ECUMENISM
Germany: “greater ecumenical patience”Greater “ecumenical patience” in dialogue between the Christian faiths was called for by Mgr. Robert Zollitsch, President of the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK). “We have worked hard in the past and must continue to do so. There is a feeling however that what has been divided since the time of the Reformation cannot be rapidly reunited”, he declared during an interview with the German Catholic press agency KNA. “Ecumenism continues to be an urgent objective of the Churches”, underlined Zollitsch, renewing his personal commitment to interconfessional dialogue. “There is no ecumenical crisis. But there is – he admitted – a certain fatigue”. The main problems, according to Zollitsch, concern “the concept of Church, ministry and Mass”. At the same time, the President of the DBK hoped for greater mutual respect between Protestants and Catholics: “The existing differences must be formulated in such a way that we can look each other in the eye”. With regard to the Catholic concept of Church that excludes the Protestant communities as such, Zollitsch said he could understand “that some feel themselves injured. There exist different positions, but I accept the fact that others too consider themselves a Church”. From the second Ecumenical Day of the Churches (ÖKT), due to be held in Munich in 2010, Zollitsch said he expected a “common witness of Christians in an ever more secularized world”: the meeting would represent, he said, “an occasion to discuss God, values, and other fundamental questions of faith”. On the other hand, with regard to the possibility of celebrating together a Mass for families of mixed confessions, though he understood the desire for such an event, Zollitsch gave a negative view: it would, he said, “go in the wrong direction”.Portugal: diocese of Porto committed to dialogueDuring the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity”, the head of the Department of Communication of the Anglican Communion, Sérgio Pinho Alves, praised the determined and continuous ecumenical commitment expressed by the diocese of Porto: “This initiative assumes a great ideal value, but especially it finds an important and concrete realization in the repeated experience of prayer in common”, said Alves. “In their attempt to achieve unity, the Churches must not eliminate their differences, but try to combine their own efforts in a shared Christian perspective, in which the peculiar contribution of their different identities can not only be acknowledged but enhanced”. During this ecumenical week, many shared prayer meetings are being held in the parishes of the diocese. Chief among these is the national ecumenical celebration due to be held in the parish of Lusitana do Redentor. The exponent of the Anglican Church, however, also wished to recall the prayer of Taizé, organized by ecumenical youth groups of the Lusitanian, Methodist and Catholic Churches. “Ecumenism among the youth of Porto is already a reality”, declared Alves: “This experience attracts the young in a particular way, since they are less bound to tradition and, perhaps due to the fact that they haven’t yet developed a strong identity, they show themselves more open to dialogue and more willing to enter into the constructive dialogue that the hierarchies often shun”.France: prayer for the victims of GazaAn ecumenical prayer meeting for the victims of the conflict in Gaza is due to be held in Paris on 26 January. It is being promoted by Pax Christi France together with various humanitarian associations, including the network of “Christians of the Mediterranean”, Christian Action for the Abolition of Torture (ACAT), the Catholic Committee against Famine and for Development (CCFD), the St. Egidio Community and the Justice and Peace Council of France. “After the time of protest and compassion – say the organizers – the time has come for commitment to justice and peace, which for believers is linked to that of meditation and prayer. In this spirit we appeal to everyone to pray for the victims of Gaza”. The meeting is to be held in the church of St. Eustache in Paris (at 18.30).Austria: more ecumenical formation for clergy and laityThe more society changes, the more dialogue between religions is needed, said the Most Rev. Alois Kothgasser, Archbishop of Salzburg, on 19 January, during the traditional ecumenical meeting marking the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. “In the search for unity, dialogue between the different Churches is the best way to get to know each other better”, declared Kothgasser, who said he was in favour of greater ecumenical formation and specialization for clergy and laity. The meeting, held in the Kardinal-Schwarzenberg-Haus in Salzburg, was attended by a hundred or so exponents of the various Churches, including the Lutheran Evangelical Superintendent Luise Müller. The archbishop recalled the Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexy II, who died in December. “I will accompany in prayer the choice of the new patriarch and I hope the dialogue [between our Churches] will be continued”, he said, adding that “every form of division conflicts with the will of Jesus Christ”.
