PRIDE is the greatest obstacle to unity, Archbishop John Bathersby of Brisbane told an ecumenical ceremony in Port Moresby on July 19 for the signing of an agreed statement on baptism between the Anglican, Evangelical Lutheran and Roman Catholic Churches in Papua New Guinea.
Archbishop Bathersby was delivering the homily at the ceremony in St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral.
He was invited as co-chair of the International Anglican/Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission.
Archbishop Bathersby said pride was ‘perhaps the greatest obstacle to our own personal growth in faith, and the greatest obstacle to our move towards unity’.
‘Pride stops us trying to grow in knowledge and love of Christ. We believe we have it all,’ he said.
‘It stops us from admitting that our particular communion may have faults. It buries us at times beneath a narrow nationalism or an even narrower culture.
‘It maintains barriers that should have long ago been dismantled. It kills dialogue and subtly erodes relationships.
‘As Christians we should know better than to succumb to its temptation.’
The two Churches in Papua New Guinea entered a covenant of unity on the day.
