When the World Council of Churches (WCC) meets in Geneva in June of this year, the presence of Pope Francis will usher forth a new era in ecumenical relations and cooperation that could change the hostility which has existed and been manifest since the historic divisions which fractured the Christian community centuries ago.
At a recent press conference, details of the ecumenical pilgrimage which the Pope will make to the World Council of Churches to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the global fellowship of Christian Churches were presented to the pubic.
The visit, which will include a meeting with the President of the Swiss Confederation and a Mass for the local Catholic community, marks a “historical milestone” in the relationship between the WCC and the Catholic Church.
According to WCC General Secretary Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit, who told journalists the event will convey a strong message to the Churches, but also to the wider global community: “A message that is possible to build relations of trust, cooperation, and even love, over divisions caused by historic conflicts and events, bridging different religious convictions and practices. It is possible to have wider horizons than our church, our own people.
The General Secretary emphasized that it is possible to share a vision based on Christian faith that brings churches together and makes them able to do a lot together. One of principles in this ecumenical movement has been that ‘we should do together what we can do together’, this is what we manifest through this visit”.
Fr Andrzej Choramanski from the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity spoke of the half century of relations between the Catholic Church and the WCC, even though the former has never become a full member of the fellowship, for both theological and practical reasons.
“It is not impossible that in the future the Catholic Church will not join, but I think that, for now, it is not the question that both sides are asking at this moment. I presented the rich collaboration that we have and, and without being a member of the WCC, the Catholic Church is a member of several commissions of the WCC”
The local Catholic Bishop Charles Morerod of Geneva said, the Pope is coming “to remind us that dialogue, openness and ecumenism must remain a priority for the Catholic community.”
Let us pray that the Holy Spirit will bless this gathering of the various members of the Christian community. May it move the churches to a firm commitment and resolve to fulfill the Will of Our Savior that indeed one day there will be “one Flock and One Shepherd”.
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