Pope Benedict's Interreligious Meeting?

[Spiller]

Ummmmm, shouldn’t he have invited some Protestants and Orthodox members as well? Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Jains, Sheiks, etc. in attendance but no other Christians. Seems rather odd…

 

[LilyM]

No - I actually think relations between Christian denominations can be a quite different beast to relations with non-Christian religions. Depending upon the purpose of the meeting, of course, putting the two together would multiply the headache.

 

[Spiller]

Good point. The Orthodox would be easy enough but I’m not even sure how you would even go about inviting a representative group of Protestants? I don’t believe the primate of the Episcopalian group would ever be invited to such a meeting given the horrid division caused by her appointment and that would most definitely upset some of the Anglican Communion for instance.

 

[Dauphin]

I’m just glad that he mentioned Christ as the eternal logos made flesh. That’s how ecumenism should be done. Don’t hide the differences. Speak the truth.

 

[benedictgal]

Here is what I thought to be the most fascinating thing of all: a choir chanted the Prayer of St. Francis. It was not the hideous Sebastian Temple rendition, but, something that resembled chant. It was truly lovely. Maybe they should have been the ones planning the music for the DC Mass.

The Holy Father’s message was powerful. And, it spoke the Truth loudly, clearly and unequivocally. We have to not be afraid to call a spade a spade. After all, this is also the same man who wrote Dominus Iesus.

 

[Corki]

Ummmmm, shouldn’t he have invited some Protestants and Orthodox members as well? Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Jains, Sheiks, etc. in attendance but no other Christians. Seems rather odd…

There is another meeting, I think it is in NY, which is with other Christian Leaders. There are two separate offices in the Vatican to work on these different relationships too. They are very different relationships on the macro level.

 

[Spiller]

There is another meeting, I think it is in NY, which is with other Christian Leaders. There are two separate offices in the Vatican to work on these different relationships too. They are very different relationships on the macro level.

I will interested to see if that Episcopalian “primate” is invited…

 

[LilyM]

I will interested to see if that Episcopalian “primate” is invited…

Do you mean the ever-interesting Katherine Jefferts Schori?

 

[Corki]

This is from the USCCB’s website

"6:00 p.m. - Ecumenical Prayer Service - Saint Joseph Parish
Saint Joseph Parish, 404 E. 87th Street, Yorkville, was founded in 1873 to meet the needs of German immigrants. The parish grew out of a community worshiping in the chapel of Saint Joseph’s Orphanage, established on the Upper East Side.

6:00 p.m. Greeting by Cardinal Edward M. Egan and Msgr. John Sullivan, administrator of Saint Joseph Parish. Inside an audience of 250 Protestant and Orthodox leaders and 50 Catholics involved in ecumenical efforts.

Program

The Pope proceeds to the papal chair, in front of the altar
Cardinal Egan sits to his right. Already in place is Bishop Dennis J. Sullivan, vicar general for the archdiocese, to the Pope’s left

Bishop Dennis J. Sullivan greets the Pope

Opening hymn: “Draw Us in the Spirit’s Tether,” text by Percy Dearmer; music by Harold Friedell

Prayer and Scripture reading (Ephesians 4:1-6)

Address: Pope Benedict XVI

The Lord’s Prayer

Final blessing and hymn: “Now Thank We All Our God,” music by Johann Crüger

This is what I found for a list of “leaders”

At the end of the ceremony, the pope will greet ten national and five local ecumenical leaders.

The national leaders include

Archbishop Demetrios of America, Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America and Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. In June 2003, the Archbishop led the delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate to the Vatican for the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. He serves as Chairman of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas.

Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America. Archbishop Barsamian is a member of the international dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches, and is Chairman of the Standing Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches in the United States.

Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, legate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern) in Washington and ecumenical officer. He became President of the National Council of Churches USA January 1, 2008…

[Edited by Moderator]

from

chnetwork.org/forums/forum54/3672.html

 

[Corki]

Do you mean the ever-interesting Katherine Jefferts Schori?

It looks like they are opting for a local Epicopalian leader instead.

 

[bpbasilphx]

The Orthodox would be easy enough but I’m not even sure how you would even go about inviting a representative group of Protestants?

I can assure you that the Orthodox would NOT be happy with an interfaith meeting, mixing Christians AND non-Chrisians.

 

[MusicMan]

I will interested to see if that Episcopalian “primate” is invited…

You needn’t be snide about her title. Like it or not, and regardless of our own beliefs, she is the lawfully elected Primate of the Episcopalian Church.

I’ll be the first to profess that they made a major boo-boo by electing her (and I did so to a representative of St. John the Divine when my school’s band and choir were there on a tour), but let’s at least respect the fact that she was lawfully elected. If you want to call her a “bishop” and be snide there, well, whatever, but she is properly the Primate of the Episcopalian Church.

 

[benedictgal]

This is from the USCCB’s website

This is what I found for a list of “leaders”

from

chnetwork.org/forums/forum54/3672.html

I nearly cried when they began with Draw Us in the Spirit’s Tether. I love that song and sang along from memory.

It was interesting to see Pat Roberston at this meeting. I am most curious how he is going to report the events when his next show airs. Furthermore, he wasn’t one of the ones chosen to meet the Pope. MLK’s daughter met the Holy Father and they visited for quite a bit.

 

[Genesis315]

Here’s what the Pope said at the meeting with the non-Catholic Christian leaders–it’s really good:

zenit.org/article-22346?l=english

 

[puzzleannie]

Ummmmm, shouldn’t he have invited some Protestants and Orthodox members as well? Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Jains, Sheiks, etc. in attendance but no other Christians. Seems rather odd…

why if he wanted to meet with leaders of other religions, that is what he did. there are many Christian denominations, but only one Christian religion, and he is her leader, so inviting other Christians would have been redundant.

if he wants to meet with Christian leaders of those various groups, that would be another meeting, with another agenda.

 

[Mike154]

Ummmmm, shouldn’t he have invited some Protestants and Orthodox members as well? Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Jains, Sheiks, etc. in attendance but no other Christians. Seems rather odd…

I found it to be odd as well. I think that these ecumenical events can lead to confusion for some Catholics who think that all religions are of equal value.

---

read my blog at
www.mycatholicvillage.com/mike

 

[anamchara]

I found it to be odd as well. I think that these ecumenical events can lead to confusion for some Catholics who think that all religions are of equal value.

---

read my blog at
www.mycatholicvillage.com/mike

The Pope’s words are very encouraging. Amen! *

“Through you, I express my sincere appreciation for the invaluable work of all those engaged in ecumenism: the National Council of Churches, Christian Churches Together, the Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, and many others. The contribution of Christians in the United States to the ecumenical movement is felt throughout the world. I encourage all of you to persevere, always relying on the grace of the risen Christ whom we strive to serve by bringing about “the obedience of faith for the sake of his name” (Rom 1:5).”

*And look how many more were there!

Rev. Dr. Donald McCoid, representing Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, is Director of the Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations Office of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

** Bishop Jeremiah J. Park, Bishop of the New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.
**
Rev. Dr. Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, General Secretary of the Reformed Church in America since 1994, and one of the five Presidents of Christian Churches Together in the USA, representing the historic Protestant family.

** Rev. Dr. Clifton Kirkpatrick, Stated Clerk of the Presbyterian Church** (USA) since 1996.

Rev. Dr. William J. Shaw, President of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., since 1999. Dr. Shaw serves as one of the five Presidents of Christian Churches Together in the USA, representing the Racial/Ethnic family of churches.

Bishop James Leggett, General Superintendent of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church, a position he had held since 1997. Bishop Leggett is the Evangelical/Pentecostal President of Christian Churches Together in the USA.

Dr. Leith Anderson, President of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) and senior pastor of Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota since 1977.

Leaders from the New York area who will personally greet the pope include

Bishop David H. Benke, president of the Atlantic District of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Rev. Benke was elected president of the Atlantic District in 1991, and has been re-elected five times, most recently in 2006. He is also the primary ecumenical leader for the Nehemiah Project which provides housing for the poor in New York City.

And the list goes on! PCUSA and United Methodist, yeah! That’s my background.

 

[benedictgal]

I don’t think that the Holy Father’s intent was to confuse anyone. The True Church of Jesus Christ subsists in the Catholic Church. He has said this on numerous occasoins. Just read Dominus Iesus. You can find it here:

adoremus.org/910-00DomJesus.html

Yes, it is important to have interreligious dialogue with Protestant Ecclesial Communities, but, it is important to know where they stand and where we stand. Pope Benedict, I believe, has perfected the balancing act moreso than anybody else.

 

[Spiller]

The Orthodox would be easy enough but I’m not even sure how you would even go about inviting a representative group of Protestants?

I can assure you that the Orthodox would NOT be happy with an interfaith meeting, mixing Christians AND non-Chrisians.

The Orthodox seem to be rarely happy about anything…