• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Elizabeth Scalia
          • Michael R. Heinlein
          • Effie Caldarola
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Mark Viviano
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
        • CR Radio
        • Protagonistas de Fe
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
Pope Francis speaks to members of the Pauline Ecumenical Colloquium, an international and ecumenical group of New Testament scholars focused on the letters of St. Paul, during a meeting at the Vatican Sept. 14, 2023 (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

Pope says Christian unity advances with prayer, study, joint work

September 14, 2023
By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service
Filed Under: Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations, Feature, News, Vatican, World News

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Scholars from different Christian churches who have studied together the New Testament letters of St. Paul are engaging in “courageous and prophetic work,” Pope Francis told them.

“If throughout history divisions have been a source of suffering, today we must commit ourselves to reversing course, moving forward on the paths of unity and fraternity, which begin precisely by praying, studying and working together,” the pope told the scholars during a meeting at the Vatican Sept. 14.

The Pauline Ecumenical Colloquium began in 1968, bringing experts in the letters of St. Paul together at the Benedictine abbey next to his burial place, the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome.

Over the course of more than 50 years, members of the colloquium have published 24 volumes of papers looking at everything from “charism and agape” in First Corinthians to their latest, “Dying with Christ — New Life in Hope,” a study of themes in Romans 5:12-8:39.

The scholarship itself is important, the pope said, contributing to “the biblical and spiritual understanding of the letters of the Apostle to the Gentiles.”

But, he said, it is “all the more important since the discussions take place between different Christian denominations, and you yourselves, who are impassioned Pauline scholars, come from various nations, bringing with you not only the specific character of your studies, but also the distinctiveness of your culture of origin and the life of faith of the Christian communities to which you belong.”

Courage is needed to bring those distinctions to the table, he said, but also “‘ecumenical prophecy,’ that healthy ‘impatience of the Spirit’ to which all of us Christians are summoned, so that the journey toward the fullness of unity may progress and the commitment to bear witness may not weaken.”

The scholars currently are discussing and researching chapters 9-11 of the Letter to the Romans where, the pope said, “we find an extraordinary exposition of the mystery of salvation that places the gifts and call of God to Israel, which the apostle describes as ‘irrevocable’ (Rom 11:29), in relationship, and thus in dialogue, with the hope of the Gospel.”

“The Apostle hands on to us a message of fundamental importance, which still represents that foundation on which not only to deepen biblical studies but also to continue to foster ecumenical dialogue: God does not fail in his promises of salvation and patiently carries them out, even in unexpected and surprising ways,” the pope said.

Encouraging the scholars to pursue their academic studies of the texts, Pope Francis also asked them to “also and above all else, let yourselves be amazed by the countless spiritual resources contained in the Pauline letters, in order to offer Christian communities new words able to communicate the Father’s merciful goodness, Christ’s newness of salvation and the Spirit’s renewing hope.”

Read More Vatican News

Parishes need to launch ‘revolution of care’ for the elderly, pope says

Body of Blessed Frassati, relic of Blessed Acutis will be in Rome for Jubilee

Pope celebrates Apollo 11 anniversary with peek at the heavens, call to astronaut

Pope, Palestinian president discuss humanitarian tragedy in Gaza during phone call

Pope condemns Israel’s attack against church, calls for end to ‘barbarity’

Pope: Summer marks time to balance busyness with rest, prayer, joy with loved ones

Copyright © 2023 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Print Print

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

Primary Sidebar

Cindy Wooden

Click here to view all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • Prince of Peace merges with St. Francis de Sales in Harford County

  • Detroit archbishop fires theologians Ralph Martin, Eduardo Echeverría from seminary

  • Archdiocese of Baltimore offers resources for parishes to assist migrants

  • Construction underway on new north addition to St. Joseph’s Nursing Home 

  • A butterfly lands on a flowering bush with purple blossoms A Miracle for a Baby in Rhode Island (and for all of us)

| Latest Local News |

Archdiocese of Baltimore offers resources for parishes to assist migrants

Third annual gun buyback scheduled for Aug. 9

Driver arrested after crashing into entrance of Esperanza Center

Construction underway on new north addition to St. Joseph’s Nursing Home 

Prince of Peace merges with St. Francis de Sales in Harford County

| Latest World News |

Cardinal Tomasi: Religious communities can play key roles in nuclear disarmament

Warsaw archbishop ‘devastated, crushed’ by priest’s arrest in brutal murder of homeless man

Jubilee of Youth chance to celebrate hope, fraternity in world at war, panel says

New York archdiocese sees hundreds of responses to ‘Called By Name’ program

Can’t afford a Catholic college? Think again. Many offer full tuition options

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Cardinal Tomasi: Religious communities can play key roles in nuclear disarmament
  • Warsaw archbishop ‘devastated, crushed’ by priest’s arrest in brutal murder of homeless man
  • Jubilee of Youth chance to celebrate hope, fraternity in world at war, panel says
  • New York archdiocese sees hundreds of responses to ‘Called By Name’ program
  • Can’t afford a Catholic college? Think again. Many offer full tuition options
  • Detroit archbishop fires theologians Ralph Martin, Eduardo Echeverría from seminary
  • LA archbishop, joined by business leaders, starts fund to help families affected by ICE raids
  • FBI surveilled SSPX priest amid probe of suspected neo-Nazi’s plans for violence
  • Poland’s ‘living memorial’ to St. John Paul II marks 25 years of transforming lives

Search

Membership

Catholic Media Assocation

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2025 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

en Englishes Spanish
en en