Bergoglio’s Intervention: A diagnosis of the problems in the Church

The archbishop of Havana, Cardinal Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino, on Saturday read from a document given him by Pope Francis, outlining the speech he gave during the pre-conclave General Congregation meetings of the Cardinals. Cardinal Ortega had been so impressed with the speech he asked the then-Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio for a copy of the intervention. Following the conclave, Cardinal Ortega received permission from Pope Francis to share the information.
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Posted: Mar. 27, 2013 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=3510
Categories: News • In this article: church, pope, Pope Francis, Vatican Transmis : 27 mars 2013 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=3510
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : church, pope, Pope Francis, Vatican

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: Apr. 13, 2013 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=3673
Categories: News • In this article: Catholic, pope, Pope Francis, Vatican Transmis : 13 avril 2013 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=3673
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : Catholic, pope, Pope Francis, Vatican

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: ecumenism.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 : ecumenism.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: ecumenism.net/?p=4531
Categories: News • In this article: Anglican, Catholic, Coptic, ecumenism, Pope Francis Transmis : 22 mai 2013 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=4531
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : Anglican, Catholic, Coptic, ecumenism, Pope Francis

Pope, Anglican archbishop pledge to work for unity

Pope Francis and Anglican Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury, spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion, pledged to support each other with their prayers and to continue the search for full unity between their communities.

Meeting at the Vatican June 14, praying together in the Redemptoris Mater Chapel in the Apostolic Palace and eating lunch together in the papal residence, both remarked on the fact that Pope Francis’ inaugural Mass was celebrated March 19 and Archbishop Welby’s installation was March 21.

“Since we began our respective ministries within days of each other, I think we will always have a particular reason to support one another in prayer,” Pope Francis said. He also thanked the new Anglican leader for praying for him during his installation at Canterbury Cathedral.

Archbishop Welby told him, “I pray that the nearness of our two inaugurations may serve the reconciliation of the world and the church.”
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Posted: June 14, 2013 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=6272
Categories: CNS • In this article: Anglican, Archbishop of Canterbury, Catholic, pope, Pope Francis Transmis : 14 juin 2013 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=6272
Catégorie : CNS • Dans cet article : Anglican, Archbishop of Canterbury, Catholic, pope, Pope Francis

Pope open to Orthodox synod structure

Pope Francis, who recently spoke of a need to increase the common responsibility all bishops hold for the universal church, told a delegation of Orthodox leaders that the Catholic Church can learn from the synod structure of the Eastern Christian churches.

Dialogue for Christian unity is not a theoretical exercise for theologians, but an essential, practical tool for growing in faith and for evangelization, Pope Francis told a delegation from the Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople.

“This is not merely a theoretical exercise, but one of getting to know each other’s traditions in order to understand and even learn from them,” the pope said during the meeting June 28.

Pope Francis said he was referring particularly “to the reflection of the Catholic Church on the meaning of episcopal collegiality and the tradition of synodality, so typical of the Orthodox churches,” in which the synods function as a symbol of the unity of the local churches and as a governing body united to the patriarch or spiritual leader of the church.
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Posted: June 28, 2013 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=6448
Categories: CNS • In this article: Catholic, church reform, collegiality, dialogue, Orthodox, Pope Francis, synodality Transmis : 28 juin 2013 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=6448
Catégorie : CNS • Dans cet article : Catholic, church reform, collegiality, dialogue, Orthodox, Pope Francis, synodality

Dialogue doesn’t distance us from truth but leads us to whole truth

“Your presence is the sign of the profound bond that unites the Church of Constantinople with the Church of Rome in faith, in hope, and in charity,” Pope Francis said this morning on receiving the delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarch, which had arrived in Rome to celebrate the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul. The tradition of exchanging visits for the occasions of the respective patronal feasts dates back to 1969. The Pope emphasized that “fraternal gathering is an essential part of the journey towards unity.”

“The search for unity among Christians is an urgent task—you have said that ‘it is not a luxury, but an imperative’—from which, today more than ever, we cannot prescind. In our world that hungers and thirsts for truth, love, hope, peace, and unity, our witness demands that we should at last be able to proclaim, with one voice, the good news of the Gospel and celebrate together the Divine Mysteries of our new life in Christ. We are well aware that unity is primarily a gift from Gift that we must pray for unceasingly, but we all have the task of preparing the conditions, of cultivating the soil of the heart so that this extraordinary grace may be received.”
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Posted: June 28, 2013 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=6298
Categories: Vatican News • In this article: Bartholomew I, Catholic, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Orthodox, Pope Francis, Vatican Transmis : 28 juin 2013 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=6298
Catégorie : Vatican News • Dans cet article : Bartholomew I, Catholic, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Orthodox, Pope Francis, Vatican

Three rabbis and a Pope

Three rabbis and a Pope: High praise for Francis after visit to Vatican

“This man is a mensch.” Standing alone, this is an unremarkable sentence. But from a rabbi about a pope?
This was what Rabbi Shmuel Goldin of Congregation Ahavath Torah in Englewood, the president of the Orthodox Rabbinical Council of America, said about Pope Francis.

Here’s another thought, from Rabbi Noam Marans of Teaneck, the Conservative rabbi who is director of interreligious and intergroup relations at the American Jewish Committee (AJC).

“Pope Francis is the quintessential religious symbol par excellence; unassuming, unscripted, warm. It is a religious experience to be in his presence.”

And a third, from Rabbi Dr. Eugene Korn of New Milford, the Orthodox rabbi who is the American director of the Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding and Cooperation in Israel.

“He is very warm.”

The three of them were among the 25 or so Jews who met with the pope last week. Each represents his organization in the umbrella group called the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations (which is abbreviated as IJCIC, uneuphoniously pronounced Idge-kick). IJCIC is the official liaison between the Jewish world and the Vatican.
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Posted: July 5, 2013 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=6452
Categories: News • In this article: IJCIC, interfaith, Judaism, Pope Francis Transmis : 5 juil. 2013 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=6452
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : IJCIC, interfaith, Judaism, Pope Francis

Comprehending the nature of the theology in number thirty-six

The new encyclical, issued by Pope Francis, Lumen fidei, is a splendid document that deserves to be pondered prayerfully. Its clarity and depth will repay multiple readings by all in the Church – indeed, by all who are seeking the meaning and truth of human existence.

However, one section will prove of particular interest to theologians. Number thirty-six of the encyclical sets forth briefly, but in a remarkably rich way, an understanding of the task of theology. From one perspective, of course, it is a traditional view (as the footnote reference to Bonaventure and Aquinas shows). But it places that traditional understanding into an intersubjective context that brings out, in a new and deeper way, its significance and implications.

The Pope writes: “God is a subject who makes himself known and perceived in an interpersonal relationship.” Thus the theologian cannot approach the theological task in a distant, neutral manner, as would a scientist or a mere observer. Theology flourishes through participatory knowledge in which reason, will, and affections are all engaged. The encyclical appeals to the biblical notion of the “heart” and insists that, as Blessed John Henry Newman expresses it: cor ad cor loquitur — heart speaks to heart. Theology reflects upon the Word of God, fully revealed, in the death and resurrection of Jesus, as abiding Love. The heart of God speaks to our heart his Word of Love in interpersonal encounter.
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Posted: July 13, 2013 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=6602
Categories: Opinion • In this article: encyclicals, Pope Francis, theology Transmis : 13 juil. 2013 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=6602
Catégorie : Opinion • Dans cet article : encyclicals, Pope Francis, theology

Pope who can’t be pigeonholed bound to disappoint some, says cardinal

Many Catholics who identify themselves as either conservatives or progressives will be disappointed in Pope Francis, whose program of spiritual renewal, doctrinal continuity and emphasis on the poor fits none of the traditional moulds, a top German cardinal said.

Cardinal Walter Kasper, a theologian and retired president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, said Pope Francis will also face resistance within the curia, which needs both organizational revamping and a change of mentality.

Attempts at reform will bring resistance and difficulties “just like with every big institution,” he said in a July 16 interview with the Italian newspaper Il Foglio.

“However, this pope is very determined: He knows what he wants,” he said.
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Posted: July 17, 2013 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=6509
Categories: CNS • In this article: church reform, Pope Francis, Walter Kasper Transmis : 17 juil. 2013 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=6509
Catégorie : CNS • Dans cet article : church reform, Pope Francis, Walter Kasper

For the Pope, making peace is now part of the job

Pope Francis is leading the Catholic Church on an extraordinary campaign to prevent President Barack Obama’s proposed military strike on Syria.

On Sept. 4, the pope appealed to leaders of the G-20 nations to “lay aside the futile pursuit of a military solution” to the Syrian civil war and promote instead a “peaceful solution through dialogue and negotiation.” The next day, his foreign minister sent the same message in a special meeting with the Vatican diplomatic corps. And on Sept. 7, the pope was scheduled to lead a prayer vigil for Syria in St. Peter’s Square — an event that the Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, said would be unprecedented, in both scale and importance of setting, as a papal gesture for peace.

Exceptional as they are, however, Pope Francis’ actions have followed in close continuity with the spirit and record of his predecessors.

On the first visit by a pope to the United Nations, in 1965, Pope Paul VI memorably called for “No more war, war never again.” Blessed John Paul II was a constant campaigner for peace, calling the interfaith meetings in Assisi, praying for an end to violence in the Balkans, and doing everything he could, publicly and privately, to prevent the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
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Posted: Sept. 7, 2013 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=7048
Categories: CNS • In this article: peace, pope, Pope Francis Transmis : 7 sept. 2013 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=7048
Catégorie : CNS • Dans cet article : peace, pope, Pope Francis

Pope, writing in secular newspaper, urges dialogue with non-believers

Writing in one of Italy’s major secular newspapers, Pope Francis called for a “sincere and rigourous dialogue” between the Church and non-believers as an “intimate and indispensable expression” of Christian love.

The Pope’s words appeared in a 2,600-word letter published in the Sept. 11 edition of the Rome daily La Repubblica, in reply to recent articles by Eugenio Scalfari, a co-founder and former editor-in-chief of the newspaper.

An “open and unprejudiced dialogue” between Christians and those of no religious faith is “rightful and precious” today for at least two reasons, Pope Francis wrote. Such a dialogue could “open doors for a serious and fertile encounter” between secular culture and Christian culture, which have lost the ability to communicate due largely to modern views of faith as the “darkness of superstition opposed to the light of reason.”
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Posted: Sept. 12, 2013 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=6804
Categories: CNS • In this article: atheists, pope, Pope Francis Transmis : 12 sept. 2013 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=6804
Catégorie : CNS • Dans cet article : atheists, pope, Pope Francis

Lutheran delegation meets Pope Francis

During an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican earlier today, leaders from The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) expressed gratitude for the partnership with the Roman Catholic Church that makes it possible for churches to strengthen their commitment to the poor and vulnerable.

“As people who have been encountered by Christ, we are called to accompany the poor and vulnerable. The message of reconciliation entrusted to us turns into the hope for our fragmented world and its yearning for peace with justice,” LWF President Bishop Dr Munib A. Younan said in LWF’s greeting to the pope.

Younan expressed gratitude for the ecumenical milestones of the partnership with Catholics, including the recent publication of the report “From Conflict to Communion: Lutheran-Catholic Common Commemoration in 2017.”

By jointly approaching a shared history which includes elements of pain “the promise of healing appears on the horizon,” Younan said of the publication that outlines the mutual responsibility by Lutherans and Catholics for a common approach to the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017.

The June 2013 report by the Lutheran–Roman Catholic Commission on Unity marked the first time that both partners have worked together at the global level to tell the history of the Reformation as part of their commitment to deepen Christian unity. Baptism is the focus of ongoing dialogue by the commission, which will mark its 50th anniversary in 2017.
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Posted: Oct. 21, 2013 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=6849
Categories: Lutheran World Information, Vatican News • In this article: Lutheran World Federation, pope, Pope Francis, spiritual ecumenism Transmis : 21 oct. 2013 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=6849
Catégorie : Lutheran World Information, Vatican News • Dans cet article : Lutheran World Federation, pope, Pope Francis, spiritual ecumenism

WCC welcomes Pope Francis’ challenging and inviting Apostolic Exhortation

The Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium recently delivered by Pope Francis concerning the proclamation of the Gospel in today’s world has stirred interest and appreciation from the World Council of Churches (WCC) as a challenging and inviting document.

“The Apostolic Exhortation is more than simply conveying the message of the Synod on evangelization, but addresses the need for the renewal of the church at all levels from the perspective of the call to be a missional church,” WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit said.

“The tone of the document is open and both challenging and inviting,” he added. “It is really inspiring to read as we now try to implement the mandate from our recent assembly in Busan, Republic of Korea. It provides an inspiring interaction between ecclesiological reflections, missionary perspectives and concerns about economic, ecological justice and peace building as significant missionary dimensions of the church.”

“At the recent WCC 10th assembly in Busan we too highlighted the need for the renewal of the church both through a new mission statement that speaks of mission being from the margins of society, and the movement of the church and ecumenical movement toward justice and peace,” Tveit said.

Tveit added that he sees parallels between the “pilgrimage of justice and peace” the WCC fellowship of 345 member churches will be embarking on, especially now after the November assembly and the reflections of Pope Francis.

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Posted: Dec. 2, 2013 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=6929
Categories: WCC News • In this article: Catholic, evangelism/evangelization, mission, Pope Francis, WCC, WCC Commission on World Mission and Evangelism Transmis : 2 déc. 2013 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=6929
Catégorie : WCC News • Dans cet article : Catholic, evangelism/evangelization, mission, Pope Francis, WCC, WCC Commission on World Mission and Evangelism

For Pope, Church reform is spiritual exercise, not a project

For Pope Francis, the reform of the Catholic Church and its structures “isn’t a project, but an exercise of the Spirit” that will take time, said Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga.

The cardinal, co-ordinator of Pope Francis’ Council of Cardinals, which is working on the reform of the Roman Curia and advising him on Church governance, spoke about the Pope and his approach during a Dec. 4 book presentation at the Vatican.

Other cardinals on the council were in attendance as well for the presentation of Jesuit Father Antonio Spadaro’s book, La Mia Porta ‘E Sempre Aperta (My Door is Always Open), an expanded version of the interview with Pope Francis published in Jesuit periodicals around the world in September. Rodriguez said the title of the book could well be the main theme of Pope Francis’ pontificate.
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Posted: Dec. 5, 2013 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=7014
Categories: CNS • In this article: Curial reform, pope, Pope Francis, Vatican Transmis : 5 déc. 2013 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=7014
Catégorie : CNS • Dans cet article : Curial reform, pope, Pope Francis, Vatican

The divisions must stop! Pope Francis’ catechesis on Christian Unity

Pope Francis dedicated the catechesis of this Wednesday’s general audience to the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which ends next Saturday, the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. It is a spiritual initiative in which Christian communities have participated for over one hundred years, and is a time dedicated to prayer for the unity of all baptised persons, in accordance with Christ’s will “that they may all be one”. Every year an ecumenical group from one region in the world, under the guidance of the World Council of Churches and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, suggests the theme and prepares the activities for the Prayer Week. This year the initiatives were prepared by the Churches and Ecclesiastical Communities of Canada, who have proposed the question posed by St. Paul to the Christians of Corinth: “Has Christ been divided?”
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Posted: Jan. 22, 2014 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=7214
Categories: Vatican News • In this article: ecumenism, Pope Francis, WPCU Transmis : 22 janv. 2014 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=7214
Catégorie : Vatican News • Dans cet article : ecumenism, Pope Francis, WPCU

Pope Francis concludes the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

On Saturday, Pope Francis presided over evening Vespers at Saint Paul’s Outside the Walls Basilica where he was joined by members of the many different Christian Churches present here in Rome.

The celebration, which lands on the Feast of Saint Paul, marks the closing of the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity which has been exploring the theme, taken from St Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, “Has Christ been divided?”

Saturday’s celebrations coincide with the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul.
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Posted: Jan. 25, 2014 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=7227
Categories: News • In this article: Christian unity, ecumenism, Pope Francis, spiritual ecumenism, WPCU Transmis : 25 janv. 2014 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=7227
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : Christian unity, ecumenism, Pope Francis, spiritual ecumenism, WPCU

Pope Francis’ ecumenism

Almost a year after Francis’ election and with the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity at an end, it is now possible to give a first overview of the Pope’s initiatives to promote ecumenism. “For me ecumenism is a priority” Francis told Vatican Insider and Italian newspaper La Stampa in last December’s interview.

Some of the choices he made even at the very start of his pontificate had a very positive impact of ecumenism.
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Posted: Jan. 28, 2014 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=7231
Categories: News • In this article: Bartholomew I, papacy, pope, Pope Francis Transmis : 28 janv. 2014 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=7231
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : Bartholomew I, papacy, pope, Pope Francis

Pope records iPhone video greeting to Pentecostal leadership conference

This is a story that is classic Pope Francis: in late December he picked up the phone and called a Pentecostal bishop, Tony Palmer, to invite him to visit. By all accounts, they had been friends for a number of years already and this was just a social visit, so it wasn’t planned and facilitated by Vatican staff. When the Vatican’s daily news briefing on January 14 listed Bishop Palmer’s visit, the only detail given was that he is the ecumenical officer for the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches, a Pentecostal group that identifies as Anglican, but is not affiliated with the Anglican Communion.

That generated considerable curiosity, particularly in ecumenical circles. Until now, the Vatican has not had any formal contacts with non-Communion Anglicans. No further details were available until this week when a video was posted on YouTube. During their visit in January, Pope Francis and Bishop Palmer recorded a video message on the bishop’s iPhone. The message was for a conference of leaders from Kenneth Copeland Ministries, a Pentecostal mega-church ministry. Palmer was scheduled to address the conference a few days later, so Francis offered to send greetings. They recorded the video on the spot, and there is no indication that the Vatican staff were aware of its existence until it appeared on YouTube two days ago.
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Posted: Feb. 20, 2014 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=7381
Categories: News • In this article: Catholic, Christian unity, ecumenism, Pentecostal, Pope Francis Transmis : 20 févr. 2014 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=7381
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : Catholic, Christian unity, ecumenism, Pentecostal, Pope Francis

So that Christians may be one

The motto and logo of Pope Francis’ visit to the Holy Land

Ut unum sint is the motto chosen for Pope Francis’ visit to the Holy Land. The website theholylandreview.net announced this following the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land which was held in Tiberias on 11-12 March. There the heads of the Catholic communities in Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Cyprus presented the logo and motto for the Pope’s pilgrimage scheduled for 24-26 May.

The motto of the pilgrimage, according to the website, “is at the very core of his trip to the Holy Land”. Francis and Bartolomaios are scheduled to meet in the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre to commemorate and renew the desire and longing for unity among Christians, expressed by Pope Paul VI and Orthodox Patriarch Athenagoras 50 years ago in Jerusalem. In addition, the logo depicts the embrace between the two brothers, Apostles Peter and Andrew: the first two disciples called by Jesus in Galilee, patrons respectively of the Church of Rome and the Church of Constantinople.
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Posted: Mar. 15, 2014 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=7452
Categories: Vatican News • In this article: Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, ecumenism, pope, Pope Francis Transmis : 15 mars 2014 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=7452
Catégorie : Vatican News • Dans cet article : Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, ecumenism, pope, Pope Francis

Catholics & Orthodox looking towards Jerusalem meeting of Francis & Bartholomew

The historic meeting between Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras in Jerusalem in January 1964 was a joyful occasion that swept aside centuries of division and has born good fruit, said Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Archbishop Demetrios, primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America and chairman of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America, in a joint statement, May 15.

The statement anticipated the May 25 meeting of Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Jerusalem.

Archbishop Kurtz and Archbishop Demetrios said the growing closeness between Catholic and Orthodox Christians over the last 50 years has allowed them “to speak with one voice” on issues facing society.

“We commit ourselves to increased cooperation in these areas, including social, economic, and ethical dilemmas, and we call our people to pray for the success of the upcoming meeting between Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Jerusalem for the glory of God and the promotion of Christianity in our wounded world,” the statement said.
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Posted: May 15, 2014 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=7567
Categories: Communiqué • In this article: Bartholomew I, Pope Francis Transmis : 15 mai 2014 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=7567
Catégorie : Communiqué • Dans cet article : Bartholomew I, Pope Francis

Joint Declaration of Pope Francis and the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

Like our venerable predecessors Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras who met here in Jerusalem fifty years ago, we too, Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, were determined to meet in the Holy Land “where our common Redeemer, Christ our Lord, lived, taught, died, rose again, and ascended into Heaven, whence he sent the Holy Spirit on the infant Church” (Common communiqué of Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras, published after their meeting of 6 January 1964). Our meeting, another encounter of the Bishops of the Churches of Rome and Constantinople founded respectively by the two Brothers the Apostles Peter and Andrew, is a source of profound spiritual joy for us. It presents a providential occasion to reflect on the depth and the authenticity of our existing bonds, themselves the fruit of a grace-filled journey on which the Lord has guided us since that blessed day of fifty years ago.
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Posted: May 26, 2014 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=7666
Categories: Communiqué, Vatican News • In this article: Bartholomew I, Catholic, dialogue, Orthodox, Pope Francis Transmis : 26 mai 2014 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=7666
Catégorie : Communiqué, Vatican News • Dans cet article : Bartholomew I, Catholic, dialogue, Orthodox, Pope Francis

Bartholomew and Francis call a joint synod at Nicaea in 2025

On his return from Jerusalem, where he met with Pope Francis at the Holy Sepulchre, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, has revealed an important appointment for unity between Catholics and Orthodox: a gathering at Nicaea in 2025, where the first real ecumenical council of the undivided Church was celebrated.

Speaking exclusively with AsiaNews, Bartholomew says that together with Pope Francis “we agreed to leave as a legacy to ourselves and our successors a gathering in Nicaea in 2025, to celebrate together, after 17 centuries, the first truly ecumenical synod, where the Creed was first promulgated”. The Council of Nicaea (now Iznik, 130 km south-east of Istanbul), brought together more than 300 bishops from East and West in 325 and is considered the first true ecumenical council. It was there that the formula of the Creed was decided, similar to the one recited during the liturgy today, saying that Jesus “is consubstantial to the Father,” to counter the Arian ideology.
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Posted: May 29, 2014 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=7670
Categories: News • In this article: Bartholomew I, Catholic, Orthodox, Pope Francis, synods Transmis : 29 mai 2014 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=7670
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : Bartholomew I, Catholic, Orthodox, Pope Francis, synods

Pope Francis and Archbishop Welby discuss ways of working for unity

Pope Francis met on Monday with the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, saying he hoped their meeting would serve to “strengthen further our bonds of friendship and our commitment to the great cause of reconciliation and communion between Christian believers.”

The audience came on the second day of the Anglican leader’s visit to Rome which also included a meeting with a meeting with the St Egidio community, Vespers at St Gregorio on the Caelian Hill, a visit to Rome’s Joel Nafuma Refugee Centre and an encounter with the ecumenical Global Freedom Network for the eradication of human trafficking.
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Posted: June 16, 2014 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=7756
Categories: News • In this article: Anglican, Catholic, Justin Welby, Pope Francis Transmis : 16 juin 2014 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=7756
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : Anglican, Catholic, Justin Welby, Pope Francis

The addresses of Archbishop Welby & Pope Francis

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, made a fraternal visit to Pope Francis in Rome on June 16, 2014. The following addresses contain the full text of their published remarks. Addition news stories and photos are available on this website.
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Posted: June 16, 2014 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=7738
Categories: News • In this article: Anglican, Archbishop of Canterbury, Catholic, Justin Welby, pope, Pope Francis Transmis : 16 juin 2014 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=7738
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : Anglican, Archbishop of Canterbury, Catholic, Justin Welby, pope, Pope Francis

Archbishop Justin’s gifts for Pope Francis

Archbishop Justin gave Pope Francis the following gifts during their meeting in Rome on 16 June.

Lambeth Palace Fig Tree Cutting

The Ficus carica ‘White Marseilles’ fig tree was brought to Lambeth Palace by the last Roman Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury, Cardinal Reginald Pole in 1556. It probably came from southern Italy where Pole spent a lot of time. The fruits are white fleshed and very rich and sweet, they are ripe when the skins turn a chartreuse colour and start to split.
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Posted: June 16, 2014 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=7740
Categories: News • In this article: Anglican, Archbishop of Canterbury, Catholic, Justin Welby, pope, Pope Francis Transmis : 16 juin 2014 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=7740
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : Anglican, Archbishop of Canterbury, Catholic, Justin Welby, pope, Pope Francis

Pope Francis reaches out to evangelical, charismatic leaders

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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Posted: July 10, 2014 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=7703
Categories: Catholic Register • In this article: Evangelicals, Pope Francis, World Evangelical Alliance Transmis : 10 juil. 2014 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=7703
Catégorie : Catholic Register • Dans cet article : Evangelicals, Pope Francis, World Evangelical Alliance

Evangelicals apologize to Catholics for past persecution and discrimination

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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Posted: July 30, 2014 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=8535
Categories: News • In this article: Catholic, Evangelicals, Pope Francis, World Evangelical Alliance Transmis : 30 juil. 2014 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=8535
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : Catholic, Evangelicals, Pope Francis, World Evangelical Alliance

Francis blesses Vatican cricket team

Pope Francis has given his blessing to the Vatican’s international cricket team as it prepares to take on the Church of England. The side of Catholic priests are preparing for their first tour to England, which will include a match with the Church of England XI in Canterbury. Pope Francis, who is a supporter of Buenos Aires football side San Lorenzo, put on a cricket cap and signed a bat that the team will take with them during their tour of England, which begins on Friday. After the tour the bat will be auctioned in order to raise money for a joint Catholic and Anglican campaign against modern-day slavery and indentured labour, the Global Freedom Network, the Vatican said. The papal XI will play matches against chaplains of the British armed forces at Aldershot and the Royal Household Cricket Club at Windsor Castle, as well as two other games. Then in Canterbury on September 19 the team will take on the Anglican XI.
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Posted: Sept. 10, 2014 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=7778
Categories: The Tablet • In this article: Anglican, Church of England, ecumenism, Pope Francis, Vatican Transmis : 10 sept. 2014 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=7778
Catégorie : The Tablet • Dans cet article : Anglican, Church of England, ecumenism, Pope Francis, Vatican

Pope meets with CEEC bishops

On Friday October 10th a delegation of Bishops from the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches (CEEC) met for several hours in Rome with Pope Francis. The purpose of the meeting was to continue talks on Christian unity that began almost a year ago between Pope Francis and his long-time friend, CEEC Bishop Tony Palmer. Bishop Palmer, whose iPhone video of Pope Francis pleading for increased unity among Christians went viral after it was presented to a gathering of Protestant Evangelicals, tragically lost his life in highway crash in the UK earlier this year. In spite of this, Pope Francis wanted the talks to move forward; and he has encouraged Bishop Tony’s wife Emialana and CEEC Ecumenical officer Bishop Robert Wise to continue advancing the dialogue of Christian unity that he and Bishop Palmer had begun.
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Posted: Oct. 10, 2014 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=8304
Categories: News • In this article: Evangelicals, Pope Francis Transmis : 10 oct. 2014 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=8304
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : Evangelicals, Pope Francis

Catholics and Anglicans celebrate new Canadian saints together

On the Canadian Thanksgiving holiday, Pope Francis celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving for two new Canadian saints: St. François de Laval and St. Marie de l’Incarnation. The two were made saints in April when Pope Francis set aside the normal process. The two were significant in spreading Catholicism in New France, both among the French settlers and the indigenous peoples. Laval (1623-1708) was the first bishop of Québec. Marie de l’Incarnation (1599-1672), an Ursuline sister, was responsible for establishing the first schools in the fledgling colony at Québec and for extending education to girls and natives. Pope Francis has described the new saints as models of spreading the faith. “Missionaries have gone out to call everyone, in the highways and byways of the world,” Francis said in his homily. “In this way they have done immense good for the Church, for once the Church stops moving, once she becomes closed in on herself, she falls ill, she can be corrupted, whether by sins or by that false knowledge cut off from God which is worldly secularism.”
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Posted: Oct. 14, 2014 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=7857
Categories: News • In this article: Anglican, Canada, Catholic, ecumenism, Pope Francis, saints Transmis : 14 oct. 2014 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=7857
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : Anglican, Canada, Catholic, ecumenism, Pope Francis, saints

Joint Declaration of Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

We, Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, express our profound gratitude to God for the gift of this new encounter enabling us, in the presence of the members of the Holy Synod, the clergy and the faithful of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, to celebrate together the feast of Saint Andrew, the first-called and brother of the Apostle Peter. Our remembrance of the Apostles, who proclaimed the good news of the Gospel to the world through their preaching and their witness of martyrdom, strengthens in us the aspiration to continue to walk together in order to overcome, in love and in truth, the obstacles that divide us.
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Posted: Nov. 30, 2014 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=7918
Categories: Communiqué, Vatican News • In this article: Bartholomew I, dialogue, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, interfaith, pope, Pope Francis Transmis : 30 nov. 2014 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=7918
Catégorie : Communiqué, Vatican News • Dans cet article : Bartholomew I, dialogue, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, interfaith, pope, Pope Francis

Francis and Bartholomew issue resounding, historic calls for church reunification

Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, leaders of the millennium-long separated Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, have issued resounding and historic calls for the reunification of their global communities. Speaking to one another after a solemn Orthodox divine liturgy in St. George, an historic Christian center, Sunday, both leaders pledged to intensify efforts for full unity of their churches, saying such unity already exists among Christians dying in conflicts in the Middle East. For his part, Francis made what appears to be the strongest and most encompassing call yet from a Catholic pontiff for unity. Seeking to assure Orthodox leaders that restoration of full communion between the churches would respect Eastern traditions, he said reunion would “not signify the submission of one to the other, or assimilation.” “I want to assure each one of you here that, to reach the desired goal of full unity, the Catholic church does not intend to impose any conditions except that of the shared profession of faith,” said the pope.
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Posted: Nov. 30, 2014 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=7921
Categories: News • In this article: Bartholomew I, Catholic, dialogue, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Orthodox, pope, Pope Francis Transmis : 30 nov. 2014 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=7921
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : Bartholomew I, Catholic, dialogue, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Orthodox, pope, Pope Francis

Christians can’t ignore differences on life issues, pope says

Christianity has something to say about human dignity, and “it would be a shame” if differing positions on the sanctity of all human life or on marriage were to increase the divisions among Christian churches and communities, Pope Francis said. “Questions related to the dignity of the human person at the beginning and end of life, as well as those related to the family, marriage and sexuality, cannot be concealed or overlooked just because we do not want to jeopardize the ecumenical consensus already reached,” he said Dec. 18 during a meeting with German Catholics and Lutherans. “Ecumenical dialogue today can no longer be separated from the reality and lives of our churches,” the pope told leaders of the German Lutheran Church and members of the German Catholic bishops’ ecumenical commission. Pope Francis praised the German Catholic-Lutheran dialogue commission for its joint study on “God and human dignity,” a study which is drawing to a close. Different theological understandings of the church and different opinions about what would constitute unity also seem to be moving Christians further from one another, Pope Francis said; but instead of resigning themselves to their divided state, “we must concentrate on the next possible step.” After 50 years of formal dialogue he said, “the notable progress that, with the help of God, has been made is a solid foundation of sincere friendship lived in faith and spirituality.”
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Posted: Dec. 18, 2014 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=7933
Categories: CNS • In this article: 2017, Catholic, dialogue, Lutheran, Pope Francis Transmis : 18 déc. 2014 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=7933
Catégorie : CNS • Dans cet article : 2017, Catholic, dialogue, Lutheran, Pope Francis

Bishop says interfaith dialogue can be a model for French society

Four French Imams, who’ve been part of a Catholic-Muslim delegation visiting the Vatican this week, have expressed their shock and condemnation of the attack on the satirical magazine ‘Charlie Hebdo’. Wednesday’s attack by masked gunmen in Paris left 12 people dead, with several others in critical condition.

In a statement at the end of their 3 day visit to Rome, the delegation, which includes Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, urges all believers to combat hatred and all forms of violence which destroy life, violate the dignity of the human person and undermine peaceful coexistence between peoples.

Pope Francis, who met with the delegation just as the attack was taking place, denounced the killings and offered prayers for the victims and their families. Also taking part in the delegation was Bishop Michel Dubost, who heads the French bishops’ council for interfaith relations. Philippa Hitchen talked to him about the Muslim leaders’ reactions to the attack and about the difficulty of promoting interreligious dialogue in France today…
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Posted: Jan. 8, 2015 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=8003
Categories: Vatican News • In this article: Catholic, France, interfaith, Muslim, Pope Francis, violence Transmis : 8 janv. 2015 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=8003
Catégorie : Vatican News • Dans cet article : Catholic, France, interfaith, Muslim, Pope Francis, violence

In Asia, Pope backs interfaith dialogue — with a ‘but’

Visiting a nation torn apart for 30 years by a civil war that pit Buddhists against Hindus and Muslims, with Christians both bystanders and sometimes victims, Pope Francis was expected to have something important to say about interfaith relationships. He delivered that Tuesday in Sri Lanka, telling a cross-section of the country’s religious leaders that harmony among different faiths is critical, but it cannot come at the expense of the distinctive identity of each. Citing the teachings of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), Francis said that the Catholic Church has a “deep and abiding respect for other religions.”
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Posted: Jan. 13, 2015 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=7948
Categories: News • In this article: Asia, Buddhist, dialogue, Hindu, interfaith, Muslim, Pope Francis Transmis : 13 janv. 2015 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=7948
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : Asia, Buddhist, dialogue, Hindu, interfaith, Muslim, Pope Francis

Pope Francis: Religious who pray for Christian unity an “invisible monastery”

The vital role that men and women religious of different Christian Churches play in the ecumenical journey was at the heart of Pope Francis’s meeting on Saturday with participants in a conference on consecrated life and the search for Christian Unity. The three day meeting, which concludes on Sunday, comes in the context of both this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and the Year of Consecrated Life. Participants are concluding each day with Vespers in the Orthodox, Anglican and Catholic traditions, including the liturgy presided over by Pope Francis in the Basilica of St Paul’s Outside the Walls on Sunday.
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Posted: Jan. 24, 2015 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=8001
Categories: Vatican News • In this article: Bose, Christian unity, Pope Francis, religious life, spiritual ecumenism, Taizé Transmis : 24 janv. 2015 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=8001
Catégorie : Vatican News • Dans cet article : Bose, Christian unity, Pope Francis, religious life, spiritual ecumenism, Taizé

Pope Francis: Jesus wants united Christians

On Sunday and before the Angelus, the Pope recalled the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and its theme, “Give me a drink”, the sentence uttered by Jesus to the Samaritan woman.

He told the faithful gathered that the “desire for unity” of the disciples of Jesus is part of our “thirst not only material for water, but above all our thirst for a full life, free from the slavery of evil and death.”

He went on to say that “Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promises because it is he who gives to the Holy Spirit, the ‘living water’ that quenches our restless hearts, hungry for life, love, freedom, peace, thirsty for God.
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Posted: Jan. 25, 2015 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=8006
Categories: Vatican News • In this article: Christian unity, peace, Pope Francis, WPCU Transmis : 25 janv. 2015 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=8006
Catégorie : Vatican News • Dans cet article : Christian unity, peace, Pope Francis, WPCU

A Uniting Church of Australia view of the journey to Christian unity

At the conclusion of the week of prayer for Christian Unity on Sunday, ministers and congregations from many different denominations gathered with Pope Francis in the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls for Vespers marking the feast of the conversion of the Apostle of the Gentiles.

Among those taking part for the first time was Reverend Tara Curlewis, former General Secretary of the National Council of Churches in Australia. An ordained minister of the Uniting Church in Australia, she’s also worked closely with the World Council of Churches and until recently co-chaired Australia’s National Dialogue of Christians, Muslims and Jews.

She talked to Philippa Hitchen about her own ministry and about the goal of the wider ecumenical movement today…
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Posted: Jan. 26, 2015 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=7998
Categories: Vatican News • In this article: Christian unity, ecumenism, Pope Francis, WPCU Transmis : 26 janv. 2015 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=7998
Catégorie : Vatican News • Dans cet article : Christian unity, ecumenism, Pope Francis, WPCU

Ecumenism means theological dialogue, joint work for peace, Pope says

Even as their theological dialogues continue in the search for full agreement on doctrinal issues, divided Christians are called to work together for justice and peace, especially in the Middle East, Pope Francis said.

“May the intercession and example of the many martyrs and saints who have borne courageous witness to Christ in all our churches sustain and strengthen you and your Christian communities,” the Pope told church leaders from the region.

Pope Francis met Jan. 30 with members of the International Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches, which include churches with large communities in Syria, Iraq and throughout the Middle East.

The Oriental Orthodox churches participating in the dialogue include the Coptic, Syriac, Armenian, Ethiopian, Eritrean and Malankara Orthodox Syrian churches.

“At this time,” the Pope said, “we especially feel dismay and deep sadness at what is happening in the Middle East, especially in Iraq and Syria,” where Islamic State militants continue their campaign of terror.

“I think of all those living in the region, including our Christian brothers and sisters, and many minorities, who are experiencing the effects of a prolonged and painful conflict,” he said.
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Posted: Jan. 30, 2015 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=8046
Categories: CNS • In this article: Catholic, dialogue, Oriental Orthodox, Pope Francis Transmis : 30 janv. 2015 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=8046
Catégorie : CNS • Dans cet article : Catholic, dialogue, Oriental Orthodox, Pope Francis

Pope welcomes a spirit of fraternity with Oriental Orthodox

Pope Francis on Friday received the participants in a meeting – this week – of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches.

The Oriental Orthodox Churches those Orthodox Eastern Christian churches which recognize only the first three ecumenical councils, and rejected the formulae of the Council of Chalcedon, at which certain central Christological doctrines were dogmatically defined, most especially the dual nature – fully divine and fully human, perfectly united though without mixing, blending or alteration – of Christ.

In remarks prepared for the occasion and delivered during the noon audience in the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican, Pope Francis praised the progress of the Commission in its dozen years of work, and called on all participants to continue their journey in a spirit of brotherhood. “I express my hope that this work will bear rich fruit for our common theological research and help us to experience ever more fully our fraternal friendship,” the Holy Father said.
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Posted: Jan. 30, 2015 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=7996
Categories: Vatican News • In this article: Catholic, dialogue, Oriental Orthodox, Pope Francis Transmis : 30 janv. 2015 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=7996
Catégorie : Vatican News • Dans cet article : Catholic, dialogue, Oriental Orthodox, Pope Francis

Scottish Presbyterians visit Pope Francis

The Right Rev. John P. Chalmers, moderator of the Church of Scotland, accompanied by a group of representatives of the same Church, were received in audience this morning by the Holy Father who, in his greeting, expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to meet and share with them a common commitment to the service of the Gospel and the cause for Christian unity.

“Scotland’s rich cultural and historical traditions have been shaped by outstanding saintly witnesses to Christ from various confessions”, he observed. “The present state of ecumenical relations in Scotland clearly shows that what we, as Christians, hold in common is greater than all that divides us. On this basis the Lord is calling us to seek ever more effective ways to overcome old prejudices and to find new forms of understanding and cooperation”.
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Posted: Feb. 16, 2015 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=8174
Categories: Vatican News • In this article: Church of Scotland, Pope Francis, Presbyterian, Rome Transmis : 16 févr. 2015 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=8174
Catégorie : Vatican News • Dans cet article : Church of Scotland, Pope Francis, Presbyterian, Rome

Papal ecology: Protecting all God’s creatures, respecting God’s plan

The Catholic Church supports the efforts of scientists to study the causes and effects of climate change and insists governments and businesses must get serious about specific commitments for protecting the environment.

But Pope Francis, like his predecessors, does not pretend to have a technical solution to the problem. However, he does feel a responsibility to remind Christians of their religious obligation to safeguard creation, beginning with human beings who are created in the image and likeness of God.

Clearing his calendar for a week in late March, Pope Francis rolled up his sleeves to put the final touches on an encyclical letter about the environment; building on what he and his predecessors have said, the document — planned for publication early in the summer — is expected to present ecology as the ultimate pro-life, pro-poor, pro-family issue.

For Pope Francis, like Pope Benedict XVI, safeguarding creation is not simply about protecting plants and animals, or just about ensuring the air, water and land will support human life for generations to come. Those things are part of the task.
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Posted: Mar. 26, 2015 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=8143
Categories: CNS • In this article: ecology, encyclicals, Pope Francis, poverty Transmis : 26 mars 2015 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=8143
Catégorie : CNS • Dans cet article : ecology, encyclicals, Pope Francis, poverty

Pope Francis meets the Conference of European Rabbis

For the first time a delegation of the Conference of European Rabbis, presided by Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, has met with the Successor of Peter in the Vatican. Pope Francis, who received them this morning, expressed his joy at this event, and at the same time offered his condolences, which he extended to the Jewish community of Rome, for the death yesterday of the ex Grand Rabbi of Rome, Elio Toaff, a “man of peace and dialogue”, who received Pope John Paul II during his historical visit to the Great Synagogue of Rome in April 1986. For this reason, the current Chief Rabbi of Rome, Riccardo Di Segni, was not present at the meeting.

In his address to the delegation, the Pope emphasized that the dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Jewish communities continues to progress as it has for half a century; 28 October will mark the fiftieth anniversary of the conciliar Declaration Nostra Aetate, which is still the reference point for efforts in this regard. “With gratitude to the Lord, may we recall these years, rejoicing in our progress and in the friendship which has grown between us”, he said.
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Posted: Apr. 20, 2015 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=8176
Categories: Vatican News • In this article: Judaism, pope, Pope Francis, Rabbis Transmis : 20 avril 2015 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=8176
Catégorie : Vatican News • Dans cet article : Judaism, pope, Pope Francis, Rabbis

Pope Francis meets members of ARCIC III

Pope Francis met on Thursday with members of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission, telling them that the cause of unity is not an optional undertaking. The 18 Anglican and Catholic members of the commission, known as ARCIC III, are holding their annual encounter this week at an ancient retreat house in the Alban hills, south of Rome.The original Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission was founded in the wake of a historic meeting in 1966 between a Pope and an Archbishop of Canterbury – the first since the Reformation and the Church of England’s breakaway from Rome. On that occasion, Pope Paul VI and Archbishop Michael Ramsey inaugurated a dialogue “founded on the Gospels and on the ancient common traditions” which they hoped would lead to “unity in truth for which Christ prayed”. Meeting with the members of ARCIC III, Pope Francis noted the current session is studying the relationship between the universal Church and the local Church – a question central to his own reform programme – with particular reference to difficult decision making over moral and ethical questions. These discussions, the Pope said, and the forthcoming publication of five jointly agreed statements from the previous phase of the dialogue, remind us that ecumenism is not a secondary element in the life of the Church and that the differences which divide us must not be seen as inevitable. Despite the seriousness of the challenges, he said we must trust even more in the power of the Spirit to heal and reconcile what may not seem possible to our human understanding. Finally Pope Francis highlighted the powerful testimony of Christians from different Churches and traditions who have been victims of violence and persecution. The blood of these martyrs, he said, will nourish a new era of ecumenical commitment to fulfill the last will and testament of the Lord: that all may be one.
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Posted: Apr. 30, 2015 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=8184
Categories: Vatican News • In this article: ARCIC, dialogue, ecumenism, Pope Francis Transmis : 30 avril 2015 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=8184
Catégorie : Vatican News • Dans cet article : ARCIC, dialogue, ecumenism, Pope Francis

Pope Francis meets with Pentecostal pastors

Pope Francis on Thursday afternoon met with a group of Pentecostal pastors in the “Auletta”, a meeting room adjoining the Paul VI Audience Hall. A statement released by the Holy See Press Office said the meeting was private, and involved around 100 pastors from around the world. The group was led by Pastor Giovanni Traettino, whose community in the Italian city of Caserta was visited last year by Pope Francis. The statement said the meeting was “very cordial” and characterized by a “spirit of prayer for unity.” Pope Francis was accompanied by Cardinal Kurt Koch, the President of Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
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Posted: May 8, 2015 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=8309
Categories: Vatican News • In this article: Pentecostal, Pope Francis Transmis : 8 mai 2015 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=8309
Catégorie : Vatican News • Dans cet article : Pentecostal, Pope Francis

Pope Francis sends greetings to Pentecostal pastors in Phoenix

The diocese of Phoenix, U.S.A., has organised a day of dialogue and prayer, on the eve of Pentecost, with a group of evangelical pastors of Pentecostal orientation, including the Italian Giovanni Traettino, whom Pope Francis visited during his trip to Caserta. The Holy Father participated with a video message, screened yesterday afternoon at the opening of the meeting (during the night in Europe).

Brothers and sisters, may the peace of Christ be with you. Forgive me if I speak in Spanish, but my English isn’t good enough for me to express myself properly. I speak in Spanish but, above all, I speak in the language of the heart. I have the invitation you sent me for this celebration of Christian Unity, this day of reconciliation. And I wish to join you from here. “Father, may we be one so that the world may believe you sent me”. This is the slogan, the theme of the meeting: Christ’s prayer to the Father for the grace of unity. Today, Saturday May 23rd, from 9 in the morning until 5 in the afternoon, I will be with you spiritually and with all my heart. We will search together, we will pray together, for the grace of unity. The unity that is budding among us is that unity which begins under the seal of the one Baptism we have all received. It is the unity we are seeking along a common path. It is the spiritual unity of prayer for one another. It is the unity of our common labour on behalf of our brothers and sisters, and all those who believe in the sovereignty of Christ.
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Posted: May 24, 2015 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=8490
Categories: Vatican News • In this article: Pentecostal, Pope Francis, spiritual ecumenism Transmis : 24 mai 2015 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=8490
Catégorie : Vatican News • Dans cet article : Pentecostal, Pope Francis, spiritual ecumenism

Pope to Russian Orthodox Church: Let us pray, so that everything can get accomplished

“Good morning, Your Holiness.”

It was a meeting between Pope Francis and Metropolitan Hilarion from the Russian Orthodox Church.

With the help of a translator, the head of the Department of External Church Relations, met with the Pope, for a brief meeting. After their one-on-one discussion, the Pope met the rest of the delegation, some of whom work directly with Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

Even though it was a closed door meeting, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the role Russia plays in it, was surely discussed. Especially in light of President Putin’s recent visit with Pope Francis.
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Posted: June 15, 2015 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=8620
Categories: News • In this article: Catholic, Pope Francis, Russian Orthodox Transmis : 15 juin 2015 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=8620
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : Catholic, Pope Francis, Russian Orthodox

There is no conflict between our faiths and the science of climate change

On Thursday, Pope Francis issued a powerful and timely encyclical on the environment, urging humanity to come to its senses and cease its reckless onslaught against God’s creation. He addressed this letter not only to his fellow Catholics, but to all people of the world, asking people of different religious traditions to unite in common purpose to save our planet.

As religious figures, we too accept the overwhelming scientific consensus that global warming comes from human activity, as we see no conflict between faith and reason.

And, coming from the three great Abrahamic faiths – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – we stand together on the need to be good stewards of the earth. All of our traditions affirm the inherent goodness of all creation, and the binding obligation on human beings to protect our common home, the planet that sustains us. The Hebrew Scriptures state clearly that the Earth belongs to God alone, and that we are merely sojourners – we do not have ownership on a permanent basis: the fruits of the earth belong to all, including the poor. This ancient teaching is affirmed by both Christianity and Islam. Christians also view the world through a sacramental lenses, believing that the redemption of Christ has in turn redeemed all of creation. And Islam can be thought of as a religion of nature, with 750 verses in the holy Qur’an speaking about our responsibility to the environment and our relationship with all creatures. Islam too recognizes that everything in the heavens and the earth belong to God, and that we are mere trustees and vice-regents.
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Posted: June 18, 2015 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=8597
Categories: Opinion • In this article: climate change, ecology, encyclicals, environment, interfaith, Pope Francis Transmis : 18 juin 2015 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=8597
Catégorie : Opinion • Dans cet article : climate change, ecology, encyclicals, environment, interfaith, Pope Francis

All creation sings God’s praise, but people are silencing it, pope says

The earth, which was created to support life and give praise to God, is crying out with pain because human activity is destroying it, Pope Francis says in his long-awaited encyclical, “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home.”

All who believe in God and all people of good will have an obligation to take steps to mitigate climate change, clean the land and the seas, and start treating all of creation — including poor people — with respect and concern, he says in the document released at the Vatican June 18.

• Laudato Si’: Arabic Deutsch English Español Français Italiano Polski Português

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Posted: June 18, 2015 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=8611
Categories: CNS • In this article: ecology, encyclicals, environment, Pope Francis Transmis : 18 juin 2015 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=8611
Catégorie : CNS • Dans cet article : ecology, encyclicals, environment, Pope Francis

Defining moment: Glossary of terminology used in Laudato Si’

In his brief pontificate, Pope Francis has coined some colourful terms to get his points across, for example, using “bat Christians” to describe those who hide their faith.

While the new phrases he uses in his ecology encyclical are not as punchy, they succinctly help illustrate his points that care for the environment is a human and moral obligation, that global warming and pollution have an unfairly heavy impact on the poor and that a real commitment to ecology will entail individual conversion and changed political and economic priorities.

The following is a list defining some key phrases Pope Francis uses in the encyclical, “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home.”
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Posted: June 19, 2015 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=8614
Categories: CNS • In this article: ecology, encyclicals, environment, Pope Francis Transmis : 19 juin 2015 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=8614
Catégorie : CNS • Dans cet article : ecology, encyclicals, environment, Pope Francis

Pope asks Waldensians to forgive wrongs

In a world of “soap-bubble values,” hypocrisy and delusion, Pope Francis told young people to fight back with real love and told workers to build a new economy based on creativity and courage.

He also asked the Waldensians, whom the Catholic Church excommunicated and persecuted hundreds of years ago, for forgiveness.

“I ask you for forgiveness for the un-Christian, even inhuman, attitude and behavior that we had against you over history,” he told representatives and members of the Waldensian community June 22 in Turin.

“In the name of Jesus Christ, forgive us,” he said during a visit to the temple, making him the first pope in 800 years to visit a Waldensian place of worship.

The historic gesture was part of Pope Francis’ two-day pastoral trip to the northern Italian city. The pope visited June 21-22 to venerate the Shroud of Turin as well as commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of St. John Bosco.
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Posted: June 22, 2015 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=8609
Categories: CNS • In this article: Pope Francis, repentance, Waldensians Transmis : 22 juin 2015 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=8609
Catégorie : CNS • Dans cet article : Pope Francis, repentance, Waldensians

Pope Francis adds ‘secular Jewish feminist’ Naomi Klein to climate team

If proof were needed that politics really does make odd bedfellows, the sight of progressive Canadian activist Naomi Klein on a Vatican platform with the pope’s personal spokesman on Wednesday, joining forces in the push for stronger environmental protection, probably provides it.

“This is an alliance on a specific issue, not a merger,” said Klein, who defines herself as a secular Jewish feminist.

“No one is being asked to agree on everything, nor do we agree on everything related to climate change,” she said.

Despite that, she said, the secular left and the Catholic Church can still do business based on Laudato Si’, Francis’ encyclical letter on the environment released in June.

The Canadian activist admitted to surprise at being invited to speak at the Vatican, saying it illustrates a “growing understanding” about environmental concerns that has forged surprising and unlikely partnerships, with people otherwise at loggerheads willing to overcome long-standing differences to work together to “save ourselves.”

“We understand that the stakes are so high, time is so short and the task is so large that we cannot afford to allow those differences to divide us,” Klein said on Wednesday.

Klein’s comments came as she participated in the presentation of an upcoming “high-level” conference she will be co-chairing with Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana, head of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.
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Posted: July 1, 2015 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=8607
Categories: News • In this article: ecology, environment, Pope Francis, Vatican Transmis : 1 juil. 2015 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=8607
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : ecology, environment, Pope Francis, Vatican

U.S. right accuses Pope of spreading anti-capitalist thoughts

“My fear is that he’s just nudging the public to be more hostile toward the idea of free markets,” said Stephanie Slade in a CBC Radio interview.

Slade, a self-professed libertarian and a practicing Catholic, comes off as a relatively moderate opponent of Pope Francis’s statements about unfettered capitalism. In the set-up to a debate on the subject, CBC’s The Current captured some truly vitriolic comments from people who don’t like the Pope’s message.

The Pope, who will deliver an address to the United Nations in New York today, has been labelled a “luddite leftist.” The chief economist at the conservative Heritage Foundation accuses him of having “Marxist leanings.”
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Posted: Sept. 25, 2015 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=10202
Categories: News • In this article: capitalism, catholic social teaching, Pope Francis Transmis : 25 sept. 2015 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=10202
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : capitalism, catholic social teaching, Pope Francis

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

Pope Francis apologises for treatment of non-Catholic Christians

Pope Francis has apologised for behaviour towards Christians from non-Roman Catholic churches that “has not reflected Gospel values.” The Pope made his comments during a Vespers service in the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls in Rome last night attended by the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Representative to the Holy See, Archbishop Sir David Moxon.

The service was held to mark the end of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and was also attended by Metropolitan Gennadios of Sassima from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. At the end of the service the Pope invited Metropolitan Gennadios and Archbishop David to join him in blessing the congregation.
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Posted: Jan. 26, 2016 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=9251
Categories: ACNS • In this article: Pope Francis, spiritual ecumenism, WPCU Transmis : 26 janv. 2016 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=9251
Catégorie : ACNS • Dans cet article : Pope Francis, spiritual ecumenism, WPCU

Pope Francis: Homily for Christian Unity Vespers

“I am the least of the Apostles … because I persecuted the Church of God. But by the grace of God, I am what I am, and His grace in me was not without effect.” That’s how the Apostle Paul sums up the significance of his conversion. Coming after his dramatic encounter with the Risen Christ on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus, it is not primarily a moral conversion but rather a transforming experience of the grace of Christ, and at the same time, a call to the new mission of announcing to everyone the Jesus that he previously persecuted by persecuting the disciples of Christ. At that moment, in fact, Paul understands that there is a real and transcendent union between the eternally living Christ and his followers: Jesus lives and is present in them and they live in him. The vocation to be an Apostle is founded not on Paul’s human merits, which he considers to be ‘the least’ and ‘unworthy’, but rather on the infinite goodness of God who chose him and entrusted him with his ministry.
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Posted: Jan. 26, 2016 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=9254
Categories: Vatican News • In this article: Pope Francis, Sermon, WPCU Transmis : 26 janv. 2016 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=9254
Catégorie : Vatican News • Dans cet article : Pope Francis, Sermon, WPCU

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

Pope, Ecumenical Patriarch, and Archbishop of Athens send message of concern for refugees

Pope Francis, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece met on the Greek island of Lesvos on 16 April to demonstrate their concern for the situation of refugees, migrants and asylum seekers who have come to Europe fleeing from situations of conflict and, in many cases, daily threats to their survival.

The three church leaders urged people not to ignore the humanitarian crisis created by the spread of violence and armed conflict, the persecution and displacement of religious and ethnic minorities, and the uprooting of families from their homes.

“The tragedy of forced migration and displacement affects millions, and is fundamentally a crisis of humanity, calling for a response of solidarity, compassion, generosity and an immediate practical commitment of resources,” reads their message. “From Lesvos, we appeal to the international community to respond with courage in facing this massive humanitarian crisis, and its underlying causes, through diplomatic, political and charitable initiatives and through cooperative efforts, both in the Middle East and in Europe.”

The three leaders said they are one in their desire for peace and in their readiness to promote the resolution of conflicts through dialogue and reconciliation.
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Posted: Apr. 21, 2016 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=9129
Categories: Communiqué, WCC News • In this article: Bartholomew I, Pope Francis, refugees Transmis : 21 avril 2016 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=9129
Catégorie : Communiqué, WCC News • Dans cet article : Bartholomew I, Pope Francis, refugees

Pope Francis welcomes Sunni Muslim leader to Vatican

Pope Francis embraced the grand imam of Al-Azhar, the Sunni Muslim centre of learning, five years after Sheik Ahmed el-Tayyib suspended dialogue with the Holy See.

As Sheik Ahmed el-Tayyib arrived for his audience in the Apostolic Palace, Francis said that the fact that they were meeting at all was significant.

“The meeting is the message,” Francis told the imam.

The meeting came five years after the Cairo-based Al-Azhar froze talks with the Vatican to protest comments by then-Pope Benedict XVI.

Benedict had demanded greater protection for Christians in Egypt after a New Year’s bombing on a Coptic Christian church in Alexandria killed 21 people. Since then, Islamic attacks on Christians in the region have only increased, but the Vatican and Al-Azhar nevertheless sought to rekindle ties, with a Vatican delegation visiting Cairo in February and extending the invitation for el-Tayyib to visit.
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Posted: May 23, 2016 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=9092
Categories: News • In this article: Al-Azhar, Pope Francis Transmis : 23 mai 2016 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=9092
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : Al-Azhar, Pope Francis

Pope calls euthanasia triumph of selfishness, not act of compassion

Growing acceptance of euthanasia does not indicate increased compassion, but highlights the rise of a selfish “throwaway culture” that casts aside the sick, the dying and those who do not satisfy the perceived requirements of a healthy life, Pope Francis said.

In a culture that is increasingly “technological and individualistic,” some tend to “hide behind alleged compassion to justify killing a patient,” the Pope told health professionals from Spain and Latin America June 9.

“True compassion does not marginalize, humiliate or exclude, much less celebrate a patient passing away,” the Pope said. “You know well that would mean the triumph of selfishness, of that ‘throwaway culture’ that rejects and despises people who do not meet certain standards of health, beauty or usefulness.”
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Posted: June 10, 2016 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=9198
Categories: CNS • In this article: euthanasia, physician assisted suicide, Pope Francis Transmis : 10 juin 2016 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=9198
Catégorie : CNS • Dans cet article : euthanasia, physician assisted suicide, Pope Francis

Anglicans look to Pope as role model of Christian leadership

Among the thousands of pilgrims and visitors present in St Peter’s Square for the Pope’s general audience on Wednesday was a group of Anglicans from all over the world who are taking part in a week long study course on Christian leadership.

Organised by the Anglican Centre in Rome, the course is based on Biblical scholarship, case studies of exemplary leaders, past and present, and field work in Rome and Assisi.

Participants from the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Nigeria and Myanmar were among those attending the audience, while the director of the Anglican Centre, Archbishop David Moxon and Zambian Bishop William Mchombo of the Central African province were also able to exchange a few words with Pope Francis.
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Posted: Sept. 12, 2016 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=10384
Categories: Vatican News • In this article: Anglican Centre in Rome, Pope Francis Transmis : 12 sept. 2016 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=10384
Catégorie : Vatican News • Dans cet article : Anglican Centre in Rome, Pope Francis

Changing canon law, pope brings Latin and Eastern practices closer

In a change to church law, Latin-rite Catholic deacons may not preside at a wedding when one or both of the new spouses are members of an Eastern Catholic church. The new rule is one of the changes to 11 canons in the Latin-rite Code of Canon law that Pope Francis approved in order to harmonize the laws of the Latin and Eastern Catholic churches on several issues involving the sacraments of baptism and marriage. After more than 15 years of study and worldwide consultation, the conflicting rules were resolved by adopting the Eastern code’s formulations for the Latin church as well, said Bishop Juan Ignacio Arrieta, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts. The bishop spoke to journalists Sept. 15 after the publication of an apostolic letter published “motu proprio” (on his own initiative) in which Pope Francis ordered the changes to the Latin Code of Canon Law, the 1983 text governing the majority of the world’s Catholics. In the Eastern Catholic and Orthodox traditions, the blessing of a priest is necessary for the validity of a marriage. In the Latin-rite church, a deacon can preside over the sacrament. The new law specifies, “Only a priest can validly assist at the matrimony of two Eastern parties or between a Latin and Eastern Catholic or non-Catholic,” meaning a member of an Orthodox Church.
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Posted: Sept. 15, 2016 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=9520
Categories: CNS • In this article: canon law, Eastern churches, marriage, Pope Francis Transmis : 15 sept. 2016 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=9520
Catégorie : CNS • Dans cet article : canon law, Eastern churches, marriage, Pope Francis

Religious leaders praise Patriarch Bartholomew as a great ecumenist

As leaders of dozens of religions gathered in Assisi for dialogue and prayers for peace, they honored Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople as an exemplar of one who is so deeply rooted in his own religious tradition that he can reach out to others without fear.

Jewish, Anglican and Catholic leaders paid tribute to Patriarch Bartholomew as he was about to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his enthronement as spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians. Pope Francis was scheduled to participate in a celebratory luncheon for the patriarch Sept. 20 in Assisi.

The Assisi celebrations Sept. 18-20 were organized by the Rome-based Community of Sant’Egidio, the Diocese of Assisi and the Franciscan friars.
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Posted: Sept. 20, 2016 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=9553
Categories: CNS • In this article: Assisi, Bartholomew I, David Rosen, Justin Welby, peace, Pope Francis, prayer Transmis : 20 sept. 2016 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=9553
Catégorie : CNS • Dans cet article : Assisi, Bartholomew I, David Rosen, Justin Welby, peace, Pope Francis, prayer

Pope Francis in Assisi for Day of Prayer for Peace

Following the common lunch in the Sacred Convent of the Franciscans in Assisi, at approximately 15:15, the Pope met individually His Holiness Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople; His Holiness Ignatius Ephrem II, Patriarch of Antioch Syrian Orthodox His Grace Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury and Primate of the Church of England; Professor Zygmut Bauman, sociologist and philosopher (Poland); Professor Din Syamsuddin, chairman of the Ulema Council, (Indonesia); Chief Rabbi David Rosen (Israel).

At 16:00, the representatives of different religions prayed for peace in different places of Assisi. All Christians gathered in the Lower Basilica of St. Francis for an Ecumenical prayer during which all the countries of war are named and a candle is let for each country. The Holy Father then offers the following meditation:
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Posted: Sept. 20, 2016 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=10386
Categories: News • In this article: Assisi, peace, Pope Francis Transmis : 20 sept. 2016 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=10386
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : Assisi, peace, Pope Francis

Walking the talk: Catholics, Anglicans work together as they seek unity

If Christians are called to live their faith concretely, then they cannot leave out concrete signs of the unity to which Jesus calls them.

And just because the formal Anglican-Roman Catholic theological dialogue has been forced to grapple with new church-dividing attitudes toward issues such as the ordination of women and the blessing of same-sex marriages, it does not mean that common prayer led by Anglican and Catholic leaders and concrete collaboration by Catholic and Anglican parishes are simply window dressing.

Dozens of Catholic and Anglican bishops and several hundred priests and laity from both communities gathered in Rome in early October to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Vatican meeting of Blessed Paul VI and Anglican Archbishop Michael Ramsey of Canterbury, almost 50 years of formal theological dialogue through the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (known as ARCIC) and the 50th anniversary of the Anglican Center in Rome.

The celebrations, highlighted by an ecumenical evening prayer service Oct. 5 with Pope Francis and Anglican Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury, coincided with a meeting of a newer body, the International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission, known as IARCCUM.
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Posted: Oct. 6, 2016 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=9542
Categories: CNS • In this article: Anglican, ARCIC, Catholic, David Moxon, Donald Bolen, IARCCUM, Justin Welby, Pope Francis Transmis : 6 oct. 2016 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=9542
Catégorie : CNS • Dans cet article : Anglican, ARCIC, Catholic, David Moxon, Donald Bolen, IARCCUM, Justin Welby, Pope Francis

U.S. Pentecostal promotes what pope calls ‘walking ecumenism’

Joe Tosini believes that on the last day Jesus will judge people on whether they fed the hungry, clothed the naked and, especially, whether they loved one another, not on whether they were baptized with a sprinkling of water as an infant in a Catholic Church or by being plunged into a pool as an adult in an evangelical service.

Tosini, a Pentecostal Christian, is founder of the Phoenix-based John 17 Movement, an ecumenical initiative about forming relationships and friendships among Christians.

Unlike the formal ecumenical dialogues the Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican and mainline Protestant churches engage in, the John 17 initiative does not involve theological dialogue and the examination of doctrinal similarities and differences.
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Posted: Oct. 17, 2016 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=9547
Categories: CNS • In this article: Catholic, Charismatic movement, Pentecostal, Pope Francis Transmis : 17 oct. 2016 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=9547
Catégorie : CNS • Dans cet article : Catholic, Charismatic movement, Pentecostal, Pope Francis

Looking forward to ecumenical event with pope in Sweden

Pope Francis will join people from all over the world in celebration of the ecumenical developments of the Catholic and Lutheran Churches. The event takes place 31 October in southern Sweden. The celebration will be divided into two, one in a cathedral in Lund and one for 10,000 people in a sports arena in Malmö.

The 31 October is called “Reformation Day” by Lutherans. It was the day Martin Luther posted his 95 theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg.

The Lund Cathedral ceremony will be a prayer with the pope and the president of the Lutheran church together. It’s the first time for something like this to happen. Then later that day, there will be performances, songs and prayers in Malmö. All of them will be under the general theme of “Together in Hope”.

The programme will include testimonies of people from around the world. One of the speakers is Marguerite Barankitse, the “Mother of Burundi”. She is the founder of “Maison Shalom”. It helps orphans of the civil war lead a normal life. They can get an education and have a chance at a good future. She has experienced brutal war, but continues to have hope for peace.
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Posted: Oct. 25, 2016 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=9528
Categories: News • In this article: Lutheran World Federation, Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Pope Francis, Reformation Transmis : 25 oct. 2016 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=9528
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : Lutheran World Federation, Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Pope Francis, Reformation

Catholics and Lutherans commemorate the Reformation together

Commemorations of next year’s 500th anniversary of the Reformation – which led to the separation of protestant churches from the Catholic Church – have begun with a combined prayer service in Lund Cathedral, Sweden, attended by Pope Francis and the Revd Dr Martin Junge, general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation. The participation of Pope Francis at the start of the year of commemorations is hugely significant and symbolises the growing ecumenical thaw which has been taking place over the past 50 years.

The prayer service is taking place in Lund Cathedral, which began life in 1080 as the seat of the Catholic archiepiscopal diocese of Lund; but since Danish Reformation in the 1520s and 1530s, has been a Lutheran cathedral. It became part of the Church of Sweden when the Province of Skåne (Scania) was ceded from Denmark to Sweden in 1658.

Through the Porvoo Communion, the Church of Sweden is in full communion with several Anglican churches, including the Church of England, the Church of Ireland, the Lusitanian Church of Portugal, the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Reformed Episcopal Church of Spain, and the Church in Wales. Elsewhere across the globe, other Anglican churches are in varying degrees of unity and communion with other Lutheran churches.

“We are on our way from conflict to communion,” Archbishop Antje Jackelén, leader of the Church of Sweden, said at a press conference, referencing the ground-breaking 2013 joint report between the two churches. “We are going to express our joy and gratitude for what we have in common: namely, the Gospel of Jesus Christ which unites us – that can be celebrated never enough.

“But there are also things that we definitely do not want to celebrate; but to repent and express our lament and sorrow; and that is, of course, the pain that division has caused throughout so many centuries.”
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Posted: Oct. 31, 2016 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=11433
Categories: ACNS • In this article: Catholic, Christian unity, Lutheran World Federation, Pope Francis, Reformation Transmis : 31 oct. 2016 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=11433
Catégorie : ACNS • Dans cet article : Catholic, Christian unity, Lutheran World Federation, Pope Francis, Reformation

Catholic Church never likely to ordain women, pope says

The Catholic Church insistence that it cannot ordain women to the priesthood and episcopacy is a teaching likely to last forever, Pope Francis said.

After being hosted by the Lutheran Church of Sweden, which is led by Archbishop Antje Jackelen of Uppsala, the nation’s first woman primate, Pope Francis was asked Nov. 1 if the Catholic Church might one day have women priests and bishops.

As he has done in the past, the pope responded that the question was settled in 1994 by St. John Paul II, who taught that because Jesus chose only men as his apostles, the ordination of women in the Catholic Church is not possible.

He was asked, “Really? Never?” And he responded, “If one carefully reads the declaration of St. John Paul it goes in that direction, yes.”
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Posted: Nov. 1, 2016 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=9564
Categories: CNS • In this article: ordination, Pope Francis, women Transmis : 1 nov. 2016 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=9564
Catégorie : CNS • Dans cet article : ordination, Pope Francis, women

Cardinal Koch: Relations between the Catholic Church and the WCC

An address by Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, regarding relations between the Catholic Church and the World Council of Churches (WCC). At a press conference held Friday 2nd March in the Vatican, the WCC General Secretary, Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit and Cardinal Kurt Koch announced that Pope Francis will be travelling to Geneva on June 21st to mark the 70th anniversary of the World Council of Churches.

The visit of His Holiness Pope Francis to the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva during the year of the 70th Anniversary of the foundation of the World Council of Churches (WCC), will be a sign of recognition of a unique contribution of the WCC to the modern ecumenical movement. It will be an expression of the personal commitment of the Holy Father to the goal of Christian unity as expressed in many occasions. In visiting the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Pope Francis will follow the steps of his two predecessors Paul VI, who visited the WCC in 1969 (10 June), and John Paul II who did the same in 1984 (l2 June). The visit will be an occasion to give thanks to God for a longstanding and rich collaboration which the Catholic Church maintains with the WCC for more than half a century. Indeed, our relations began during the preparation of the Second Vatican Council. Vatican II committed the Catholic Church to the modern ecumenical movement and opened a new page in the history of our relations with the World Council of Churches generating a spirit of rapprochement and mutual understanding. Although the Catholic Church is not a member of the WCC, various dicasteries of the Roman Curia and different Catholic organizations or religious communities collaborate closely with its different programmatic areas. There is a sustained collaboration in the field of justice and peace, human rights, works of charity and humanitarian aid, especially regarding migrants and refugees, protection of creation, the youth, interreligious dialogue, mission and evangelism. The most developed is the collaboration between the WCC and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU), which also takes place through various channels.
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Posted: Mar. 2, 2018 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=10216
Categories: News, Opinion • In this article: Kurt Koch, pope, Pope Francis, WCC Transmis : 2 mars 2018 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=10216
Catégorie : News, Opinion • Dans cet article : Kurt Koch, pope, Pope Francis, WCC

Pope to visit Geneva for World Council of Churches anniversary

Pope Francis will travel to Geneva on June 21st to mark the 70th anniversary of the World Council of Churches. The announcement was made on Friday at a press conference in the Vatican by the WCC General Secretary, Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit and by Cardinal Kurt Koch, head of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

The WCC was founded in 1948 with a membership of 147 Christian Churches, largely in Europe and North America. Today it brings together 348 members in countries across the globe, including most of the world’s Orthodox, Anglican, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist and Reformed churches, as well as many United and Independent churches.

Since 1965 the Catholic Church has worked closely together with the WCC through a Joint Working Group, as well as through participation in specific commissions or practical initiatives.
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Posted: Mar. 2, 2018 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=10213
Categories: Vatican News • In this article: Olav Fykse Tveit, pope, Pope Francis, WCC Transmis : 2 mars 2018 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=10213
Catégorie : Vatican News • Dans cet article : Olav Fykse Tveit, pope, Pope Francis, WCC

Pope, patriarch call for ethical intervention in economy

Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople called on Christians to work together to build a culture of solidarity in the face of growing economic inequality and a lack of respect for the human dignity of the poor and of migrants.

The two leaders met privately May 26 before addressing an international conference sponsored by the Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation, which seeks to promote the teaching of St. John Paul II’s 1991 encyclical on social and economic justice.

“The current difficulties and crises within the global economic system have an undeniable ethical dimension,” Pope Francis told some 500 business leaders, theologians and proponents of Catholic social teaching.
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Posted: May 28, 2018 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=10258
Categories: CNS • In this article: Bartholomew I, economic ethics, Pope Francis Transmis : 28 mai 2018 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=10258
Catégorie : CNS • Dans cet article : Bartholomew I, economic ethics, Pope Francis

Pope to Lutherans: ‘may the Holy Spirit unite what is still divided’

Pope Francis urged members of the German Lutheran Church, whom he received in the Vatican, to continue walking the path to unity.

Receiving a Delegation of the German Evangelical Lutheran Church in audience, Pope Francis on Monday recalled his positive 2016 visit to Lund in Sweden to mark the Common Commemoration of the Reformation.

Pointing out that “for the wounds of the past” the event could have provoked controversy and hatred, he said that instead it took place in a spirit of fraternal communion highlighting the fact that the last fifty years have been characterized by a “growing communion”.

“Thanks to the work of the Spirit, fraternal meetings, gestures based on the logic of the Gospel rather than human strategies, and through the official Lutheran-Catholic dialogue, it has been possible to overcome old prejudices on both sides” he said.
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Posted: June 4, 2018 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=10253
Categories: Vatican News • In this article: Catholic, Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland, Lutheran, Pope Francis Transmis : 4 juin 2018 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=10253
Catégorie : Vatican News • Dans cet article : Catholic, Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland, Lutheran, Pope Francis

Pope Francis: walking together is “an act of obedience to the Lord and love for our world”

Pope Francis has given a strong message about the ecumenical journey during a visit to the World Council of Churches’ headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. In a homily during a prayer service in the Ecumenical Centre, Pope Francis spoke about the journey towards Christian unity and the pitfalls on the way. “For us as Christians, walking together is not a ploy to strengthen our own positions, but an act of obedience to the Lord and love for our world,” he said. “Let us ask the Father to help us walk together all the more resolutely in the ways of the Spirit.

“I wanted to take part personally in the celebrations marking this anniversary of the World Council, not least to reaffirm the commitment of the Catholic Church to the cause of ecumenism and to encourage cooperation with the member churches and with our ecumenical partners.
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Posted: June 21, 2018 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=10316
Categories: ACNS • In this article: Pope Francis, WCC Transmis : 21 juin 2018 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=10316
Catégorie : ACNS • Dans cet article : Pope Francis, WCC

Pope and the Grand Imam: Historic declaration of peace, freedom, women’s rights

The “Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together” signed on Monday afternoon in Abu Dhabi by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad el-Tayeb, is not only a milestone in relations between Christianity and Islam but also represents a message with a strong impact on the international scene. In the preface, after affirming that “Faith leads a believer to see in the other a brother or sister to be supported and loved”, this text is spoken of as a text “that has been given honest and serious thought”, which invites “all persons who have faith in God and faith in human fraternity to unite and work together”.
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Posted: Feb. 4, 2019 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=10336
Categories: Vatican News • In this article: Al-Azhar, Catholic, Christian, El-Tayeb, fraternity, interfaith, Islam, peace, pope, Pope Francis Transmis : 4 févr. 2019 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=10336
Catégorie : Vatican News • Dans cet article : Al-Azhar, Catholic, Christian, El-Tayeb, fraternity, interfaith, Islam, peace, pope, Pope Francis

Document on Human Fraternity for world peace and living together: Full text

Faith leads a believer to see in the other a brother or sister to be supported and loved. Through faith in God, who has created the universe, creatures and all human beings (equal on account of his mercy), believers are called to express this human fraternity by safeguarding creation and the entire universe and supporting all persons, especially the poorest and those most in need.

This transcendental value served as the starting point for several meetings characterized by a friendly and fraternal atmosphere where we shared the joys, sorrows and problems of our contemporary world. We did this by considering scientific and technical progress, therapeutic achievements, the digital era, the mass media and communications. We reflected also on the level of poverty, conflict and suffering of so many brothers and sisters in different parts of the world as a consequence of the arms race, social injustice, corruption, inequality, moral decline, terrorism, discrimination, extremism and many other causes.
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Posted: Feb. 4, 2019 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=10338
Categories: Documents • In this article: Al-Azhar, Catholic, El-Tayeb, fraternity, interfaith, Islam, pope, Pope Francis Transmis : 4 févr. 2019 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=10338
Catégorie : Documents • Dans cet article : Al-Azhar, Catholic, El-Tayeb, fraternity, interfaith, Islam, pope, Pope Francis

Pope: Cardinal Bea a model and inspiration for dialogue

Cardinal Augustin Bea was the first President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and worked tirelessly in the field of ecumenical and interreligious dialogue.

To mark the 50th anniversary of the Cardinal’s death, the Cardinal Bea Centre for Judaic Studies in collaboration with the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, the Pontifical Biblical Institute and the Center for the Study of Christianity in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, have been holding a series of scholarly lectures.
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Posted: Feb. 28, 2019 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=10488
Categories: Vatican News • In this article: Augustin Bea, Pope Francis Transmis : 28 févr. 2019 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=10488
Catégorie : Vatican News • Dans cet article : Augustin Bea, Pope Francis

Bulgarian Orthodox prelate gives icy response to Pope Francis’ quest for church unity

Pope Francis has appealed for the care of migrants in Bulgaria which has not recently been welcoming of them, but his words during a trip seeking church unity riled a senior cleric in the dominant Orthodox Church in the eastern European nation.

A consistent message of the Pope since the migrant crisis of 2015 has been for the need to welcome refugees, whom he has said been scorned by fear-mongering European nationalists, The New York Times reported as the papal visit began.

“But rarely has he delivered it in a nation that has so few Roman Catholics — they make up less than one percent of the seven million people in a country that is mostly Bulgarian Orthodox,” said the Times, noting that migrants in Italy have also faced hostility.
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Posted: May 6, 2019 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=10597
Categories: Ecumenical News • In this article: Bulgaria, Orthodox, Pope Francis Transmis : 6 mai 2019 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=10597
Catégorie : Ecumenical News • Dans cet article : Bulgaria, Orthodox, Pope Francis

Pope Francis: Goal of ecumenism is unity, not leveling differences

At the end of Mass on the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, Pope Francis and Orthodox Archbishop Job of Telmessos walked down the stairs under the main altar in St. Peter’s Basilica and prayed together at the apostle’s tomb. The archbishop was representing Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople at the pope’s celebration of the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, who were martyred in Rome and are the patron saints of the Roman church.

Greeting the archbishop in his homily June 29, Pope Francis told him, “Your presence reminds us that we can spare no effort in the journey toward full unity among believers, in communion at every level. For together, reconciled to God and having forgiven one another, we are called to bear witness to Jesus by our lives.” Meeting members of the Orthodox delegation June 28, the pope said Sts. Peter and Paul are exemplars of “the apostolic courage of proclamation, which also entails a commitment to respond to the new challenges of the present time.” Patriarch Bartholomew and his longstanding theological and pastoral concern about climate change is one example of that, the pope said, and “has been a source of inspiration for me.”
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Posted: July 1, 2019 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=10744
Categories: CNS • In this article: Orthodox, Pope Francis Transmis : 1 juil. 2019 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=10744
Catégorie : CNS • Dans cet article : Orthodox, Pope Francis

Papal embrace for new director of the Anglican Centre in Rome during Mauritius visit

The visit of Pope Francis to Mauritius on Monday brought fresh energy and confidence to Christians in the country, according to the Bishop of Mauritius, Ian Earnest, who leaves this month to take up his new role as Director of the Anglican Centre in Rome.

Former Primate of the Anglican Church of the Indian Ocean, Archbishop Ian Ernest, attended the mass at the Mary Queen of Peace Monument at which the Pope presided during his day-long visit to the Island. The Archbishop said the timing of the Pope’s visit, just weeks before he begins his new role in Rome, made him think about how God works. “It was a great opportunity to meet with him, to be part of this eucharistic celebration at which he presided in front of 100,000 people with the authorities of the country.”

The eucharist was attended by people from all areas of Mauritius and of many different religious persuasions. Archbishop Ian said: “As Anglicans we were praying the Pope’s visit would create an impact on our people so that they can see and discover the values of the kingdom of God. We had been preparing for that and we have not been disappointed.”
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Posted: Sept. 13, 2019 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=10741
Categories: ACNS • In this article: Anglican Centre in Rome, Ian Ernest, Pope Francis Transmis : 13 sept. 2019 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=10741
Catégorie : ACNS • Dans cet article : Anglican Centre in Rome, Ian Ernest, Pope Francis

Vatican notes growing ecumenical consensus on what ‘church’ means

Working for Christian unity and engaging in formal theological dialogues to promote it obviously raises questions about what the nature and mission of the church is. In a project that took two decades of work by Orthodox, Anglican, Protestant, Catholic and Pentecostal theologians, the World Council of Churches in 2013 published a document summarizing the points of greatest consensus. In late October, the Vatican gave the WCC its formal response to the document, which was called “The Church: Towards a Common Vision.”

The response, coordinated by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and posted on its website, included input from Catholic theologians from around the world, bishops’ conferences and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. What is meant by “church” is a key ecumenical question as Christians work and pray for the unity Jesus wanted his followers to have, the Catholic response said. Or, as the WCC document said, “agreement on ecclesiology has long been identified as the most elemental theological objective in the quest for Christian unity.”
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Posted: Oct. 25, 2019 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=10737
Categories: CNS • In this article: ecclesiology, ecumenism, Pope Francis, WCC Transmis : 25 oct. 2019 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=10737
Catégorie : CNS • Dans cet article : ecclesiology, ecumenism, Pope Francis, WCC

Pope Francis lifts “pontifical secret” from legal proceedings related to abuse trials of clerics

Pope Francis declared Dec. 17, 2019 that the pontifical secret will no longer apply in cases of accusations and trials involving abuse of minors or vulnerable persons, and in cases of possession of child pornography by clerics.

With the instruction “On the Confidentiality of Legal Proceedings,” Pope Francis intends “to cancel in these cases the subjection to what is called the ‘pontifical secret’ bringing back instead the ‘level’ of confidentiality, dutifully required to protect the good reputation of the people involved,” according to Bishop Juan Ignacio Arrieta, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts.
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Posted: Dec. 17, 2019 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=10703
Categories: CNA • In this article: abuse, Catholic, clergy, Pope Francis Transmis : 17 déc. 2019 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=10703
Catégorie : CNA • Dans cet article : abuse, Catholic, clergy, Pope Francis

Pope chooses ‘synodality’ as theme for 2022 synod

Pope Francis has decided the next world Synod of Bishops at the Vatican, which will take place in October 2022, will have the theme: “For a synodal church: Communion, participation and mission.”

The Vatican announced the choice of “synodality” as the theme in a brief communique March 7.

“Synodality,” which literally means “walking together,” has become a key topic of Pope Francis’ pontificate, but one which has raised questions and even confusion.

The basic idea in the pope’s teaching is that the grace of baptism makes one part of the body of the church and, therefore, responsible for its life and mission. In a hierarchical church, that shared responsibility calls for regular, serious and structural forums for listening to all members of the church. At the same time, as the pope has said, it does not mean putting decisions to a vote as if a synod were a parliament.
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Posted: Mar. 9, 2020 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=10717
Categories: CNS • In this article: Catholic, Pope Francis, synodality, Vatican Transmis : 9 mars 2020 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=10717
Catégorie : CNS • Dans cet article : Catholic, Pope Francis, synodality, Vatican

Global religious leaders, scientists join to release “Faith and Science: An Appeal for COP26”

Global religious leaders and leading scientists issued a joint statement on 4 October calling on the international community to raise their ambition and step up their climate action ahead of COP26.

Almost 40 faith leaders signed the joint appeal, which was presented by Pope Francis.

Signatories included World Council of Churches acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, along with representatives from across the Christian denominations, Sunni and Shi’a Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism and Jainism.

The appeal calls for the world to achieve net-zero carbon emissions as soon as possible, and to limit the global average temperature rise to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels.
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Posted: Oct. 4, 2021 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=10908
Categories: Documents, Vatican News, WCC News • In this article: climate change, COP26, environment, interfaith statements, Pope Francis, WCC Transmis : 4 oct. 2021 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=10908
Catégorie : Documents, Vatican News, WCC News • Dans cet article : climate change, COP26, environment, interfaith statements, Pope Francis, WCC

Pope, Yad Vashem chief discuss cooperation on Holocaust education

Dani Dayan, head of the Holocaust center in Jerusalem, describes Pope Francis as a friend and an ally in the mission to defeat antisemitism. Pope Francis met with the chairman of the Yad Vashem (World Holocaust Remembrance Center) and the two discussed ways to prevent antisemitism and increase cooperation on Holocaust education. Dani Dayan, the head of the center in Jerusalem, described Pope Francis as a friend and an ally in the mission to defeat antisemitism. Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem, is universally recognized as the ultimate source for Holocaust education, documentation and research.

The meeting that took place on June 9 was also attended by Rafi Schutz, Israel’s ambassador to the Holy See. Pope Francis and Dayan both share Buenos Aires as their birthplace and were able to converse in their native Spanish. The discussion focused on ongoing collaborative efforts by Yad Vashem and the Catholic Church on “Holocaust remembrance, education and documentation, and to discuss efforts to fight antisemitism and racism worldwide,” Yad Vashem said in a statement.
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Posted: June 9, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=11689
Categories: La Croix • In this article: anti-semitism, Catholic, Pope Francis, Shoah Transmis : 9 juin 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=11689
Catégorie : La Croix • Dans cet article : anti-semitism, Catholic, Pope Francis, Shoah

Pope Francis postpones African trip, no word on Canadian journey

The Vatican’s press office announced today that because of continuing problems with his knee, the Pope has postponed his planned African trip scheduled for July 2-7.

Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Canada July 24-29. Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican Press Office, did not mention whether that trip is still set. Either way, plans are still being made for papal visit to Canada.

“At this time, we continue to move forward with our planning,” said Neil MacCarthy, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops communications lead on the papal trip.

Among the plans is ensuring plenty of rest for the Pope.

“Great care is being taken to provide significant periods of rest for the Holy Father,” he said. “And also to ensure his participation at events is for a limited period of time.”

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Posted: June 10, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=11741
Categories: Catholic Register • In this article: Canada, Pope Francis Transmis : 10 juin 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=11741
Catégorie : Catholic Register • Dans cet article : Canada, Pope Francis

Ecological concerns raised on state of Lac Ste. Anne

Growing up on Lac Ste. Anne in the 1940s and ’50s, Tony Belcourt remembers a rich and wondrous body of water, teeming with life.

“I go back to the ’40s. We had an abundance of fish, whitefish from the lake. The water was up,” said Belcourt, the former broadcaster and one-time president and CEO of the Metis Nation of Ontario.

When Pope Francis visits the lake this summer, he will be looking at a lake very different from the Lac Ste. Anne of Belcourt’s childhood memories. A 2017 report on the state of Lac Ste. Anne and its sister Isle Lake by the North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance raises concerns about blue-green algae blooms, dropping lake levels, agricultural run-off and an environment stressed by power boats and recreation on the lake.

The report names at-risk species for the watershed, including peregrine falcons, western grebe and northern leopard frog, which are classed as “threatened,” and barred owls, black-throated green warbler and trumpeter swans as of “special concern.”
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Posted: June 10, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=11743
Categories: Catholic Register • In this article: ecology, Indigenous peoples, pilgrimage, Pope Francis Transmis : 10 juin 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=11743
Catégorie : Catholic Register • Dans cet article : ecology, Indigenous peoples, pilgrimage, Pope Francis

Simon Wiesenthal Center presents Pope Francis with Hitler’s 1919 Anti-Semitic letter

Accepting the document, Pope Francis denounced surging anti-Semitism and stressed the importance of “recalling history so it can be of service to the future.”

A 30-member Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) international delegation met with Pope Francis on Wednesday to present a facsimile of an original report authored and signed by Adolf Hitler in which he openly espouses the destruction of the Jewish people by “a government of national strength.”

The facsimile, whose original is displayed at the SWC’s Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, was presented to His Holiness by SWC founder and CEO Rabbi Marvin Hier and Dawn Arnall, chairwoman of the leading NGO for Jewish human rights.

In Rabbi Hier’s remarks to Pope Francis, the Jewish leader first enumerated the horrific statistics on both sides of the Atlantic, which confirm surging anti-Semitism, including violent hate crimes.

In Pope Francis’ remarks, he responded by thanking the Simon Wiesenthal Center for protecting the memory of the past. Rabbi Hier then spoke about the human rights organization’s namesake, Holocaust survivor turned Nazi hunter, Simon Wiesenthal, and how he would react to current events.
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Posted: June 22, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=11827
Categories: News • In this article: anti-semitism, Pope Francis Transmis : 22 juin 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=11827
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : anti-semitism, Pope Francis

Papal apology draws American eyes

A papal apology on Indigenous land in Canada is not irrelevant south of the border.

When Pope Francis visits Canada July 24-29, Oneida First Nation activist Daisee Francour and her colleagues at the U.S.-based international Indigenous non-governmental organization Cultural Survival will be paying close attention.

“An apology for one nation, in a way it’s a win for all of our nations,” said Francour. “When I say nation, I mean that as an Indigenous community — not necessarily the nation state or colonial state.

“There’s a huge opportunity, because the Catholic Church is just such an influential institution globally. There’s a huge opportunity to leverage, influence and push nation states like the U.S. government to join this collective process for justice, towards truth and towards healing.”
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Posted: June 26, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=11927
Categories: Catholic Register • In this article: apologies, Pope Francis, Reconciliation, USA Transmis : 26 juin 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=11927
Catégorie : Catholic Register • Dans cet article : apologies, Pope Francis, Reconciliation, USA

Top Vatican prelate calls Russian patriarch’s defense of Ukraine war ‘heresy’

In a new interview with a German newspaper, the Vatican’s point man on ecumenical affairs says Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill’s defense of the war in Ukraine amounts to “heresy,” and has fractured the unity of the Orthodox community.

Speaking to German newspaper Würzburg Die Tagespost in an interview that was published Wednesday, June 29, Swiss Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, said that in his opinion, “it is heresy that the patriarch dares to legitimize the brutal and absurd war in Ukraine for pseudo-religious reasons.”

He noted that Kirill in the past has not only defended the war as a protection of Russian security and interests, but he has implied that Russians and Ukrainians share a national unity given the baptism of Grand Duke Vladimir of Kievan Rus’ in 988, after which he declared Christianity the state religion.

In Koch’s view, this vision of unity “is cruelly refuted today: if Russians and Ukrainians emerged from the same baptismal bath, but the Russians today attack the Ukrainians and wage war, then the unity is denied.”
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Posted: June 28, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=11945
Categories: Crux • In this article: Pope Francis, Russian Orthodox, Ukraine Transmis : 28 juin 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=11945
Catégorie : Crux • Dans cet article : Pope Francis, Russian Orthodox, Ukraine

Catholics need better understanding of the Mass, pope says

The “sense of mystery” and awe Catholics should experience at Mass is not one prompted by Latin or by “creative” elements added to the celebration, but by an awareness of sacrifice of Christ and his real presence in the Eucharist, Pope Francis said.

“Beauty, just like truth, always engenders wonder, and when these are referred to the mystery of God, they lead to adoration,” he wrote in an apostolic letter “on the liturgical formation of the people of God.”

Titled “Desiderio Desideravi” (“I have earnestly desired”), the letter was released June 29, the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. The title comes from Luke 22:15 when, before the Last Supper, Jesus tells his disciples, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.”

In the letter, Pope Francis insisted that Catholics need to better understand the liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council and its goal of promoting the “full, conscious, active and fruitful celebration” of the Mass.

“With this letter I simply want to invite the whole church to rediscover, to safeguard and to live the truth and power of the Christian celebration,” the pope wrote. “I want the beauty of the Christian celebration and its necessary consequences for the life of the church not to be spoiled by a superficial and foreshortened understanding of its value or, worse yet, by its being exploited in service of some ideological vision, no matter what the hue.”
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Posted: June 29, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=11939
Categories: CNS • In this article: eucharist, liturgy, Pope Francis Transmis : 29 juin 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=11939
Catégorie : CNS • Dans cet article : eucharist, liturgy, Pope Francis

Dialogue prevents religious extremism, pope tells Jewish group

Interreligious dialogue is key to preventing “the extremism that, sadly, is a pathology that can appear also in religions,” Pope Francis said in a message to members of a Jewish group engaged in dialogue for more than 50 years.

The pope had been scheduled to meet June 30 with members of the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations, but the Vatican press office said “a recurrence of knee pain” prevented him from doing so.

Instead, the pope gave the group his prepared remarks.

“Interreligious dialogue is a sign of our times and, I would say, a providential sign, in the sense that God himself, in his wise plan, has inspired, in religious leaders and in many others, the desire to encounter and come to know one another in a way respectful of religious differences,” the pope wrote to the group.

Dialogue, he said, “is a privileged path to the growth of fraternity and peace in our world.”
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Posted: June 30, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=11955
Categories: CNS • In this article: IJCIC, Jewish-Christian relations, Pope Francis Transmis : 30 juin 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=11955
Catégorie : CNS • Dans cet article : IJCIC, Jewish-Christian relations, Pope Francis

Humanity has ‘moral obligation’ to fight climate change, pope says

The care of the environment and the fight against climate change is not a lofty goal for humanity but a moral imperative, Pope Francis said.

The worsening climate crisis can no longer be ignored, and it is up to all human beings, who were entrusted by God as “stewards of his gift of his creation,” to act, the pope said in a message July 13 to participants at a Vatican conference on climate change.

“Care for our common home, even apart from considerations of the effects of climate change, is not simply a utilitarian endeavour but a moral obligation for all men and women as children of God,” the pope said. “With this in mind, each of us must ask: ‘What kind of world do we want for ourselves and for those who will come after us?’”

The July 13-14 conference, titled “Resilience of People and Ecosystems under Climate Stress,” was sponsored by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.

According to the academy’s website, the conference aimed to “bring researchers, policymakers and faith leaders together to understand the scientific and societal challenges of climate change and develop solutions for enabling resilient people and resilient ecosystems.”
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Posted: July 13, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=12103
Categories: CNS • In this article: climate change, Pope Francis Transmis : 13 juil. 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=12103
Catégorie : CNS • Dans cet article : climate change, Pope Francis

Pope confirms plans to meet Russian patriarch in Kazakhstan

Pope Francis said he plans to meet with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill in September at an interreligious meeting in Kazakhstan. The pope confirmed the meeting in an interview that aired in the United States July 11 on Univision, the Spanish-language network. “We are going to meet in Kazakhstan in September because there is a religious meeting” there that both have promised to attend, he said.

Although the Vatican has not officially announced the visit, Kazakh authorities said the pope confirmed his participation at the Congress of World and Traditional Religions during a Zoom meeting in April with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The interreligious meeting will take place in the capital city, Nur-Sultan, Sept. 14-15.

Despite their opposing views on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the pope told Univision that he has “a good relationship” with the Russian patriarch. However, he said, “it is evident that his position is conditioned by his homeland in some way; which is not to say that he is an indecent man. No; God knows each person’s moral responsibilities in the depth of their hearts.”
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Posted: July 13, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=12101
Categories: CNS • In this article: Patriarch Kirill, Pope Francis Transmis : 13 juil. 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=12101
Catégorie : CNS • Dans cet article : Patriarch Kirill, Pope Francis

Pope names three women to office that helps him choose bishops

Ten days after saying he would name two women to the group that helps him choose bishops, Pope Francis appointed three women to the office.

The Vatican announced July 13 that the pope had named 14 new members of the Dicastery for Bishops.

For the first time ever, the members include women: Sister Raffaella Petrini, a member of the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist, who is secretary-general of the office governing Vatican City State; French Salesian Sister Yvonne Reungoat, former superior general of the order; and Maria Lia Zervino, an Argentine who is president of the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations.

The dicastery is led by Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet and is responsible for helping the pope choose bishops for Latin-rite dioceses outside of the church’s mission territories. Members meet twice a month to review dossiers submitted by Vatican nuncios about potential candidates and to vote on the names they recommend to the pope.
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Posted: July 13, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=12105
Categories: CNS • In this article: bishops, Pope Francis, Vatican, women Transmis : 13 juil. 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=12105
Catégorie : CNS • Dans cet article : bishops, Pope Francis, Vatican, women

Pope describes Canada trip as ‘penitential pilgrimage’

Asking for prayers ahead of his visit to Canada July 24-29, Pope Francis described the trip as a “penitential pilgrimage” as part of a commitment to healing and reconciliation with the country’s Indigenous people.

“Unfortunately, in Canada, many Christians, including some members of religious institutes, contributed to the policies of cultural assimilation that, in the past, have severely harmed native communities in various ways,” the pope said July 17, referring particularly to the involvement of dioceses and religious orders in running residential schools.

From the 1870s to the 1990s, the Canadian government, usually in partnership with Christian churches, operated a residential school system to which over 150,000 First Nation, Métis and Inuit students were sent. Their language and customs were banned, and they often suffered malnourishment and physical, emotional and sexual abuse.
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Posted: July 18, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=12266
Categories: CNS • In this article: Canada, Indigenous peoples, papal visit, Pope Francis, Reconciliation Transmis : 18 juil. 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=12266
Catégorie : CNS • Dans cet article : Canada, Indigenous peoples, papal visit, Pope Francis, Reconciliation

Why is the Pope Going to Canada?

In the days between March 28 and April 1 of this year, a delegation of representatives of the Indigenous peoples of Canada traveled to Rome with some of their bishops for several meetings with Pope Francis. He promised to travel personally to Canada later this summer to continue the dialogue in their “Indigenous territories.”

During the concluding meeting, the pope said, “it is my hope that our meetings during these days will point out new paths to be pursued together, will instill courage and strength, and lead to greater commitment on the local level. Any truly effective process of healing requires concrete actions. In a fraternal spirit, I encourage the Bishops and the Catholic community to continue taking steps toward the transparent search for truth and to foster healing and reconciliation. These steps are part of a journey that can favor the rediscovery and revitalization of your culture, while helping the Church to grow in love, respect and specific attention to your authentic traditions. I wish to tell you that the Church stands beside you and wants to continue journeying with you. Dialogue is the key to knowledge and sharing, and the Bishops of Canada have clearly stated their commitment to continue advancing together with you on a renewed, constructive, fruitful path, where encounters and shared projects will be of great help.”^[1]

In these pages we will attempt to briefly outline the context of the journey of truth and reconciliation with the Indigenous peoples of Canada, in which the pope is intensely engaged, alongside the Canadian Church.
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Posted: July 19, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=12255
Categories: News, Opinion • In this article: apologies, Canada, Indigenous peoples, papal visit, Pope Francis, Reconciliation Transmis : 19 juil. 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=12255
Catégorie : News, Opinion • Dans cet article : apologies, Canada, Indigenous peoples, papal visit, Pope Francis, Reconciliation

Pope’s words in Canada may have broader reach, official says

Pope Francis’ July trip to Canada was born out of his meetings with the nations’ Indigenous people and was planned around encounters with them, and if the pope’s words “have value elsewhere,” like throughout the Americas, all the better, said the director of the Vatican press office.

Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office, briefed reporters July 20 about details of the pope’s visit to Canada July 24-29. He said the pope planned to deliver his nine speeches and homilies in Spanish during the trip.

Asked if the choice of Spanish was meant to send a message to other Indigenous peoples of North and South America, who often suffered the same forms of colonization, Bruni said Pope Francis would be speaking to the people he met, but he also knows that his words can offer solace to other Indigenous people and a challenge to the broader society.
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Posted: July 20, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=12270
Categories: CNS • In this article: Indigenous peoples, papal visit, Pope Francis, Reconciliation Transmis : 20 juil. 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=12270
Catégorie : CNS • Dans cet article : Indigenous peoples, papal visit, Pope Francis, Reconciliation

Papal visit a chance to engage in ‘genuine relationship’ for better future

When busloads of residential school survivors, elders, knowledge keepers and youth descend on Edmonton and Quebec City to be present as Pope Francis walks on his “penitential pilgrimage,” Cynthia Bunn will be among them. But she didn’t want to be.

The third-generation residential school survivor from Sagkeen First Nation had to be persuaded by St. Boniface Archbishop Albert LeGatt. A member of the parish council at St. Alexander Church, Bunn initially agreed only to co-ordinate Sagkeen’s contribution to the 56 survivors, knowledge keepers and their care-givers from seven First Nations going from St. Boniface to Edmonton. But the archbishop dropped in on Bunn to plead with her.

“But you’re the co-ordinator. I need you there,” Bunn recalled LeGatt saying. “So I reluctantly decided to go.”
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Posted: July 22, 2022 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=12300
Categories: Catholic Register • In this article: Canada, Indigenous peoples, papal visit, Pope Francis, Reconciliation Transmis : 22 juil. 2022 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=12300
Catégorie : Catholic Register • Dans cet article : Canada, Indigenous peoples, papal visit, Pope Francis, Reconciliation