ECUMENICAL NEWS FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE
Commission on women deacons in the Catholic Church- May 12, 2016.
Pope Francis announced that he would create a commission to study the possibility of allowing women to serve as deacons in the church. This could represent a significant shift in the ordination of women to church office.
Coptic Orthodox and Roman Catholic Church - May 6, 2016
Pope Francis and Tawadros II marked a day of "Friendship" between Catholics and Coptic Orthodox. Like the Bishop of Rome, the Coptic Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria is also none as a "Pope". The Coptic Christians make up the largest Christian church in North Africa and Egypt.
Pope Francis and Russian Patriarch meet in Cuba- Feb 12, 2016
The Russian Patriarch Kirill and Pope Francis met to discuss healing ties broken almost 1,000 years ago. The full text is reprinted below. The tensions originally occurred over the Great Schism in 1054 when Pope Leo IX and the Patriarch of Constantinople excommunicated each other. Current issues include tensions between Ukrainian and Russian Christians over the current political turmoil between Russian and Ukraine.
The full text of the accord is printed below.
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity - January 18, 2016. Orthodox, Protestants and Roman Catholics in the northern hemisphere typically join for one week to pray together for Christian unity. The Week of Prayer for Christian unity is celebrated between January 18-25 (northern hemisphere) and at the feast of Pentecost (southern hemisphere). Often interfaith services or ecumenical services are held in communities across the world. The WCC (World Council of Churches) has at its goal Christian unity and was founded after World War II has had 349 churches and denominations representing about 56 million Christians.
PCUSA materials for celebrating week of Christian unity
Primates Meeting Canterbury 2016 - January 15, 2016
The meeting between the Anglican Primates joined by the archbishop of the ACNA took place in Jan-Feb of 2016. The discussion centered around the recent changes in the Episcopal Church in the USA. The Episcopal Church (USA) was officially sanctioned for a period of three years, and members will not be allowed to be represented on interfaith bodies or appointed on committees. The EC was suspended from full participation. At the same time, the Primates condemned homophobic prejudices and violence, and rejected criminal sanctions against GLBT persons. Although Archbishop Justin Welby has called this a "consequence" and not a sanction citing the Communion does not have the authority to sanction. The presiding bishop has also stated that this will not change the position of the Episcopal Church.
News Information Sources
Orthodox
RTS (Religious News Service)
Catholic News Service
Religion and Ethics PBS
Ecumenical News
Joint Declaration between Orthodox and Catholic
Church
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).
4. We thank God for the gifts received
from the coming into the world of His only Son. We share the same spiritual
Tradition of the first millennium of Christianity. The witnesses of this
Tradition are the Most Holy Mother of God, the Virgin Mary, and the saints we
venerate. Among them are innumerable martyrs who have given witness to
their faithfulness to Christ and have become the “seed of Christians”.
5. Notwithstanding this shared
Tradition of the first ten centuries, for nearly one thousand years Catholics
and Orthodox have been deprived of communion in the Eucharist. We have been
divided by wounds caused by old and recent conflicts, by differences inherited
from our ancestors, in the understanding and expression of our faith in God,
one in three Persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We are pained by the loss
of unity, the outcome of human weakness and of sin, which has occurred despite
the priestly prayer of Christ the Saviour: “So that they may all be one, as
you, Father, are in me and I in you … so that they may be one, as we are one”
(Jn 17:21).
6. Mindful of the permanence of many
obstacles, it is our hope that our meeting may contribute to the
re–establishment of this unity willed by God, for which Christ prayed. May our
meeting inspire Christians throughout the world to pray to the Lord with
renewed fervour for the full unity of all His disciples. In a world which
yearns not only for our words but also for tangible gestures, may this meeting
be a sign of hope for all people of goodwill!
7. In our determination to undertake
all that is necessary to overcome the historical divergences we have inherited,
we wish to combine our efforts to give witness to the Gospel of Christ and to
the shared heritage of the Church of the first millennium, responding together
to the challenges of the contemporary world. Orthodox and Catholics must learn
to give unanimously witness in those spheres in which this is possible and
necessary. Human civilization has entered into a period of epochal change. Our
Christian conscience and our pastoral responsibility compel us not to remain
passive in the face of challenges requiring a shared response.
8. Our gaze must firstly turn to
those regions of the world where Christians are victims of persecution. In many
countries of the Middle East and North Africa whole families, villages and
cities of our brothers and sisters in Christ are being completely exterminated.
Their churches are being barbarously ravaged and looted, their sacred objects
profaned, their monuments destroyed. It is with pain that we call to mind the
situation in Syria, Iraq and other countries of the Middle East, and the
massive exodus of Christians from the land in which our faith was first
disseminated and in which they have lived since the time of the Apostles,
together with other religious communities.
9. We call upon the international
community to act urgently in order to prevent the further expulsion of
Christians from the Middle East. In raising our voice in defence of persecuted
Christians, we wish to express our compassion for the suffering experienced by
the faithful of other religious traditions who have also become victims of
civil war, chaos and terrorist violence.
10. Thousands of victims have already
been claimed in the violence in Syria and Iraq, which has left many other
millions without a home or means of sustenance. We urge the international
community to seek an end to the violence and terrorism and, at the same time,
to contribute through dialogue to a swift return to civil peace. Large–scale
humanitarian aid must be assured to the afflicted populations and to the many
refugees seeking safety in neighbouring lands.
We call upon all those whose
influence can be brought to bear upon the destiny of those kidnapped, including
the Metropolitans of Aleppo, Paul and John Ibrahim, who were taken in April
2013, to make every effort to ensure their prompt liberation.
11. We lift our prayers to Christ,
the Saviour of the world, asking for the return of peace in the Middle East,
“the fruit of justice” (Is 32:17), so that fraternal co–existence among
the various populations, Churches and religions may be strengthened, enabling
refugees to return to their homes, wounds to be healed, and the souls of the
slain innocent to rest in peace.
We address, in a fervent appeal, all
the parts that may be involved in the conflicts to demonstrate good will and to
take part in the negotiating table. At the same time, the international
community must undertake every possible effort to end terrorism through common,
joint and coordinated action. We call on all the countries involved in the
struggle against terrorism to responsible and prudent action. We exhort all
Christians and all believers of God to pray fervently to the providential
Creator of the world to protect His creation from destruction and not permit a new
world war. In order to ensure a solid and enduring peace, specific efforts must
be undertaken to rediscover the common values uniting us, based on the Gospel
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
12. We bow before the martyrdom of
those who, at the cost of their own lives, have given witness to the truth of
the Gospel, preferring death to the denial of Christ. We believe that these
martyrs of our times, who belong to various Churches but who are united by
their shared suffering, are a pledge of the unity of Christians. It is to you
who suffer for Christ’s sake that the word of the Apostle is directed: “Beloved
… rejoice to the extent that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that
when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice exultantly”
(1 Pet 4:12–13).
13. Interreligious dialogue is
indispensable in our disturbing times. Differences in the understanding of
religious truths must not impede people of different faiths to live in peace
and harmony. In our current context, religious leaders have the particular responsibility
to educate their faithful in a spirit which is respectful of the convictions of
those belonging to other religious traditions. Attempts to justify criminal
acts with religious slogans are altogether unacceptable. No crime may be
committed in God’s name, “since God is not the God of disorder but of peace”
(1 Cor 14:33).
14. In affirming the foremost value
of religious freedom, we give thanks to God for the current unprecedented
renewal of the Christian faith in Russia, as well as in many other countries of
Eastern Europe, formerly dominated for decades by atheist regimes. Today, the
chains of militant atheism have been broken and in many places Christians can
now freely confess their faith. Thousands of new churches have been built over
the last quarter of a century, as well as hundreds of monasteries and
theological institutions. Christian communities undertake notable works in the
fields of charitable aid and social development, providing diversified forms of
assistance to the needy. Orthodox and Catholics often work side by side. Giving
witness to the values of the Gospel they attest to the existence of the shared
spiritual foundations of human co–existence.
15. At the same time, we are
concerned about the situation in many countries in which Christians are
increasingly confronted by restrictions to religious freedom, to the right to
witness to one’s convictions and to live in conformity with them. In
particular, we observe that the transformation of some countries into
secularized societies, estranged from all reference to God and to His truth,
constitutes a grave threat to religious freedom. It is a source of
concern for us that there is a current curtailment of the rights of Christians,
if not their outright discrimination, when certain political forces, guided by
an often very aggressive secularist ideology, seek to relegate them to the
margins of public life.
16. The process of European
integration, which began after centuries of blood–soaked conflicts, was
welcomed by many with hope, as a guarantee of peace and security. Nonetheless,
we invite vigilance against an integration that is devoid of respect for
religious identities. While remaining open to the contribution of other
religions to our civilization, it is our conviction that Europe must remain
faithful to its Christian roots. We call upon Christians of Eastern and Western
Europe to unite in their shared witness to Christ and the Gospel, so that
Europe may preserve its soul, shaped by two thousand years of Christian
tradition.
17. Our gaze is also directed to
those facing serious difficulties, who live in extreme need and poverty while
the material wealth of humanity increases. We cannot remain indifferent to the
destinies of millions of migrants and refugees knocking on the doors of wealthy
nations. The unrelenting consumerism of some more developed countries is
gradually depleting the resources of our planet. The growing inequality in the
distribution of material goods increases the feeling of the injustice of the
international order that has emerged.
18. The Christian churches are called
to defend the demands of justice, the respect for peoples’ traditions, and an
authentic solidarity towards all those who suffer. We Christians cannot forget
that “God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the
lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to
nothing those who are something, that no human being might boast before God”
(1 Cor 1:27–29).
19. The family is the natural centre
of human life and society. We are concerned about the crisis in the family in
many countries. Orthodox and Catholics share the same conception of the family,
and are called to witness that it is a path of holiness, testifying to the
faithfulness of the spouses in their mutual interaction, to their openness to
the procreation and rearing of their children, to solidarity between the
generations and to respect for the weakest.
20. The family is based on marriage,
an act of freely given and faithful love between a man and a woman. It is love
that seals their union and teaches them to accept one another as a gift.
Marriage is a school of love and faithfulness. We regret that other forms of
cohabitation have been placed on the same level as this union, while the
concept, consecrated in the biblical tradition, of paternity and maternity as
the distinct vocation of man and woman in marriage is being banished from the
public conscience.
21. We call on all to respect the
inalienable right to life. Millions are denied the very right to be born into
the world. The blood of the unborn cries out to God (cf. Gen 4:10). The emergence of so-called euthanasia
leads elderly people and the disabled begin to feel that they are a burden on
their families and on society in general.
We are also concerned about the
development of biomedical reproduction technology, as the manipulation of human
life represents an attack on the foundations of human existence, created in the
image of God. We believe that it is our duty to recall the immutability of
Christian moral principles, based on respect for the dignity of the individual
called into being according to the Creator’s plan.
22. Today, in a particular way, we
address young Christians. You, young people, have the task of not hiding your
talent in the ground (cf. Mt 25:25), but of using all the abilities God
has given you to confirm Christ’s truth in the world, incarnating in your own
lives the evangelical commandments of the love of God and of one’s neighbour.
Do not be afraid of going against the current, defending God’s truth, to which
contemporary secular norms are often far from conforming.
23. God loves each of you and expects
you to be His disciples and apostles. Be the light of the world so that those
around you may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father (cf.
Mt 5:14, 16). Raise your children in the Christian faith,
transmitting to them the pearl of great price that is the faith (cf.
Mt 13:46) you have received from your parents and forbears. Remember that
“you have been purchased at a great price” (1 Cor 6:20), at the cost
of the death on the cross of the Man–God Jesus Christ.
24. Orthodox and Catholics are united
not only by the shared Tradition of the Church of the first millennium, but
also by the mission to preach the Gospel of Christ in the world today. This
mission entails mutual respect for members of the Christian communities and
excludes any form of proselytism.
We are not competitors but brothers,
and this concept must guide all our mutual actions as well as those directed to
the outside world. We urge Catholics and Orthodox in all countries to learn to
live together in peace and love, and to be “in harmony with one another” (Rm 15:5).
Consequently, it cannot be accepted that disloyal means be used to incite
believers to pass from one Church to another, denying them their religious
freedom and their traditions. We are called upon to put into practice the
precept of the apostle Paul: “Thus I aspire to proclaim the gospel not where
Christ has already been named, so that I do not build on another's foundation”
(Rm 15:20).
25. It is our hope that our meeting
may also contribute to reconciliation wherever tensions exist between Greek
Catholics and Orthodox. It is today clear that the past method of “uniatism”,
understood as the union of one community to the other, separating it from its
Church, is not the way to re–establish unity. Nonetheless, the ecclesial
communities which emerged in these historical circumstances have the right to
exist and to undertake all that is necessary to meet the spiritual needs of
their faithful, while seeking to live in peace with their neighbours. Orthodox
and Greek Catholics are in need of reconciliation and of mutually acceptable
forms of co–existence.
26. We deplore the hostility in
Ukraine that has already caused many victims, inflicted innumerable wounds on
peaceful inhabitants and thrown society into a deep economic and humanitarian
crisis. We invite all the parts involved in the conflict to prudence, to social
solidarity and to action aimed at constructing peace. We invite our Churches in
Ukraine to work towards social harmony, to refrain from taking part in the
confrontation, and to not support any further development of the conflict.
27. It is our hope that the schism
between the Orthodox faithful in Ukraine may be overcome through existing
canonical norms, that all the Orthodox Christians of Ukraine may live in peace
and harmony, and that the Catholic communities in the country may contribute to
this, in such a way that our Christian brotherhood may become increasingly
evident.
28. In the contemporary world, which
is both multiform yet united by a shared destiny, Catholics and Orthodox are
called to work together fraternally in proclaiming the Good News of salvation,
to testify together to the moral dignity and authentic freedom of the person,
“so that the world may believe” (Jn 17:21). This world, in which the
spiritual pillars of human existence are progressively disappearing, awaits
from us a compelling Christian witness in all spheres of personal and social
life. Much of the future of humanity will depend on our capacity to give shared
witness to the Spirit of truth in these difficult times.
29. May our bold witness to God’s
truth and to the Good News of salvation be sustained by the Man–God Jesus
Christ, our Lord and Saviour, who strengthens us with the unfailing promise:
“Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give
you the kingdom” (Lk 12:32)!
Christ is the well–spring of joy and
hope. Faith in Him transfigures human life, fills it with meaning. This is the
conviction borne of the experience of all those to whom Peter refers in his
words: “Once you were ‘no people’ but now you are God’s people; you ‘had not
received mercy’ but now you have received mercy” (1 Pet 2:10).
30.
With grace–filled gratitude for the gift of mutual understanding manifested
during our meeting, let us with hope turn to the Most Holy Mother of God, invoking
her with the words of this ancient prayer: “We seek refuge under the protection
of your mercy, Holy Mother of God”. May the Blessed Virgin Mary, through her
intercession, inspire fraternity in all those who venerate her, so that they
may be reunited, in God’s own time, in the peace and harmony of the one people
of God, for the glory of the Most Holy and indivisible.
Francis Kirill
Bishop of Rome Patriarch of Moscow
Pope of the Catholic Church and all Russia
PRIMATE RESOLUTION FROM 2016 MEETING
"Today the Primates agreed how they would walk together in the grace and love of Christ. This agreement acknowledges the significant distance that remains but confirms their unanimous commitment to walk together.
The Primates regret that it appears that the text of this agreement has been leaked in advance of their communiqué tomorrow. In order to avoid speculation the document is being released in full. This agreement demonstrates the commitment of all the Primates to continue the life of the Communion with neither victor nor vanquished." (Statement from Primates)
RESOLUTION:
1. We gathered as Anglican Primates to pray and consider how we may preserve our unity in Christ given the ongoing deep differences that exist among us concerning our understanding of marriage.
2. Recent developments in The Episcopal Church with respect to a change in their Canon on marriage represent a fundamental departure from the faith and teaching held by the majority of our Provinces on the doctrine of marriage. Possible developments in other Provinces could further exacerbate this situation.
3. All of us acknowledge that these developments have caused further deep pain throughout our Communion.
4. The traditional doctrine of the church in view of the teaching of Scripture, upholds marriage as between a man and a woman in faithful, lifelong union. The majority of those gathered reaffirm this teaching.
5. In keeping with the consistent position of previous Primates’ meetings such unilateral actions on a matter of doctrine without Catholic unity is considered by many of us as a departure from the mutual accountability and interdependence implied through being in relationship with each other in the Anglican Communion.
6. Such actions further impair our communion and create a deeper mistrust between us. This results in significant distance between us and places huge strains on the functioning of the Instruments of Communion and the ways in which we express our historic and ongoing relationships.
7. It is our unanimous desire to walk together. However given the seriousness of these matters we formally acknowledge this distance by requiring that for a period of three years The Episcopal Church no longer represent us on ecumenical and interfaith bodies, should not be appointed or elected to an internal standing committee and that while participating in the internal bodies of the Anglican Communion, they will not take part in decision making on any issues pertaining to doctrine or polity.
8. We have asked the Archbishop of Canterbury to appoint a Task Group to maintain conversation among ourselves with the intention of restoration of relationship, the rebuilding of mutual trust, healing the legacy of hurt, recognising the extent of our commonality and exploring our deep differences, ensuring they are held between us in the love and grace of Christ.
