Francis visits the Lutheran community of Rome: it is time for reconciled diversity

Yesterday afternoon the Holy Father met with the evangelical Lutheran community of Rome in the Christuskirche, where he was warmly welcomed by Pastor Jeans-Martin Kruse, who in his welcome discourse also recalled the visits to the same [church] by St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.

Francis then answered questions from three members of the community, a child and two women, and after the vespers prayer, with the reading from the Gospel of St. Matthew (25, 31, 46), he pronounced an off-the-cuff homily in which he emphasised that Lutherans and Catholics must ask mutual forgiveness for persecutions against each other and for the scandal of divisions.

The first question to which the Pope responded was from a child who wanted to know what he liked the most about being the Pope. “The thing I like best, sincerely, is being a pastor”, Francis replied. “I like being the Pope in the style of a parish priest. Service: I like it, in the sense that I feel good, when I visit the sick, when I speak with people who are desperate or sad. I like going to prisons … to speak with detainees… Every time I enter a prison I ask myself, ‘Why them and not me?’. And I am aware of the salvation of Jesus Christ, His love for me. Because He saved me. I am no less a sinner than they are, but the Lord took me by the hand. And when I go into a prison I am happy. Being a Pope is being a bishop, being a pastor. If a Pope is not also a bishop, if a Pope is not also a pastor, he may be a very intelligent person, very important and hold great influence in society, but I think that inside he will not be happy”.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Posted: November 16, 2015 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=8862
Categories: Vatican News • In this article: Catholic, ecumenism, Lutheran, Pope Francis, sacramental sharing Transmis : 16 novembre 2015 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=8862
Catégorie : Vatican News • Dans cet article : Catholic, ecumenism, Lutheran, Pope Francis, sacramental sharing

Rebuild my house: Sermon to the General Synod of the Church of England by Father Raniero Cantalamessa

Few prophetic oracles in the Old Testament can be dated so precisely as that of Haggai, which we have just heard in the first reading. We can place it between August and December in the year 520 BC. The exiles, after the deportation to Babylon, have come back to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. They set to work, but soon grow discouraged, each preferring to work on his own house instead. Into this situation comes the prophet Haggai, sent by God with the message we have heard.

The Word of God, once it is proclaimed, remains forever alive; it transcends situations and centuries, each time casting new light. The situation deplored by the prophet is renewed in history each time we are so absorbed in the problems and interests of our own parish, diocese, community – and even of our particular Christian denomination – that we lose sight of the one house of God, which is the Church.

The prophecy of Haggai begins with a reproof, but ends, as we heard, with an exhortation and a grandiose promise: “Go up into the hills, fetch timber and rebuild the House, and I shall take pleasure in it and manifest my glory there” – says the Lord”.

One circumstance makes this point particularly relevant. The Christian world is preparing to celebrate the fifth centenary of the Protestant Reformation. It is vital for the whole Church that this opportunity is not wasted by people remaining prisoners of the past, trying to establish each other’s rights and wrongs. Rather, let us take a qualitative leap forward, like what happens when the sluice gates of a river or a canal enable ships to continue to navigate at a higher water level.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Posted: November 25, 2015 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=9185
Categories: News, Resources • In this article: Anglican, Catholic, Church of England, Raniero Cantalamessa, Sermon Transmis : 25 novembre 2015 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=9185
Catégorie : News, Resources • Dans cet article : Anglican, Catholic, Church of England, Raniero Cantalamessa, Sermon

First national bilateral Catholic-Jewish Dialogue launched

Today, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) and the Canadian Rabbinic Caucus (CRC) convened the first national, bilateral dialogue between Catholics and Jews in Canada.

The organizations launched this initiative as part of a joint celebration of the 50th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the Declaration issued by the Second Vatican Council which rejected antisemitism and underscored the importance of the Jewish roots of Christianity. The first dialogue session involved a combination of clergy and scholars, with six-person delegations from each faith community. Themes addressed included the substantial role of Nostra Aetate in transforming Catholic perceptions of the Jewish community, the deep significance of the State of Israel to the Jewish people, and the importance of acknowledging painful history while embracing mutual respect and working together to build a common future.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Posted: November 25, 2015 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=8908
Categories: News • In this article: Canada, Canadian Rabbinic Caucus, Catholic, CCCB, Jewish-Christian relations, Judaism Transmis : 25 novembre 2015 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=8908
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : Canada, Canadian Rabbinic Caucus, Catholic, CCCB, Jewish-Christian relations, Judaism

Recollections of the first Anglican-Catholic encounter in the Vatican

On December 2nd, 55 years ago, Pope John XXIII had a private audience with the Archbishop of Canterbury Geoffrey Fisher, the first time that Anglican and Catholic leaders had met together since the Reformation.

Following their historic encounter, the archbishop met with Cardinal Augustin Bea, head of the newly established Secretariat for Christian Unity, leading to the invitation of Anglican observers to the Second Vatican Council. The meeting also paved the way for the first official encounter between their successors, Pope Paul VI and Archbishop Michael Ramsey in March 1966 and the establishment of an Anglican Centre here in Rome.

The current director of that Centre and representative of the Archbishop of Canterbury to the Vatican is New Zealand Archbishop David Moxon. He talked to Philippa Hitchen about the upcoming 50th anniversary and about the significance of Archbishop Fisher’s visit to the Vatican in December 1960 ….
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Posted: December 2, 2015 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=9188
Categories: Vatican News • In this article: Anglican, Archbishop of Canterbury, Catholic, pope Transmis : 2 décembre 2015 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=9188
Catégorie : Vatican News • Dans cet article : Anglican, Archbishop of Canterbury, Catholic, pope

Vatican loans ancient crozier for Anglican Primates’ Meeting

When the leaders of the 38 provinces of the Anglican Communion gather in Canterbury next week, they will have among them a visible sign of the long history of the English church.

The ivory head of a crozier associated with St. Gregory the Great, the pope who sent the first missionaries to England in the sixth century, has been loaned to Canterbury Cathedral by the Roman Catholic Church to coincide with the Primates’ Meeting, according to a report from the Primates’ Meeting website.

Canterbury Cathedral’s Dean, Robert Willis, said the cathedral was “very pleased to receive the crozier as a symbol of ecumenical encouragement at this time of the meeting of Anglican Primates.” He noted that it was “a link with St. Gregory, whose vision of the conversion of England caused Augustine to found the community at Canterbury.”

While the roots of Christianity in Britain go back to the time of the Roman Empire, subsequent invasions by Germanic tribes in the fifth century all but destroyed the church. In 597, Gregory sent Augustine, a Benedictine monk, to the court of the Anglo-Saxon King Æthelberht. Augustine became the first Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Church of England dates its formal foundation from the date of his arrival.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Posted: January 7, 2016 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=8937
Categories: Anglican Journal • In this article: Anglican Communion, Catholic, Vatican Transmis : 7 janvier 2016 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=8937
Catégorie : Anglican Journal • Dans cet article : Anglican Communion, Catholic, Vatican

Robert Stackpole: What Can Catholics Learn from Evangelicals?

A public lecture with Dr Robert Stackpole, director of the John Paul II Institute of Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. This lecture is presented by the Evangelical-Catholic Dialogue of Saskatoon, and complements the April 2015 lecture “What can Evangelicals Learn from Catholics?” by Dr Gordon Smith (Ambrose University, Calgary). For further information, contact Nick Jesson (306-659-5814) or Pastor Harry Strauss (306-933-2266).

Robert has a special academic interest in ecumenical dialogue with Evangelical Christians, an interest that grew during his 10-years of teaching theology to undergraduates at Redeemer Pacific College at Trinity Western University in Langley, BC. Robert also enjoys reading and writing about the works of C.S. Lewis, and describes himself as an incurable “Narniac.” From 2012 to 2015, Robert taught at St. Therese Institute in Bruno, SK where he was the Assistant Director of Formation. During this period, he also served on the Evangelical-Roman Catholic dialogue in Saskatoon.

Since 1997, Robert has been the Research Director, and later Director, of the John Paul II Institute of Divine Mercy based in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. In that capacity, he has been a speaker at many conferences, and the author and editor of numerous journal articles and books, including Divine Mercy: A Guide From Genesis To Benedict XVI (Marian Press, 2009).
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Posted: February 4, 2016 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=9153
Categories: Evangelical-Roman Catholic Dialogue, Resources • In this article: Catholic, Evangelicals Transmis : 4 février 2016 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=9153
Catégorie : Evangelical-Roman Catholic Dialogue, Resources • Dans cet article : Catholic, Evangelicals

Joint Declaration of Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father and the fellowship of the holy Spirit be with all of you” (2 Cor 13:13).

1. By God the Father’s will, from which all gifts come, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the help of the Holy Spirit Consolator, we, Pope Francis and Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, have met today in Havana. We give thanks to God, glorified in the Trinity, for this meeting, the first in history.

It is with joy that we have met like brothers in the Christian faith who encounter one another “to speak face to face” (2 Jn 12), from heart to heart, to discuss the mutual relations between the Churches, the crucial problems of our faithful, and the outlook for the progress of human civilization.

2. Our fraternal meeting has taken place in Cuba, at the crossroads of North and South, East and West. It is from this island, the symbol of the hopes of the “New World” and the dramatic events of the history of the twentieth century, that we address our words to all the peoples of Latin America and of the other continents.

It is a source of joy that the Christian faith is growing here in a dynamic way. The powerful religious potential of Latin America, its centuries–old Christian tradition, grounded in the personal experience of millions of people, are the pledge of a great future for this region.

3. By meeting far from the longstanding disputes of the “Old World”, we experience with a particular sense of urgency the need for the shared labour of Catholics and Orthodox, who are called, with gentleness and respect, to give an explanation to the world of the hope in us (cf. 1 Pet 3:15).
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Posted: February 12, 2016 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=8982
Categories: Vatican News • In this article: Catholic, Christian unity, ecumenism, Moscow Patriarchate, Orthodox, patriarch, pope, Pope Francis Transmis : 12 février 2016 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=8982
Catégorie : Vatican News • Dans cet article : Catholic, Christian unity, ecumenism, Moscow Patriarchate, Orthodox, patriarch, pope, Pope Francis

National Dialogue for Christian Unity holds inaugural meeting in Aotearoa New Zealand

Anglican, Roman Catholic and Methodist Churches in Aotearoa New Zealand are forming an ecumenical entity to pursue closer ties and share understandings. They held an inaugural meeting for the National Dialogue for Christian Unity (NDCU) on 25 February in Wellington.

Participants said they hope that the NDCU will lead to formal ecumenical collaboration among churches and other groups in society that want to work together on issues concerning all New Zealanders.

In addition to meeting during the day, participants attended a Service of Celebration at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Wellington.

The formal establishment of the NDCU represents a significant and very hopeful development in ecumenical relationships in Aotearoa New Zealand, said Archbishop Philip Richardson, bishop of Taranaki and archbishop of the Anglican Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. “Friendships between churches have been strong, so to give structure and form to these is cause for rejoicing.”
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Posted: February 26, 2016 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=8990
Categories: WCC News • In this article: Anglican, Aotearoa New Zealand, Catholic, Methodist, National Dialogue for Christian Unity Transmis : 26 février 2016 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=8990
Catégorie : WCC News • Dans cet article : Anglican, Aotearoa New Zealand, Catholic, Methodist, National Dialogue for Christian Unity

Women who preach

In Jesus’ times, no one among the poor was poorer than a widow, a woman without a man, hence without either rights or protection. The world and the society in which Jesus lived and moved were basically structured on a patriarchal model; women were invisible in society with the kind of invisibility typical of a legal status of minority, indeed of exclusion. The originality of Christ’s behaviour must be integrated into this historical truth. In fact, Jesus saw, looked, noted and connected his life with the lives of the women who followed him, loved him and accompanied him even to his death.

Whereas the gaze of Simon the Pharisee (cf. Lk 7:36) – as Maria dell’Orto wrote – saw and judged, scrutinized and condemned, excluding people, Christ’s gaze set people on their feet, identified and recognized them. In so doing he invited all, both women and men, to discernment, to asking themselves questions and to communion. In this perspective a panoramic view of Christian history leads one to consider those prophetic and charismatic female figures who, by their personal authority, in turbulent centuries, contributed to evangelizing a still pagan world and/or a Church which was hostile and divided: Saints Genevieve, Clotilda, Joan of Arc, Hildegard of Bingen, Catherine of Siena…
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Posted: March 1, 2016 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=9064
Categories: Opinion • In this article: Catholic, preaching, women Transmis : 1 mars 2016 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=9064
Catégorie : Opinion • Dans cet article : Catholic, preaching, women

Le Dialogue hindou-catholique encourage l’hospitalité et l’ouverture du cœur dans l’accueil des réfugiés

À la suite de sa dernière réunion, le 6 février 2016 à Toronto, le Dialogue hindou-catholique du Canada a publié une déclaration commune pour réaffirmer l’importance de l’hospitalité pour accueillir l’étranger et bien recevoir le réfugié. « L’hospitalité est une valeur des plus sacrées dans plusieurs traditions religieuses, dont l’hindouisme et le christianisme », ont affirmé les membres du dialogue. La déclaration concluait par un appel à toute la population du Canada afin d’offrir « des prières pour ceux et celles qui souffrent des conséquences de la guerre, de la terreur et de la haine… » et par une interpellation à « toutes les Canadiennes et tous les Canadiens à faire preuve d’ouverture d’esprit, de sollicitude et de générosité à l’endroit des réfugiés qui arrivent chez nous, de même qu’à l’égard de tous les étrangers parmi nous. Le dialogue et la rencontre sont les ressources les plus importantes dont nous disposions pour répondre aux exigences de la crise actuelle des réfugiés. »

Le thème de la dernière réunion du Dialogue hindou-catholique portait sur la théologie de l’incarnation pour les traditions catholique et hindoue. Huit délégués de la Conférence des évêques catholiques du Canada (CECC) participent à ce dialogue national, dont le coprésident catholique, Mgr Daniel Miehm, évêque auxiliaire à Hamilton. M. Tinu Ruparell, Ph.D., professeur d’études religieuses à l’Université de Calgary, est le coprésident hindou. Le dialogue catholique-hindou se réunit deux fois par année, et sa prochaine réunion est prévue pour août 2016.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Posted: March 31, 2016 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=9049
Categories: Communiqué, Dialogue • In this article: Canada, Catholic, dialogue, doctrine, Hindu, incarnation, interfaith Transmis : 31 mars 2016 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=9049
Catégorie : Communiqué, Dialogue • Dans cet article : Canada, Catholic, dialogue, doctrine, Hindu, incarnation, interfaith