The ecumenism of holiness

ZENIT reports today on the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the Taize community, and the fifth anniversary of the violent death of its founder, Br Roger. ZENIT reports Pope Benedict's message to the Taize community for the occasion, communicated by the Secretary of State:

The Pope's message proposed that from heaven, Brother Roger "still speaks to us."

"May his witness to an ecumenism of holiness inspire us in our march toward unity, and may your community continue to live and to radiate his charism, especially toward the younger generations," the message encouraged.

That "ecumenism of holiness" is an ecumenism in which we can all share through trying to live the Christian life as best we can. As I write, I recall that Pope John Paul II's encyclical Ut Unum Sint observed that martrydom presents a particular moment of unity among Christians. One can perhaps see in the death of Br Roger a witness to the "ecumenism of holiness" that is analagous to martryrdom in its strict sense.