During his visit with an evangelical pastor and his congregation in the Italian city of Caserta, Pope Francis apologized for the persecution of Pentecostal Christians by Italian Catholics. His remarks were greatly welcomed by evangelical leaders, who responded in a similar way. They also apologized to Catholics. The president of the World Evangelical Alliance, Rev. Geoff Tunnicliffe, said he was sorry about the discrimination that Protestants, including Evangelical Christians, also imposed on Catholics. “While we can disagree theologically, this should never lead to discrimination or persecution of the other,” he said. The Rev also added that the Pope’s step in apologizing is a great example, and should be a message to the entire world, especially for those countries where tensions between Catholics and Protestants remain. Geoff Tunnicliffe attended the Pope’s Inauguration Mass. He also visited the Vatican for the Pope’s meeting with evangelical leaders at Casa Santa Marta. The World Evangelical Alliance represents about 600 million Protestants in nearly 130 countries.
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Pope Francis’ friend Bishop Tony Palmer of the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches (CEEC) died in England July 20 after his motorcycle collided with another vehicle.

According to e-mail reports obtained from The Ark Community he founded, three teams of surgeons tried to save Bishop Palmer’s life but he passed away in the evening, leaving behind his wife Emiliana and two teenaged children. Bishop Palmer was in his early 50s, and grew up in South Africa, though recently he had been living in England.

The bishop recently facilitated an historic private meeting of evangelical and charismatic leaders June 24 with Pope Francis at the Holy Father’s residence inside the Vatican. The two had become friends when Palmer was doing ecumenical work with charismatic Catholics in Buenos Aires.

World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) global ambassador Brian Stiller was among the leaders present at the June meeting with Pope Francis.

“Tony was a most remarkable young man,” he said in an e-mail. “I so well remember his gracious and active leadership in bringing members of the World Evangelical Alliance together in conversation with Pope Francis late June.

“However, with his life and witness still fresh in our memory, I believe it is important that we carry on, as he would have desired, finding ways for our major Christian bodies to have friendship and to understand our respective communions,” said Stiller, who headed the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada for 16 years.
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This is an occasion of deep rejoicing for many, especially for many of the women clergy in the Church of England. They feel that this decision affirms their place and ministry in the life of the Church. For others in the Church of England, the decision may be a source of disappointment and concern.

As the Synod moved towards the decision many were struck by the spirit of the debate: frankness, passion and, I am glad to say, a good deal of Christian charity. It all indicated an intention and sincere assurance to hold all of us together in one Church. There appeared a determination that the genuinely held differences on the issue of the ordination of women to the episcopate should not become a dividing factor in the Church of England, and there was care and expressions of love for those troubled by the outcome.
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The Catholic Church remains fully committed to its dialogue with the Anglican world, despite the Church of England’s decision to ordain women bishops. In a statement issued as the Church of England’s General Synod on Monday voted to admit women to the episcopate, the Catholic bishops of England and Wales said the goal of ecumenical dialogue continues to be full visible ecclesial communion.

That goal, the statement says, embraces full communion in the episcopal office and therefore the decision “sadly places a further obstacle on the path to this unity between us.” Nevertheless, the bishops say, “we are committed to continuing our ecumenical dialogue, seeking deeper mutual understanding and practical cooperation wherever possible.”

The statement, signed by Archbishop Bernard Longley of Birmingham, head of the bishops’ Department for Dialogue and Unity and co-chair of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC), also notes with appreciation the provision made by the Church of England for those who “continue to hold to the historic understanding of the episcopate shared by the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.”
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The General Synod of the Church of England has today given its final approval for women to become bishops in the Church of England.

The vote in the General Synod on the measure was carried by the required two-thirds majority in the three constituent parts of the Synod: the House of Bishops, the House of Clergy and the House of Laity.
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Continuing with a long-time commitment of the World Council of Churches (WCC), a recent statement issued by Council’s chief governing body reaffirms churches’ “solidarity with those working for peace with justice in Palestine and Israel”. The statement encourages churches to make responsible decisions regarding their investments which have an impact on the current situation in the region.

The statement titled Economic Measures and Christian Responsibility towards Israel and Palestine was adopted at the WCC Central Committee meeting on 8 July in Geneva, Switzerland.

The document calls “targeted economic measures” an important “non-violent strategy for promoting peace and abating violence”. Efforts from the WCC member churches in implementing responsible economic measures with related impact on Israel and Palestine situation were acknowledged in the statement.
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Pope Francis has taken the first steps towards forging unprecedented bonds with evangelical and charismatic Protestant groups, CCN has learned. The Pope met for three hours June 24 with several evangelical and charismatic leaders over lunch at his residence inside the Vatican. Occurring outside of the Pope’s official schedule, the meeting had no formal agenda or secretaries present. Bishop Tony Palmer, ecumenical officer of the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches (CEEC), said the meeting could lead towards concrete steps for a visible unity after 500 years of division. Following a discussion about religious persecution and religious liberty, the Pope and his guests discussed the creation of a global initiative specifically for the persecuted Church, according to Brian Stiller, global ambassador for the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA). In a report for Revival Magazine, Bruno Ierullo, co-chairman of United in Christ North America, who did not attend the meeting, said it marked “the beginning of a Joint Declaration between this large faction of the Evangelical world and the Roman Catholic Church.” United in Christ promotes ongoing dialogue between emerging charismatic churches and the Roman Catholic Church.
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« Je demeure encouragé par notre travail mutuel » a commenté John Rempel de Toronto en Ontario, un des participants mennonites de la deuxième rencontre de la commission du dialogue trilatéral sur le baptême entre les mennonites, les catholiques er les luthériens qui a eu lieu du 26 au 31 janvier 2014.

Le thème général du dialogue qui s’étend sur une période de quatre ans est : « Baptême et intégration dans le Corps du Christ, l’Église ». Le sujet à l’étude cette année était « Le baptême : grâce de Dieu en Christ et péché humain ».

« Chacun a droit à un traitement égal même si nous sommes de loin la plus petite communion, dit Rempel, nous cherchons tous à repenser les questions dans le contexte du 21e siècle, pas seulement du 16e siècle. »
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“I continue to be inspired by the mutuality of our work,” commented John Rempel of Toronto, Ontario, one of the Mennonite participants in the 26-31 January 2014 second meeting of the Trilateral (Catholic, Lutheran, Mennonite) Dialogue Commission on Baptism. The general topic of the dialogue, which is to extend over four years, is “Baptism and Incorporation into the Body of Christ, the Church.” The theme for this year was “Baptism: God’s Grace in Christ and Human Sin”.

“Everyone is treated equally even though we are by far the smallest confession,” noted Rempel. “We are all trying to rethink the issues in terms of the 21st century, not only the 16th century.” He commented further, “I find myself grappling especially with two aspects of this year’s meeting. I’m discovering how important sacraments are to Lutherans and Catholics as expressions of God’s initiative: God is mysteriously at work by means of prayer and water, whether we respond to it or not. And yet I can’t understand God’s initiative in the New Testament without the human response to grace.”
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