CHRISTIAN CHURCHES
WCC: Rev. Tveit in RomeOn December 4 Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit, the general secretary of the World Council of Churches met in a private audience Pope Benedict XVI. The quest for Church unity, the support to Christian Churches in the Middle East and reaffirming common goals for visible church unity were the themes addressed by His Holiness and the WCC Secretary general during the audience. The items on the agenda were underlined in a communiqué released before the meeting by Rev. Tveit. As relates to ecumenical commitments, Rev. Tveit assured the Pope that the Church’s call to unity “is shared by many as a priority”. “There are expectations for the ecumenical movement that have not been fulfilled, and there are tensions arising in and between churches. Therefore, it is even more important now to stay with our commitment and to reflect what this call implies in our daily life as Christians all over the world”. The WCC general secretary, who guides a worldwide fellowship of 349 churches (Protestant, Anglican and Orthodox) representing millions of Christians in 110 World countries, underlined the importance to focus “on what it is possible for us to do together”. Rev. Tveit thus mentioned the “basic ecclesiological questions that are still an obstacle for visible unity – like the issues of the Eucharist and ordained ministry”. To this regard, Tveit underlined the importance of the Church’s commitment on such issues. “I very much appreciate what Pope Benedict has said on many occasions: how he is committed to the work of unity, how he is committed to the mission of the church, to work for justice and peace”, he added. During the audience with Benedict XVI Rev Tveit also mentioned the situations of Christians in the Middle East so as “to engage in common action and advocacy”. At the head of the Council delegation Tveit held an official three-day visit in Rome and had meetings with representatives of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity, and with representatives of Italian Protestant WCC member churches. The delegation also had a meeting followed by an ecumenical prayer celebration at the seat of the St. Egidio Community and another in the main offices of the Focolari Movement. Anglicans: victims of persecution in Pakistan Christians are also fleeing from Pakistan; the persecution of Christians in the Country has compelled the leaders of the future Pakistani Church to resettle abroad. The alarm was launched by the first and only Anglican woman priest Jane Shaw through the Anglican Communion’s Communications Office. According to Rev. Jane Shaw, four young pastors who had been sent to complete their spiritual formation abroad have decided to not return to Pakistan. The persecutions against Christians have become more “heinous”. “Most acts of discrimination against Christians are debasing, like not being selected for a job; or, if in employment, having to undergo unbearable scorn by colleagues, to the extent of being compelled to resign. Indeed, in some cases, Christian businessmen were told they would obtain better contracts if they converted to Islam”. Acts of violence are carried out also Christian children “who are teased or become the victims of bullying at school”. A dramatic consequence of such intimidating acts is that the families with the necessary financial resources move abroad or send their children abroad to study. Most of them emigrate to Great Britain or to New Zealand, Canada and to the United States. “Others leave for good”, said Rev. Shaw. “Given this situation it’s hard to envisage a future”. Turkey: a long “battle” endsOn the day when the Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarchate celebrates its most significant feast, the Feast of Saint Andrew apostle of Constantinople, the legal dispute with the Turkish State finally ended, with the decision to return the orphanage of Buyukada. After the meeting with the Holy See led by cardinal Kurt Koch, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I conveyed his enthusiasm: “Today it’s a great day for our Great Mother Church. We were returned the orphanage of the island of the Prince (Buyukada). We were returned what we had inherited from our ancestors. The injustice that had been made could no longer be tolerated. We first started a legal action in Turkey, but having lost the cases we filed an appeal to the Court of Justice for Human Rights in Strasbourg, which did justice”. He added: “I want to underline that the tapu issued by the Turkish Authorities is addressed to our Patriarchate as Rum Patrikanesi. This entails not only the restitution of the orphanage, in fact it also means that our Patriarchate is recognized as a juridical person. We consider it an auspicious event”.
