Roman Catholic and United churches agree on marriage

The meeting of the Roman Catholic-United Church of Canada dialogue group which I attended in October reaffirmed the report on marriage that was submitted to our sponsoring bodies last spring. I have had the pleasure to be a part of this dialogue for the last 5 years as we discussed the often personal topic of marriage and our churches’ policies regarding marriage. What could have been a very confrontational discussion ended up being a wonderful celebration of the ideals of the institution as well as the rites involved in a wedding. Indeed, our two churches have much in common around marriage.
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Posted: February 8, 2013 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=2902
Categories: Communiqué • In this article: Canada, Catholic, Christian unity, dialogue, ecumenism, UCC, United Church of Canada Transmis : 8 février 2013 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=2902
Catégorie : Communiqué • Dans cet article : Canada, Catholic, Christian unity, dialogue, ecumenism, UCC, United Church of Canada

Breaking news: Pope Benedict to resign on February 28

In a surprise announcement, this morning Pope Benedict XVI informed the cardinals gathered in Consistory that he has decided to resign effective February 28 for health reasons. The resignation apparently surprised even his closest of aides. The last pope to resign was Gregory XII in 1415 during the Council of Constance as a means of resolving the Western Schism. The Vatican expects a conclave will elect the next pope before the end of March. According to the BBC, Benedict XVI is not expected to take part in the conclave to elect his successor. The Vatican spokesman, Fr Federico Lombardi, announced that Benedict would retire to Castel Gandolfo after his resignation. More details are expected in the coming weeks.
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Posted: February 11, 2013 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=2939
Categories: News • In this article: Benedict XVI, Catholic, pope Transmis : 11 février 2013 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=2939
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : Benedict XVI, Catholic, pope

A Pope for All Christians

When the new pope is consecrated, he will inherit a troubled global church. Internal scandal and unaddressed external problems pose great risks to the vitality of Catholicism. But the consequences of success or failure are huge for the church universal, the world’s 2.1 billion Christians of every denomination.This is more than a butterfly effect. Rome is not Las Vegas—what happens in Rome will not stay within the borders of Vatican City. One consequence of globalization is that the walls that have long divided Catholics from Orthodox, mainline Protestants, evangelicals, and Pentecostals are eroding.

Brian Stiller,a global ambassador for the World Evangelical Alliance, commenting about Catholic and evangelical relations, wrote on his blog recently, “Not in 500 years have the two sides been so close and friendly.”
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Posted: March 13, 2013 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=6552
Categories: Evangelical-Roman Catholic Dialogue, Opinion • In this article: Catholic, ecumenism, Evangelicals, papacy Transmis : 13 mars 2013 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=6552
Catégorie : Evangelical-Roman Catholic Dialogue, Opinion • Dans cet article : Catholic, ecumenism, Evangelicals, papacy

Pope appoints advisory group of eight to advise on church reform

Pope Francis has set up an advisory board of eight cardinals from around the world to help him govern the Catholic Church and to help him reform it. Briefing journalists Saturday the head of the Holy See press office, Rev. Federico Lombardi, said the communiqué came exactly one month since Pope Francis’ election following the February 11 resignation of his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI. He said it shows that Pope Francis “listens attentively” to the suggestions of the College of Cardinals – his closest collaborators. The formation of the group came after reading the mood of cardinals at the conclave that elected the pontiff on March 13. That meeting took place behind closed doors. The Vatican spokesman also noted that the group will have no legislative power and that its main function is to “help” and “advise” the Pope. Lombardi also noted the advisers would in no way interfere in the normal functions of the Roman Curia, the body responsible for daily governance of the Vatican and the Catholic Church.
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Posted: April 13, 2013 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=3673
Categories: News • In this article: Catholic, pope, Pope Francis, Vatican Transmis : 13 avril 2013 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=3673
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : Catholic, pope, Pope Francis, Vatican

Reformed-Catholic dialogue concludes latest talks on key doctrine

Reformed and Catholic theologians recently concluded the latest in a decades-long series of ongoing international talks on a matter theologians see as central to the disputes of the Reformation era. Theologians from the World Communion of Reformed Churches and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity met from April 7-13 as part of the third session in the fourth phase of the Catholic-Reformed dialogue which will conclude in 2017. The theme of the phase is “Justification and Sacramentality: The Christian Community as an Agent for Justice.” The talks began in 1970. The next meeting in the series will take place in Scotland. The themes to be covered are Justification: Holy Communion/Eucharist and Justice” and “Justification and Justice: Sanctification/ Universal Call to Holiness.” The ongoing dialogue could eventually determine if the World Communion of Reformed Churches aligns itself with a joint document on the doctrine of justification agreed to by Roman Catholics and a top Lutheran body in 1999.
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Posted: April 16, 2013 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=3663
Categories: Communiqué, News • In this article: Catholic, Christian unity, dialogue, ecumenism, Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Reformed churches, World Communion of Reformed Churches Transmis : 16 avril 2013 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=3663
Catégorie : Communiqué, News • Dans cet article : Catholic, Christian unity, dialogue, ecumenism, Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Reformed churches, World Communion of Reformed Churches

ARCIC meeting in Brazil makes progress on joint statement

Catholic and Anglican ecumenical experts meeting in Rio de Janeiro have made progress towards their goal of a common statement on relations between the local and universal Church. This third meeting of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC III) has also been exploring the ways in which both communities make decisions regarding moral and ethical issues. During the week-long meeting which concluded on Monday, participants met with local Anglican and Catholic leaders to find out about local ecumenical initiatives. They spent a day in the ‘Cidade de Deus’ or City of God, one of the many slum areas around Rio de Janeiro, where the churches are working closely with police and other civic authorities to provide services and support community development.Members of the Commission described the meeting as a hope filled encounter and plan to hold the next ARCIC III session from May 12th to 20th, 2014.
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Posted: May 8, 2013 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=3937
Categories: Communiqué • In this article: Anglican, ARCIC, Catholic, Christian unity, dialogue, ecclesiology, ecumenism, ethics Transmis : 8 mai 2013 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=3937
Catégorie : Communiqué • Dans cet article : Anglican, ARCIC, Catholic, Christian unity, dialogue, ecclesiology, ecumenism, ethics

Lutherans and Roman Catholics jointly tell the Reformation story

For the first time, Lutherans and Roman Catholics at the global level have worked together to tell the story of the Reformation as part of their commitment to deepen Christian unity.

The publication From Conflict to Communion will be published this month by the Lutheran – Roman Catholic Commission on Unity. The commission is mandated by The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU) to facilitate the global ecumenical dialogue between the two Christian World Communions.

LWF Assistant General Secretary for Ecumenical Relations Rev. Dr Kaisamari Hintikka said the publication From Conflict to Communion: Lutheran–Roman Catholic Common Commemoration of the Reformation in 2017 contributes to strengthening the commitment to work for the visible unity of the Church. It will be presented to the LWF Council at its meeting this June.
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Posted: May 8, 2013 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=4535
Categories: Dialogue, News • In this article: Catholic, dialogue, ecumenism, Lutheran, Lutheran World Federation, Reformation Transmis : 8 mai 2013 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=4535
Catégorie : Dialogue, News • Dans cet article : Catholic, dialogue, ecumenism, Lutheran, Lutheran World Federation, Reformation

Pope Tawadros II and Pope Francis meet in Rome

The visit of Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, “strengthens the bonds of friendship and brotherhood that already exist between the See of Peter and the See of Mark, heir to an inestimable heritage of martyrs, theologians, holy monks, and faithful disciples of Christ, who have borne witness to the Gospel from generation to generation, often in situations of great adversity,” said Pope Francis on receiving the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt this morning. The pontiff remarked on the memorable meeting that took place, 40 years ago, between the predecessors of both, Pope Paul VI and Pope Shenouda III, which united them “in an embrace of peace and fraternity, after centuries of mutual distance.”
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Posted: May 10, 2013 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=3944
Categories: News • In this article: Catholic, Christian unity, Coptic, ecumenism, Oriental Orthodox, patriarch, Pope Francis, Vatican Transmis : 10 mai 2013 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=3944
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : Catholic, Christian unity, Coptic, ecumenism, Oriental Orthodox, patriarch, Pope Francis, Vatican

Recent Ecumenical Firsts

A couple of interesting ecumenical developments occurred of late regarding [Catholic] relations with the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Anglican Communion. First, His Holiness Tawadros II, the Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church, has been on an official visit to Rome (since the third century the Patriarchs of Alexandria have used the title “pope”). He arrived on May 9 and left May 13. The visit marked the first time that Pope Francis has received the head of another Christian church or ecclesial community since his installation in March, and it is also Pope Tawadros’ first trip outside Egypt since his election last November.
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Posted: May 22, 2013 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=4531
Categories: News • In this article: Anglican, Catholic, Coptic, ecumenism, Pope Francis Transmis : 22 mai 2013 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=4531
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : Anglican, Catholic, Coptic, ecumenism, Pope Francis

Anglicans and Catholics finding one voice

Inspired by the apostle Peter’s exhortation to offer “an account of the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15), members of the Anglican-Roman Catholic Dialogue of Canada (ARC Canada) are working on a project aimed at giving such an account with one voice.

Using as their starting point some of the fundamental questions that continue to be asked by people inside and outside the church, members of ARC Canada are composing short, accessible pieces of writing that offer responses rooted in the common Christian tradition shared by Catholics and Anglicans.

Among the questions being addressed by the Common Witness Project are: Why believe? Why is the world the way it is? What is my mission in life? Are science and faith compatible? What good is the church? Is suffering good for anything? Will it be okay?
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Posted: May 23, 2013 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=4594
Categories: Communiqué, News • In this article: Anglican, Canada, Catholic, dialogue, ecumenism, witness Transmis : 23 mai 2013 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=4594
Catégorie : Communiqué, News • Dans cet article : Anglican, Canada, Catholic, dialogue, ecumenism, witness