessions,” he said. “We have the same goal: we are all called to the fullness of communion in God.
Still animated by Pentecost, Pope Francis preached on a topical theme: “the witness of life. “He noted how, after Pentecost, the disciples went out to “radiate the good gaze of God’s love” with their lives.
He the importance of loving everyone.
“This is the badge of Christians, the essence of our witness,” he insisted.
He concluded by describing unity and witness as “essential. “
“The Spirit unites us and sends us, gathers us in communion and sends us on mission,” the pontiff continued. that will open new horizons and accelerate the speed of our adventure of unity and peace.
“On this day of Pentecost, the Spirit has created wonderful diversity,” he said. “And this, as the unity we represent, comes from the Spirit, because the Spirit is harmony. “