Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Commentarium Officiale640

Edward the Confessor. Edward, King of England, remains a model of Chris-

tian witness and an example of that true grandeur to which the Lord sum-

mons his disciples in the Scriptures we have just heard: the grandeur of a

humility and obedience grounded in Christ's own example,1 the grandeur of a

fidelity which does not hesitate to embrace the mystery of the Cross out of

undying love for the divine Master and unfailing hope in his promises.2

This year, as we know, marks the hundredth anniversary of the modern

ecumenical movement, which began with the Edinburgh Conference's appeal

for Christian unity as the prerequisite for a credible and convincing witness to

the Gospel in our time. In commemorating this anniversary, we must give

thanks for the remarkable progress made towards this noble goal through the

efforts of committed Christians of every denomination. At the same time,

however, we remain conscious of how much yet remains to be done. In a

world marked by growing interdependence and solidarity, we are challenged

to proclaim with renewed conviction the reality of our reconciliation and

liberation in Christ, and to propose the truth of the Gospel as the key to

an authentic and integral human development. In a society which has

become increasingly indifferent or even hostile to the Christian message,

we are all the more compelled to give a joyful and convincing account of

the hope that is within us,3 and to present the Risen Lord as the response to

the deepest questions and spiritual aspirations of the men and women of

our time.

As we processed to the chancel at the beginning of this service, the choir

sang that Christ is our "sure foundation". He is the Eternal Son of God, of

one substance with the Father, who took flesh, as the Creed states, "for us

men and for our salvation". He alone has the words of everlasting life. In

him, as the Apostle teaches, "all things hold together" ... "for in him all the

fullness of God was pleased to dwell".4

Our commitment to Christian unity is born of nothing less than our faith

in Christ, in this Christ, risen from the dead and seated at the right hand of

the Father, who will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. It

is the reality of Christ's person, his saving work and above all the historical

fact of his resurrection, which is the content of the apostolic kerygma and

1 Cfr. Phil 2:6-8. 2 Cfr. Mk 10:43-44. 3 Cfr. 1 Pet 3:15. 4 Col 1:17, 19.