The Seven Storey Mountain. By Thomas Merton. Fiftieth Anniversary Edition. New York: Harcourt, 1948/1976. (Kindle). Robert Giroux writes in the Introduction to this book that when he first met Thomas Merton at the office of the Columbia Review in New York, and Giroux had read an article Merton had written, he told himself: “This […]
Topic: Christian Unity
A New Ecumenism?
In 2002 Christopher R. Seitz edited a book entitled Nicene Christianity: The Future for a New Ecumenism. The chapters of this book were written by different theologians, mostly from the Lutheran, Anglican, Catholic and Orthodox churches. My search for book reviews produced a number of books with a similar focus, the oldest of these by […]
The Church: Towards a Common Vision
Introduction The World Council of Churches Faith and Order Commission issued an ecumenical milestone in 1982 with the publication of Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry, (Faith and Order Paper #111. Geneva: WCC, 1982). It sent that document to the churches which are members of the World Council and other churches who participate in the work of […]
Reflections on the Reformation 500th
The Reformation began, according to historians, on the eve of All Saints (Halloween) when Martin Luther posted an invitation to debate the indulgence issued by the Pope Leo X (1513-1521) to donors to the reconstruction of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The invitation to debate was formulated in Luther’s famous 95 theses which were said […]
Ecumenical and Eucharistic Spirituality
Introduction Fifty years after the close of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, we do well to take a long look at where we are in its implementation and what difference it makes to us personally. We should try to focus on the spirituality which flows from the Eucharist as expressed in the theology of communion […]
“Today more than ever we are united by the ecumenism of blood”
Pope’s message to His Holiness Tawadros II: continuing friendship between the Orthodox Coptic Church and the Catholic Church Vatican City, 11 May 2015 (VIS) – Pope Francis has sent a message to His Holiness Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, to commemorate the second anniversary of […]
Ecumenical Blessing and Signing of the Common Declaration by Pope Francis & Patriarch Bartholomew I
Apostolic Journey of His Holiness Pope Francis to Turkey (28-30 November 2014) Istanbul Sunday, 30 November 2014 [Multimedia] We, Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, express our profound gratitude to God for the gift of this new encounter enabling us, in the presence of the members of the Holy Synod, the clergy […]
Called Together to be Peacemakers: Catholics and Peace Churches
Introduction The term “historic peace churches” refers specifically only to three church groups among pacifist churches: Church of the Brethren, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and Mennonites, and has been used since the first conference of the peace churches in Kansas in 1935 (Wikipedia). The Mennonites are associated historically with the Anabaptist movement […]
The Word of God in the Life of the Church, Baptists and Catholics in Dialogue
Baptists and Catholics have much in common, not only culturally, but also religiously. They share a great love for scripture and spirituality. They have a strong moral compass and a desire to help those in need of food, shelter, work and other necessities for personal and family living. In the Baptist/Catholic “conversations” delegates from […]
National Workshop on Christian Unity – 2014 Albuquerque
The National Workshop on Christian Unity was held for the second time in Alquerque, NM. The first time it was held there was in 1994, while I served as ecumenical officer for the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and joined Dr. Wallace Ford of the New Mexico Conference of Churches and Rev. Ed Katzenberger, ecumenical officer […]