Will work for Christian unity, pope says

VATICAN CITY – Charting a papacy in the tradition of his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI pledged Wednesday to work for unity among Christians and to seek “an open and sincere dialogue” with other faiths.

In his first Mass as pontiff, Benedict invoked the words of John Paul II – “Be not afraid” – a message designed to show he is intent on following the groundbreaking path of the late pope.

The 78-year-old German-born pontiff also stressed he would draw on the work of the Second Vatican Council, the 1962-65 meeting that modernized the church, an issue important to liberals who are wary of Benedict from his time as Roman Catholicism’s doctrinal enforcer.

As the world’s 1.1 billion Catholics got the first hints of where the papacy is headed, followers of other religions weighed its meaning for interfaith relations. By and large, reactions were hopeful and expectant.

Benedict, the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, said his primary task would be to try to reunify all Christians and stressed that sentiment alone was not enough. “Concrete acts that enter souls and move consciences are needed,” he said.