“Just being together is not unity, but ultimately an evasion of it.”

Pope Benedict is the Pope of Christian Unity.

From a reader:

I have been noticing when I have time to check your blog the references and arguments you make about Benedict XVI being the unity pope.  Probably like yourself I have had the privilege of pursuing my entire theological career in the shadow of Ratzinger/Benedict, so having something of a continuous historical context for interpreting the Holy Father’s words has helped a lot.  Maybe you feel the same way.

I came across this quotation from Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger in a collection of his work for daily reflection ("Co-Workers of the Truth: Meditations for Every Day of the Year," Ignatius Press, 1992, p. 28 for January 18th) given to me by my wife for Christmas.  It first appeared in L’Osservatore Romano 7, no. 30-31 (1977) p. 13. 

The reason I am sending it to you, beyond the obvious one that he says here exactly what you have opined, is because of the date of the piece, 1977. 

So, his views on unity have been forged neither by the accidents afforded by opportunity nor by the demands forced by crisis.  [Exactly.]

I hope you enjoy it.

"The summons to the peace of Christ is not to be confused with a longing for that good nature that is, in reality, only weakness, that would like to shield itself from the vexations that arise when one openly defends his convictions.  The demand for unity in the Church is not, then, to be identified with the wish that everyone would agree about everything.  Just being together is not unity, but ultimately an evasion of it.  The admonition, ‘Be nice to one another’, is certainly not to be scorned, but it does not reach the height of the Gospel because it spares us the effort of setting out on the way to truth and so of really coming together."

Pope Benedict is the Pope of Christian Unity.