England, Germany, France

England: project “Hope 2008” A national ecumenical project will involve all the most important Christian denominations. For the first time, the Catholic Church, along with Anglicans, Methodists, Baptists and other Christian denominations are working together on a large scale undertaking bearing visible fruits. “Hope 2008” is flourishing in Parish Churches throughout the Country. (www.hope08.com). “We’re very excited since the Pope’s encycical “Spe Salvi” was issued at the end of last year while our project was being launched – the initiative’s national coordinator Ian Chisnall told Sir -. It’s a sign that the breath of the Holy Spirit blows in our direction”. Hope 2008 develops on a larger scale, the youth project “Soul in the city”, which in 2004 involved some 20thousand young people of all Christian denomination in volunteer work in London for two weeks during the summer. In 2008 ecumenical hope moved all age groups. “It’s the same principle of ‘Soul in the city’. We intend to speak of our faith participating in the community life in the place where we are living. Some parishes organize ‘parenting classes’ to help parents in their children’s upbringing, or weight-loss classes for obese people. At times we simply decide to clean some areas from wall graffiti or we organize dinners where we talk about faith”, the coordinator explained. “Not always does our project entail new initiatives. Often it simply acts as energy-catalyst, and evangelization is the outcome of our work”.Germany: Fraternity weekThe major Christian and Jewish representatives in Germany gathered on March 3rd in Düsseldorf for the third edition of the meeting organized by the German coordinating Council of Jewish-Christian associations (Dkr). During the event, held in the framework of the Week of Fraternity, participants discussed the significance of Sunday and Saturday in modern society. “If Sunday is no longer observed for consumerism or for economic reasons, social and cultural impairment will ensue”, underlined the vice-President of Germany’s bishops conference (Dbk) Msgr. Heinrich Mussinghoff, bishop of Aquisgrana. The rabbi of Schwerin, William Wolff, deplored the fact that most Jews in Europe no longer keep holy Sabbath. “In this way living Judaism disappears from Europe’s secular societies. Those who keep the precepts are bestowed with 24 hours during which they’re free not to read their e-mails, use their mobiles and drive”. “This leaves time for the spirit, for God and for the family”, he added. “Also Christian Sunday has a similar significance”. Evangelical bishop Wolfgang Huber, President of the German evangelical Church Council (Ekd) pointed out: “Christian Sunday is rooted in Jewish Sabbath. In this, Christianity and Judaism are closely related.” “After the third meeting we mustn’t return to the normality of the absence of dialogue” exhorted rabbi Henry G. Brandt. “I hope we’ll be able to meet again next year in Hamburg”; a meeting, “where I hope both parties will learn to confront differences openly and without fear”. France: 40th anniversary of the ecumenical studies institute”Theological commitment and ecumenical research”: this was the topic of the annual meeting of Iseo (Institute for Higher Ecumenical Studies) jointly promoted in recent weeks by the Catholic Institute in Paris, by the Protestant Institute of Theology and by the Insitute of Orthodox Theology Saint-Serge, on the occasion of the 40° anniversary of its foundation. “Ecumenism isn’t just related to Christian unity – remarked Metropolitan bishop of Pergamon Jean Ziziuolas, – it concerns the unity of the Church. Christians can be united on many other issues, but if they don’t manage to form one single Church they remain separate”. Bishop Ziziuolas maintains that “ecclesiology is the heart of ecumenism. If theology doesn’t contribute to healing separations affecting Christianity, then it will not have fulfilled its mission and duty”. Protestant theologian André Birmelé recalled the warning of John Paul II: “to distinguish truth from the formulations of truth” and the question: “will we able, one day to identify the conditions for a full communion? Can Protestants perform ‘Catholicism’, that is, ‘universality’?”. Catholic theologian Bernard Sesboné urged “not to overload faith, since it risks being overwhelmed by dogmatic inflation”. “We must learn to avoid contrasting formulations”, he declared.