ECUMENISM
Anglican Communion: Williams in AfricaA tight schedule characterizes the visit to North Africa of the archbishop of Canterbury (January 28- February 6). The first leg of the trip is Tripoli, Libya, where the archbishop met Christian and Muslim leaders, along with government officials. On Thursday 29 Rev. Williams held a conference at the “World Islamic Call Society” on “God’s self-revelation: a Christian perspective”. On Friday the archbishop paid a visit to an ancient Mosque in Tripoli. He then headed off to Cairo, where on January 31st he convened with the Great Imam of Al-Azhar University while His Holiness Pope Shenouda III of the Orthodox Copt Church, held a reception for Archbishop Williams and the Primates of the Anglican Communion. On February 1-5, the Archbishop will chair a meeting of Anglican Communion dignitaries in Alexandria of Egypt. The fact that the meeting is held in a Mediterranean city is believed to be a sign of the archbishop’s commitment to prevent a schism between the conservative wing of the Anglican Communion (represented by Southern Churches) and the more progressive North America wing (US and Canada). Disagreements range from woman bishop ordination, same-sex couples, to Scripture interpretation. The decision of the traditionalist wing of US Episcopalian Churches to separate from the mother Episcopalian Church to create a distinct Province is but the latest sign of friction.Germany: Ecumenical via crucisIn the past few days were presented the documents of reference for the 51st Ecumenical Via Crucis of the Youth. For the first time, texts, images and documents, will be available on the web, the Young Catholic Youth Federation (BDKJ) told the press. The slogan of this year’s Via Crucis is, “Do you see me?” For the first time the Stations of the Cross are not at distances but part of a unified work, created by Dutch artist Cynthia Tokaya. “The Via Crucis is conveyed with a colour kaleidoscope representing the intangible element of Christian redemption”, explained BDKJ officer Andrea Mauritz. “But the Via Crucis is also conceived as a tool providing answers to the youth’s current questions regarding world crises, with the support of faith”. The Ecumenical Via Crucis of the Youth is traditionally held the Friday that precedes Palm Sunday, which this year will be celebrated on April 3. Organizers expect over 50,000 people attending the event. According to the Working Group of German Evangelical youth (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der evangelischen Jugend in Deutschland e.V. – aej), the Office for youth pastoral care of the German Bishops’ Conference (Arbeitsstelle für Jugendseelsorge der Deutschen Bischofskonferenz – afj) BDKJ, Evangelical and Catholic faithful will convey a sign of living ecumenical community. Founded in 1958, the initiative was conceived as a “prayer bridge” uniting young Catholics of East and West Germany. Since 1972 the ecumenical initiative is held regularly, and today it constitutes one of the major ecumenical events attracting an ever-greater number of young people from The Netherlands and from German-speaking areas of Luxembourg, Belgium and Switzerland.Belgium: 2009 devoted to CalvinOn January 31, during an academic session in Brussels’ parliament attended by religious representatives, Belgium’s united Protestant Church announced the program for the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin (1509-1564) who promoted the Reformation movement after Luther. During the opening session, professors J-F. Gilmont (Catholic university of Lovanio), bibliographer of Calvin and member of the Académie Royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts in Belgium and H.R. Boudin (Faculty of Protestant Theology in Brussels), illustrated the Reformator’s personality. Gilmont described Calvin with two adjectives: “soul-stirring, but insupportable”, while Boudin pointed out that “the Calvinist republics of that historical period had wished to present an alternative model in the realm of political administration”. The claim was reiterated also by G. Vanhengel, minister of the government of the Region of Brussels-Capital, who recalled that “Calvin’s approach to Reforms in the realm of politics and economy preserve topical relevance”. A number of events to this regard will be held in 2009 that include exhibition, concerts, theatre performances, seminars, and conferences. For the full program log on: www.calvin09.be/
