I extend my heartfelt greetings to all present at the Fourth World Gathering of the Global Christian Forum.

Your assembly has participants from all over the world, which reflects a beautiful mosaic of contemporary christianity with its rich diversity while still founded on our shared identity as followers of Jesus Christ.

This year’s theme, “that the world may know” (John 17:23b) calls on christians to embody the unity and love of the Triune God in their personal and ecclesial lives so that they bear witness to a world scarred by division and rivalry.

Unity is an indispensable element for embracing the vision of the Kingdom of God. As such, there is an intrinsic bond between ecumenism and christian mission. Throughout its history, the Global Christian Forum has contributed significantly to the promotion of this bond by providing a space in which members, especially those from different historical expressions of the christian faith, grow in mutual respect and fraternity by encountering one another in Christ.

May this gathering, on the forum’s silver anniversary, deepen your faith and revitalize your fraternal love as you pray together, exchange your personal stories and address the challenges facing the global christian community.

To all of you, I invoke the blessings of Almighty God, and pray that the gathering will advance the visible unity among all christians.
 

FRANCISCUS