Pope John Paul II: Outstanding figure in modern Christendom, one of the most courageous spiritual leaders of our time

 — Apr. 2, 20052 avril 2005

Expressing the profound sadness of the World Council of Churches (WCC) following the announcement by the Holy See of the death of His Holiness Pope John Paul II today, the WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia stated that:

“His Holiness Pope John Paul II will be remembered as one of the most courageous spiritual leaders of our time. He demonstrated this courage as much in his illness as he did through his leadership, his writings and his pronouncements. In the one ecumenical movement he constantly affirmed as irreversible the deep involvement of the Roman Catholic Church in ecumenism. In responding to the challenging issues for the church in the world, he opened a dialogue with other religious traditions, and addressed constantly issues of social justice and moral and ethical values. As an African, I recognise the importance he gave to the African synod, and the pastoral care in which he identified with the people of Africa.”

The condolences were shared by WCC central committee moderator Catholicos Aram I who emphasized:

“His Holiness Pope John Paul II will remain an outstanding figure in the modern history of world Christendom. In fact, his relentless effort to make the Gospel of Christ a living reality in the life of people, his unyielding prophetic witness to make the moral values the guiding principles of human societies, his firm commitment to the cause of Christian unity, his openness to other religions with a clear vision of living together as a reconciled community in the midst of diversities, and his continuous advocacy for justice, human rights and freedom made him an exceptional figure of great achievements. As moderator of the World Council of Churches central committee and as the Armenian Catholicos of Cilicia, I had the privilege to meet His Holiness on different occasions and witnessed the strength of his faith, the depth of his wisdom and the clarity of his vision.”

Additional information: Juan Michel,+41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363; .

Posted: Apr. 2, 2005 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=123
Categories: Memorials, NewsIn this article: John Paul II, pope, Samuel Kobia, WCC
Transmis : 2 avril 2005 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=123
Catégorie : Memorials, NewsDans cet article : John Paul II, pope, Samuel Kobia, WCC


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