Pope to Finnish ecumenical group: 'Hope in Christ does not disappoint'

As part of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Pope Francis receives an ecumenical delegation from Finland, and recalls that Christian hope in the Lord never disappoints and that Christians are to always persevere in prayer.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

Hope in the Lord never disappoints, and we Christians are to persevere together in prayer.

Pope Francis offered this reminder when receiving an ecumenical delegation from Finland on Monday, who traveled to Rome for the feast of Saint Henrik. Generally, the ecumenical group visits the Holy Father annually on this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, 18–25 January.

In this Holy Year of 2025, the Pope observed, we are journeying together as “pilgrims of hope.”

On our journey of faith, the Holy Father continued, "we are confirmed by the words of the Letter to the Hebrews: 'Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful'.”

In this context, Pope Francis recalled that Saint Henrik is, "so to speak, an enduring icon of this hope," which "has its sure and enduring foundation in God."

Persevere in prayer

"As a messenger of peace," the Holy Father said, "he exhorts us to persevere in praying for the precious yet fragile gift of peace."

Pope Francis with ecumenical delegation from Finland

Reflecting on Christian faith in the Lord and stressing the importance of praying together for peace, Pope Francis recalled that Jesus Christ Himself is Truth Incarnate, our Lord and our Saviour, and that we are to welcome His love for us.

The Pope insisted that hope in the Lord never disappoints. "For 'neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation'," the Pope recalled, "will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

"To testify to this incarnate love," Pope Francis said, "is our ecumenical vocation, in the communion of all the baptized."

Pope Francis concluded by inviting those present to join him in praying the Lord's prayer together, thanking them for their visit, and imparting upon them God's blessing.