World Council of Churches, Catholic Church celebrate 40 years of ecumenism

Nov 22, 2005 / 22:00 pm

Four decades of cooperation, between the World Council of Churches and the Catholic Church, for the advancement of ecumenism was the focus of the celebrations at a two-day conference last weekend.

Twenty-eight representatives marked the establishment of the churches’ Joint Working Group, which was begun in 1965 after the Second Vatican Council, reported the Christian Post.

They gathered at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, Switzerland, where the first joint meeting was held, Nov. 17-19.

Weekend participants reportedly evaluated the achievements of the Joint Working Group and its impact on their relationship. They also suggested working together on a number of contentious social issues, such as: bio-ethics; human, civil and religious rights; issues of peace; social justice; healing of memories; human sexuality; and reproduction.

A greater effort must be put into ecumenical formation and more opportunities should be offered to young people so that they are exposed to traditions other than their own and share through a program of formation and service, said participants.

According to the Christian Post, participants also suggested that the Joint Working Group consider a number of topics in the future, including: interreligious dialogue; religious pluralism; the absence of God in cultural life; modern technology and the media; violence and the fear induced by international terrorism.