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: September 7, 2013 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=7048
Categories: CNS • In this article: peace, pope, Pope Francis Transmis : 7 septembre 2013 • Lien permanente : ecu.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: September 12, 2013 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=6804
Categories: CNS • In this article: atheists, pope, Pope Francis Transmis : 12 septembre 2013 • Lien permanente : ecu.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: October 21, 2013 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=6849
Categories: Lutheran World Information, Vatican News • In this article: Lutheran World Federation, pope, Pope Francis, spiritual ecumenism Transmis : 21 octobre 2013 • Lien permanente : ecu.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: December 2, 2013 • Permanent link: ecu.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 décembre 2013 • Lien permanente : ecu.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

La Civilta Cattolica, which was published in Jesuit periodicals around the world in September. CNS photo/Paul Haring" />

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: December 5, 2013 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=7014
Categories: CNS • In this article: Curial reform, pope, Pope Francis, Vatican Transmis : 5 décembre 2013 • Lien permanente : ecu.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: January 22, 2014 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=7214
Categories: Vatican News • In this article: ecumenism, Pope Francis, WPCU Transmis : 22 janvier 2014 • Lien permanente : ecu.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: January 25, 2014 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=7227
Categories: News • In this article: Christian unity, ecumenism, Pope Francis, spiritual ecumenism, WPCU Transmis : 25 janvier 2014 • Lien permanente : ecu.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: January 28, 2014 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=7231
Categories: News • In this article: Bartholomew I, papacy, pope, Pope Francis Transmis : 28 janvier 2014 • Lien permanente : ecu.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: February 20, 2014 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=7381
Categories: News • In this article: Catholic, Christian unity, ecumenism, Pentecostal, Pope Francis Transmis : 20 février 2014 • Lien permanente : ecu.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: March 15, 2014 • Permanent link: ecu.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 : ecu.net/?p=7452
Catégorie : Vatican News • Dans cet article : Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, ecumenism, pope, Pope Francis