For the Unity of the Church
For the Unity of the Church
At the beginning of our gathering, I would like to express my gratitude to Their Beatitudes the Patriarchs who have participated with us in this meeting. I extend my thanks to His Beatitude Cardinal Stephanos I, Patriarch of the Coptic Catholics; to His Beatitude Patriarch Maximos V Hakim of the Melkite Greek Catholics; to His Excellency the Vatican Ambassador; and to the representatives of the various Christian denominations—the Catholics, Episcopalians, Syriac Orthodox, our Evangelical brethren, and Dr. Labib Mishriqi.
We also give thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ, who granted us this opportunity to be together in this church to pray for its unity and cohesion, and that we may become one in Christ Jesus. I would like to speak briefly about this unity. The first question we must ask is: Does the unity of the Church agree with the will of God or not? If it does accord with His will, then we must speak about it and all strive toward it.
The unity of the Church indeed accords with the will of God, for He desired that we be one flock with one Shepherd, as stated in the Gospel of our teacher John. Moreover, the unity of the Church was the very matter for which the Lord Jesus Christ prayed on His way to Gethsemane and Golgotha. His final and longest prayer was offered for the Church.
Listen to what He says: “Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are” (John 17:11). This is the greatest comparison for the unity of the Church. Then He says: “That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me” (John 17:21).
What does this mean?
It means that the unity of the Church is essential for preaching, evangelism, and faith. They must become one so that the world may know that You sent Me. The existence of many conflicting denominations can become a stumbling block to the world. When denominations contradict one another, people are confused and unable to embrace faith, feeling that truth is lost amid contradictions.
The Lord Jesus, in a single passage, repeatedly emphasizes “that they may be one.” As He was on His way to Golgotha, He placed the unity of the Church as His foremost concern. Everything mattered to Him was the unity of the Church. Therefore, He gave the disciples two things: a commandment and a prayer.
The commandment was: “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:12–13).
And He also offered the prayer that they may be one.
The unity of the Church is the natural state. The Church is the Body of Christ, and Christ has one Body. Christ is the Head, and we are all one Body; it is not fitting for the body to be torn apart, each part in a different place.
The Church is the Bride of Christ, and Christ has one Bride. Therefore, the Church must be one. The Lord Jesus said: “I am the vine, you are the branches” (John 15:5). There is one vine, and we are all branches in it—the one vine is the Church.
The unity of the Church is the natural, ecclesial, and historical state.
From the ecclesial perspective, we proclaim in the Creed: “We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.” There is only one Church—universal, holy, and apostolic. References to “churches” in Scripture are geographical, not doctrinal; the Church remains one regardless of location.
Historically, the Church began as one. In the Book of Acts, we read that all who believed were of one heart, one soul, and one mind. Concerning this one Church, we read beautiful words in Ephesians 4:1–6:
“Walk worthy of the calling with which you were called… endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. One body and one Spirit… one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all.”
Just as the Church began as one, so it will end in eternity as one Church. In eternity, there will be one Church that includes not only believers from humanity—living and departed—but also the angels, united in the heavenly Jerusalem.
The first principle I wish to emphasize is that unity is love. If we are divided, then we do not love one another. Christ says: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34). Through this love, the world will know that we are Christians.
God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God (1 John 4:16). When the Christian world pursued disputes and controversies, it became divided, for unity cannot be achieved without love. Unity began through love, not arguments. We must first love one another and remove tension, then discuss theological matters in an atmosphere of love.
Division did not begin with theology—it began with the cooling of love. Let us love one another without delving into complexities beyond our understanding.
Unity is love—but not at the expense of faith. Rather, through love we discuss faith to reach unity.
The second principle is that unity is strength. When we are divided, the one apostolic Church becomes weak. United in love, the Church becomes like a firmly joined structure.
Christianity today faces waves of atheism, materialism, and immorality that do not distinguish between Orthodox, Protestant, or Catholic. Unity gives the Church strength to confront these destructive forces.
Unity is love, unity is strength, and unity is humility. Without humility, unity is impossible. Christ said: “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35).
Paul says: “With all humility and gentleness, with longsuffering” (Ephesians 4:2).
Unity is a divine command and a work of the Holy Spirit. It is not achieved by human strength or knowledge. “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it” (Psalm 127:1).
We pray that God Himself intervenes, pours love and humility into hearts, and leads the Church to become one flock with one Shepherd.
We have taken many steps toward unity through theological dialogues with Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant churches. These discussions take time—years and decades—but they are steps along the way.
Our goal is unity in the true faith delivered to the saints, defended by the Fathers through their blood and martyrdom. We trust that God will work in hearts and minds and arrange everything according to His will.
