“I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me†(John 17:20-21).
All churches should be concerned about the unity for which Christ prayed, and this must be the ultimate goal of ecumenical dialogue. Unity is not synonymous with absorption, conversion, or subjection. The kind of unity for which Christ prayed will be realized through the influence of the holy Spirit. The unity which existed in the undivided Church may be the model which will be acceptable to all in dialogue. This is based on a unity of faith, order, Sacraments, and love. Unity will become a reality when Churches come together in common sacramental life.