Dear Directors and Students of
the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey,

"Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (Cfr. Phil 1, 2). I am very happy to welcome you to Rome, for so long a centre of European civilization and culture! Here, from the beginning, the question of the relationship between the Gospel and culture has been of immediate relevance. For at Rome, in the design of Providence, Peter concluded his journey of faithful discipleship and service. Here he paid the price of his blood, giving proof of his love for Christ. At Rome, Paul preached the Gospel and also gave the supreme witness. Thus the Church of Rome became the Church of Peter and Paul. In the Catholic belief its Bishop received as his inheritance the mission of strengthening his fellow Bishops (Cfr. Luc. 22, 32) and teaching the flock of the whole Church.

I hope that your visit here may be a further encouragement for each of you in your commitment to Christ and the Gospel. May it inspire you in the ecumenical task so that when you go back to your own countries you may bring a heart and mind even more ready to serve God’s loving purpose for his Church, for the unity of Christian people and for the renewal and reconciliation of the human family.

"May the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in you that which is pleasing in his sigh, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen" (Cfr. Hebr. 13, 20-21).

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