“I feel like saying something that may sound controversial, or even heretical, perhaps,” he added. “But there is someone who ‘knows’ that, despite our differences, we are one. It is he who is persecuting us. It is he who is persecuting Christians today, he who is anointing us with (the blood of) martyrdom.”

Francis added that the devil “knows that Christians are disciples of Christ, that they are one, that they are brothers! He doesn’t care if they are Evangelicals or Orthodox, Lutherans, Catholics or Apostolic … he doesn’t care! They are Christians.”

The Roman Catholic Church leader insisted that “division is a wound in the body of the church of Christ. And we do not want this wound to remain open,” he said, urging for Christians to seek unity together and pray for one another.

The video was shared with the John 17 Movement in Phoenix, inspired by the passage in the Bible in which Jesus prays for the unity of his disciples.

The movement says on its official website that its vision is for Christians to respond to the final prayer of Jesus.

“On the eve of His death, He pleaded: “Father, may all who believe in me be one so the world will know you sent me.” This final plea stands as the most authoritative strategic direction for followers of Jesus,” the movement says.