Looking to unity with Benedict XVI

Rather overshadowed by the sexual abuse scandal engulfing the Catholic Church (and others as well), Pope Benedict XVI for the first time visited the Lutheran church in Rome, only the second time that a pontiff has visited the place of worship (the first was Pope John Paul II in 1983, the year of the 500th anniversary of the birth of Martin Luther). Benjamin Lassiwe has an article (in German) about the papal visit in the Rheinischer Merkur, and there is a report on evangelisch.de. The visit comes less than two months before the second Ecumenical Kirchentag in Germany, organized by Protestant and Catholic lay movements - the first such gathering in Berlin in 2003 heard calls for a common celebration of the Eucharist for Protestants and Catholics. Here's what Pope Benedict had to say about ecumenism in a sermon the Lutheran church in Rome (from the text published in German and Italian by the Vatican):

Today there are many complaints that ecumenism has come to a standstill, mutual reproaches, but I think, first of all we should be thankful that there is as much unity as there is. It is a wonderful thing that today on Laetare Sunday we can pray together, sing the same hymns with one another,hear the same Word of God with one another, interpret it and attempt to understand it together, that we look to the same Christ whom we see and to whom we want to be obedient, and that we witness to the fact that he is the One who has called us and to who we profoundly belong. I think we should not being showing the world all kinds of quarrels and disputes but joy and gratitude that this has been given to us by the Lord and that there is genuine unity, that may become increasingly deeper and increasingly a witness for the word of Christ, for the path of Christ in this world. of course we must not be satisfied with this, even if we are filled with gratitude for this fellowship. that is nevertheless in essential things, in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, are not able to drink the same cup, nor stand at the same altar, must fill us with sadness, that we are guilty of obscuring the witness; it must make us inwardly restless, to set us on the path to greater unity in the knowledge that ultimately can be given only by him, for a unity that we ourselves would negotiate, would be made by humans and as brittle as everything that is made by human hands. We give ourselves to him, seek to know and to love him him more and more, and leave to him that he will fully lead us to unity, for which we in the hour pray to him in all urgency.

(Photo from evangelisch.de)