Pope hopes for more dialogue among Christians

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI said Jan. 7 that he hoped Christians could surmount the “tragic divisions” that arose in the 16th century following the rise of Protestantism. The pontiff’s remarks were directed to representatives of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, whom Benedict received in an audience. He noted that representatives from the group had attended the funeral of Pope John Paul II in April and, days later, Benedict’s own inauguration. “In these signs of mutual respect and friendship I am pleased to see a providential fruit of the fraternal dialogue and cooperation undertaken in the past four decades, and a token of sure hope for the future,” said Benedict, who has made uniting all Christians a priority of his pontificate.