ECUMENISM
Moldavia: first ecumenical celebration”The vocation to unity of all Christians is a divine inspiration: it’s a sign of the times that the Spirit of God transmits and that cannot be hidden”, declared Bishop Anton Cosa of Chisinau, during an ecumenical celebration held in the Cathedral of Divine Providence in the Moldavian capital on Saturday, 24 January. This was the first time an ecumenical celebration has been held in the Catholic cathedral of Chisinau. The prayer meeting attracted a large congregation and was attended by Bishop Cosa, diocesan clergy and representatives of the Orthodox Metropolitan Church of Bessarabia. “We know very well – said the bishop of Chisinau – that not all Christians are equally open to and have trust in the ecumenical movement, even more so because some Churches and Christian communities from various geographical areas have had painful experiences, which have left wounds that still remain open”. “In spite of this – he added – who will have the courage to oppose the Spirit of God that blows where he wills, inspires the Church of Christ and guides it through its history?”. The diocese of Chisinau has for years maintained brotherly relations with the Orthodox Church of the Republic of Moldavia, and also participates with it in various cooperative ventures in the social field. Romania: appeal of the Archbishop of Bucharest “To engage in ecumenism, we need conversion; we need to know each other better and remain faithful to the prayer for the ideal of the restoration of unity”, said the Most Rev. Ioan Robu, Archbishop and Metropolitan of Bucharest, on the conclusion of an ecumenical celebration held in the Catholic St. Joseph’s Cathedral in the Romanian capital on Saturday, 24 January, during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Recalling the suggestions of the conciliar document “Unitatis Redintegratio”, Archbishop Robu emphasized that, in dialogue with others and on others, we always need to maintain “the measure of good sense and love”. “In recent times – explained the archbishop – an offensive and degrading language has appeared, at times, on the radio, on Internet sites or in various pamphlets”. “I think – continued Msg. Robu – we must be very conscious of this phenomenon and not encourage it with our silence, but on the contrary take a stance, because it is extremely dangerous”. “If we permit hatred to grow – he added -, we will not be faithful to the vocation that God left to us”. The archbishop also insisted on the need to “be careful of how we speak among ourselves and about each other” by maintaining “the bond and measure of love: the love that understands everything, forgives everything, supports everything, the love that brings us all closer together”. The Week of Prayer held in Bucharest ended on Sunday 25 January with an ecumenical meeting in the Anglican Church.England: Cardinal to speak at Anglican SynodCardinal Murphy-O’Connor, Archbishop of Westminster and President of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, will address the General Synod of the (Anglican) Church of England (9-13 February). His speech is planned on the first day of the synod. Expectations are running high for this annual meeting of the Church of England led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, because during the synod a package of proposals will be presented with the aim of smoothing the way for the episcopal ordination of women. The proposals have been drafted by a special commission of bishops and published on the website www.cofe.anglican.org. According to the English Catholic weekly The Tablet, Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor will speak of the impact of the ordination of women two days before the Synod will vote on the matter. Relations between the two Churches, as the weekly points out, are excellent. “The agreements we have reached with a great deal of effort have been very important for the future of the Church and so dialogue must continue”, said Murphy-O’Connor, commenting on the work of the Commission of dialogue between the two Churches, ARCIC: “a sum of money safe in the bank”. The Church of England opened its doors to the ordination of women in 1994. At the present time it has some three thousand women priests in active service, a third of the total.Northern Ireland: a new ecumenical associationThe Catholic and Anglican parishes of Drumcree, in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, one of the hot spot of the conflict in Ulster, have decided to cooperate in a new organization called “Churches Together”. The new association aims to improve relations between the Catholic and Protestant communities in this area where for years, in mid-July, violent clashes have taken place between the Orange Order that insisted on marching through the Catholic Garvaghy Road and the security forces that tried to prevent it. “Churches Together” will comprise seven representatives, some of other Christian denominations in the area. The co-chairmen will be Father Michael O’Dwyer, Catholic parish priest, and his Protestant counterpart Gary Galway.
