Speaking about the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which continues through January 25, the Pope referred to the day’s Scripture reading from St. Paul, who asked the people of Corinth, “Has Christ been divided?” What the Apostle meant, the Pope said, is that “any division in the Church is an offense to Christ.. At the same time he is saying that it is in Christ, the one Head and Lord, that we can become united by the endless power of His grace.” Pope Benedict called special attention to the shared testimony of Christians in the Middle East, and especially in the Holy Land, whose ecumenical efforts are “strengthened by a witness which, in some cases, even goes so far as the sacrifice of their lives.” And so, while we joyfully welcome the points for reflection suggested by the communities living in Jerusalem, we gather close around them and this becomes another factor of communion for us all.