Letter of Cardinal Walter Kasper to Secretary General of WCC
8 February, 2008
Reverend Dr Samuel Kobia General Secretary World Council
of Churches 150 Route de Ferney - PO Box 2100 – CH-1211 GENEVA 2 SWITZERLAND
Dear
Dr Kobia,
As representatives of the member Churches and other partners join
you to celebrate the Sixtieth Anniversary of the foundation of the World Council of
Churches (WCC), I gladly take this opportunity to extend best wishes and congratulations
to you and to all who serve the cause of ecumenism through this distinguished institution.
Our memories go back to 23August 1948 in Amsterdam when the WCC was formerly
inaugurated. While at that time the Catholic Church had not become formally involved
in the ecumenical movement, sixty years later our relationship has grown in such a
way that the WCC has become a trusted partner in the quest for reconciliation and
unity among Christians. Moreover, the creation of the Joint Working Group as early
as 1964 and the full membership of Catholic theologians in the Faith and Order commission
since 1968 have given this relationship a solid foundation capable of bringing forth
new achievements and new promise.
Indeed, the recent prayer service in
Rome at Saint Paul’s Outside-the-Walls to commemorate the centenary of the Week of
Prayer for Christian Unity, in which you yourself and the members of the Joint Working
Group took part, was a spiritual event which clearly symbolized the depth of the bonds
between us. Giving Christian witness together deepens the unity that already exists
between us by reason of our common faith and baptism. Our positive relationship continues
to characterize the ecumenical journey and is a sign of our shared Christian vocation
to work tirelessly for the restoration of full visible unity among Christians.
During
these sixty years the Spirit of God has given us personalities of great stature within
the WCC, convinced and steadfast promoters of that unity which the Lord so desired
for his disciples. As a result, in a range of diverse and unprecedented ways Christians
of every tradition continue to share their spiritual gifts (cf. Unitatis Redintegratio,
4), and have become ever more conscious of the need to act together in bearing faithful
witness to the Gospel. The “universal brotherhood” of Christians has become a firm
ecumenical conviction. Under the guidance of the Spirit we are called today to give
an account of the hope that is in us (cf. 1 Pt 3:15) at a time when the ecumenical
movement continues to grow, even as new challenges emerge calling for discernment,
resilience and constructive initiatives.
It is therefore with heartfelt
sentiments of appreciation and thanksgiving for the commendable work done by the WCC
over the years that I send these good wishes on behalf of the Pontifical Council for
promoting Christian Unity. In invoking the abundant gifts of the Triune God upon you
and all at the WCC, I pray that the One who sustains us on the ecumenical journey
may continue to bless the work of the Council in the search for unity and reconciliation.
Yours sincerely in Christ, Walter Cardinal Kasper President