ECUMENISM
Russia: the Encyclical “Spe Salvi” presentedThe Russian edition of Pope Benedict XVI’s second encyclical “Spes salvi” was presented in Moscow on Tuesday, 25 March. The presentation of the encyclical – published by the Franciscan Editions, in collaboration with the Apostolic Nunciature and the Catholic press agency Agnuz – took place in the presence of some sixty guests at the “Library of the Spirit” Cultural Centre in the Russian capital. The main speakers were the Archbishop of Moscow, the Most Rev. Paolo Pezzi, and Father Vladimir Shmalij, secretary of the Synodal Theological Commission of the Patriarchate of Moscow and Vice-Rector of the Theological Academy of Sergiev Posad. The “Library of the Spirit”, an ecumenical centre, was opened by the “Christian Russia” Foundation, together with the Orthodox Centre of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Minsk and diocesan Caritas in Moscow, in 1993. Catholics and Orthodox work together there, promoting (through meetings, exhibitions and publications) occasions for ecumenical dialogue and discussion. In Moscow the writings of the present pope have already offered occasions for dialogue, as in 2006 with the publication of the volume “Introduction to Christianity”, whose introduction was entrusted to Orthodox Metropolitan Kirill. Dialogue – said Archbishop Paolo Pezzi of Moscow in a briefing to SIR – “is going forward and is going forward in a positive way. We ought not to be afraid of saying so, conscious of the difficulties we face, nor embark on any project or pursue any dream that would do us no good. Despite this consciousness, the certainty that we are progressing is there”. The message that Patriarch Alexei II has sent to Pope Benedict XVI and to the leaders of the Anglican and Evangelical Churches for Easter has also been much appreciated. The archbishop speaks of a signal of Christian “communion”. “I think – he adds – that this message should be seen in its right light, without retrospective interpretations. And the right light is, I believe, that of Easter, by virtue of which the Cross and the Resurrection are always united in the Christian’s life. In this sense it seems to me not a political signal of openness or dialogue, but a Christian message of a desire for communion, demonstrated by the fact that though the gap between our two Easters according to the Gregorian and Julian calendars is so great this year, this does not prevent us from joining together in commemorating the common event of Easter, even if celebrated at different times”. WCC: response to 138 Muslim leadersAfter the Vatican, the World Council of the Churches too answers the letter that 138 Muslim intellectuals sent on 13th October 2007 to the Christian leaders, including the secretary general of Wcc, Samuel Kobia. The World Council of the Churches – whose members are 349 Orthodox, Anglican and Protestant Churches from 110 countries across the world – had begun a consultation with the member Churches last November, in the attempt to understand how to answer to the letter. This was followed by a meeting attended by experts in Christian-Muslim dialogue. The result of the meeting was a document – the text has been revealed to the press today – called “Learning to explore love together”. “We want to encourage our Churches – explains Samuel Kobia – to consider the invitation made by the Muslim leaders an opportunity for inter-religious dialogue. We hope this text can be helpful” in construing the Muslims’ letter and “starting committing ourselves to dialogue with the Muslim community”. The WCC document reads: “the courage of their action must be applauded and the sincerity of their gesture must be received in the warmest manner”. The text – which also lists some practical measures to be taken – also invites to consider “those differences” that “cannot be ignored”.WCC: an ecumenical delegation in SudanA sympathy visit to Sudan: it will be made from tomorrow to April 2nd by an international ecumenical delegation headed by pastor Samuel Kobia, secretary general of the Ecumenical Council of the Churches (ECC, 349 protestant, Orthodox and Anglican Churches). The delegation will be divided into four groups, which will go to Darfur, Khartoum, Rumbek and Yambio, respectively, before meeting about fifty church leaders as well as Sudanese women and young people for a three-day conference in Giuba (31 March – 2 April). “Visiting Christian parishes, welfare and humanitarian organisations, refugees and politicians – explains the EEC – will enable the delegation to understand the concerns, the hopes and the needs of these groups”, after the 2005 peace agreement that followed the 20-year civil war between the north and the south of the country (2 million casualties and 4 million refugees). The visit is also organised by the Conference of the Churches of all Africa (CCAA). The staff at Act-Caritas Darfur will make sure it will be held in the latter region, which since 2003 has been the scene of permanent conflicts between rebel groups and government militias. This sympathy visit is part of the “Living letters” project by the ECC and the Ecumenical program of eminent personalities for peace in Africa (EPEPPA) of Ceta.
