AAS 74 - Vaticano

Acta Ioannis Pauli Pp. II 921
Today's Gospel passage has called attention in particular to two
aspects of the gif t of the Holy Spirit which Jesus invoked upon his
disciples: he is the Spirit of truth and the Spirit of unity. On the
first Pentecost day, the Holy Spirit descended on that small band of
disciples to confimi them in the truth of God's salvation of the world
through the death and Résurrection of his Son, and to unite them into
the one Body of Christ, which is the Church. Thus we know that when
we pray "that ali may be one" as Jesus and his Father are one, it is
precisely in order that "the world may believe" and by this faith be
saved. 3
For our faith can be none other than the faith of Pentecost,
the faith in which the Apostles were confirmed by the Spirit of truth.
We believe that the Risen Lord has authority to save us from sin and
the powers of darkness. We believe, too, that we are called to "become
one body, one spirit in Christ". 4
3. In a few moments we shall renew our baptismal vows together.
We intend to perform this ritual, which we share in common as Angli­
cans and Catholics and other Christians, as a clear testimony to the
one sacrament of Baptism by which we have been joined to Christ.
At the same time we are humbly mindful that the faith of the Church
to which we appeal is not without the marks of our séparation. Together
we shall renew our renunciation of sin in order to make it clear that we
believe that Jesus Christ has overeóme the powerful hold of Satan
"upon "the world". 5
We shall profess anew our intention to turn away
from ali that is evil and to turn towards God who is the author of
ali that is good and the source of all that is holy. As we again make
our profession of faith in the triune God—Father, Son and Holy
Spirit—we find great hope in the promise of Jesus : "The Counsellor,
the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach
you all things, and bring to your remembrance "all that I have said to
you". 6
Christ's promise gives us confidence in the power of this same
Holy Spirit to heal the divisions introduced into the Church in the
course of the centuries since that first Pentecost day. In this way
the renewal of our baptismal vows will become a pledge to do ali in our
power to cooperate with thè grace of the Holy Spirit, who alone can
lead us to the day when we will profess the fullness of our faith together.
3
4
5
6
Cf. Jn 17:21.
Eucharistie Prayer III.
Jn 14 :17.
Jn 14:26.