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Handout #273 |
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The week of prayer for unity or the spiritual ecumenism of Abbe Couturier |
| It should be understood that this octave of prayer (18-25 January) is a spiritual work which each person offers up in the sincerity of his or her soul, the Orthodox remaining Orthodox, the Anglican remaining Anglican, the Catholic remaining Catholic. The heart of the matter is to succeed in promoting ecumenical prayer among all Christian groups, a prayer which is an echo of our deep suffering over the horrible sin of disunity. We have all sinned. We must all humble ourselves, pray without ceasing and constantly ask for the miracle of total reunion. We certainly shall not see it, but our duty is to prepare for it, however distant it may be. Our universal Christ is waiting for the unanimous prayer of all Christian groups to reunite them when and as he wills ... Neither Catholic prayer nor Orthodox prayer nor Anglican prayer nor Protestant prayer is enough. All are necessary, and all together. Paul Couturier (1936). |
