VATICAN CITY – In a major gesture of Christian unity, Pope John Paul and Roman Catholic bishops recessed an international assembly Thursday to conduct an ecumenical service with 10 Protestant and Orthodox clergymen. The 10 men have been following the bishops’ two-week meeting, called an extraordinary synod, as observers. He embraced Archbishop Stylianos Harkianakis of
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by Paul Waters, Montreal Gazette VATICAN CITY – It would be premature for Catholic bishops to apologize for the persecution of Jews through the centuries, according to Cardinal Johannes Willebrands, president of the Secretariat for Christian Unity. A petition circulated among Roman parishes in the last few weeks asks the 165 bishops from around the
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by Kenneth A. Briggs, special to the New York Times [Vatican City] Johannes Cardinal Willebrands, head of the Vatican Secretariat for Christian Unity, called today for greater efforts to bring Roman Catholics and other Christians together. The Dutch Cardinal, speaking at a news conference in connection with the Synod of Bishops here, also said conditions
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from the Orlando Sentinel The director of the Vatican department that deals with other Christians said Monday that Pope John Paul II is working toward Christian unity but not a single superchurch. Nevertheless, Cardinal Johannes Willebrands, the Dutch-born head of the Vatican secretariat for Christian unity, denied the pope is dragging his feet on forging
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The Vatican’s chief ecumenical officer called Monday for a new effort to draw Roman Catholicism and the World Council of Churches into a closer relationship, challenging a widening perception that the church’s commitment to cooperative Christian efforts is flagging.

Johannes Cardinal Willebrands, the Dutch-born president of the Vatican’s Secretariat for Christian Unity, contended at a news conference that Catholic collaboration with other Christian denominations, fueled by reforms enacted at the Second Vatican Council two decades ago, remains a central church policy.
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