Eucharist as the Supreme Expression of Church Unity Pope John Paul II General Audience November 22, 2000 Dear Brothers and Sisters, Faith, hope and charity are the three great lights of our spiritual journey, guiding us to an ever deeper communion with God and one another. They are therefore important in our reflection upon ecumenism. There is one faith, rooted in the word of God and expressed in the ancient Creeds and Councils. Doctrinal differences must be overcome if the one faith is to be proclaimed in all its fullness, but all Christians can still profess one Lord and one Baptism. Likewise, the hope which believers share in the coming of God’s Kingdom involves working for Christian unity and for the evangelization of the world. Faith and hope find their fulfilment in charity, through which the Father’s love for Jesus lives in his disciples. It is this love which makes the Church a single body, of which Christ himself is the head. And it is the Eucharist which is the supreme expression of this unity. As yet it is not possible for all Christians to share the one Eucharist. But this should inspire in us a greater desire for unity and a greater determination to follow the path of faith, hope and love which will eventually bring us together at the Table of the Lord.
I am happy to welcome the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors who are here today, in particular the Lutheran Ladies’ Choir from Iceland and the American military personnel led by Archbishop Edwin O’Brien. Upon all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors, especially those from Japan, Canada and the United States, I invoke the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ.