Reformed Church Leaders Call for New Era of Partnership with Vatican
The leaders of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) have called for a new era of partnership on justice issues in their first meeting with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican on Saturday.
The president of the WARC, Clifton Kirkpatrick, led the team of five WARC leaders – including WARC General Secretary Setri Nyomi and WARC Executive Secretary for Theology and Ecumenical Engagement Odair Pedroso Mateus – in their visit to the Vatican.
“We are eager during our visit here at the Vatican to pursue with you how Catholic and Reformed Christians might be partners together for God’s justice in a world wracked by poverty, war, ecological destruction and the denial of human freedom,” Kirkpatrick told Benedict.
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The delegation – which also included Sabine Hofmeister, moderator of the Reformed Synod of Denmark, and Maria Bonafede, moderator of the Waldensian Church – also met with the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Council for Justice and Peace.
Kirkpatrick expressed gratitude to God for the completion of the three phases of the Reformed-Catholic dialogue.
He said that WARC was eager to move closer to the Catholic Church “in common faith and witness,” adding that while there had been breakthroughs in ecumenical relations between Catholics and Protestants, further movement was necessary.
"There is still much to be done to move beyond our past condemnations of one another as parts of the one body of Jesus Christ, serve God together without worrying about inhibitions in our nations, and to come together at the table of our Lord,” he said.
"We are eager to be partners with you in this important ministry of Christian unity."
The Pope responded to Kirkpatrick’s address by noting that the dialogues between Catholic and Reformed theologians had shown significant convergence on the understanding of the nature of the Church of Jesus Christ.
"It is an encouraging sign that the current phase of dialogue continues to explore the richness and complementarity of these approaches," said the pontiff.
Following the meeting, WARC general secretary Nyomi commented that the visit by the WARC leaders was an “important symbol” of WARC’s commitment to Christian unity as well as to working with other Christian world communions in “transforming the world into more just communities.”
The Pope said in a statement: “I pray that our meeting today will bear fruit in a renewed commitment to work for the unity of all Christians. The way before us calls for wisdom, humility, patient study and exchange."
