Intervention of Mr. Harald SUERMANN, Director, Middle East Division, "MISSIO" (GERMANY), auditor

Lay movements have a very important role because they bear witness to Christ and God’s Goodness in society with their actions and prayers. They do this in a direct way that priests cannot, because they are in contact with those who are distanced from the Church. Their work is missionary. They are the ones that can influence the different groups of society as well as the government of a country. By their self-same commitment they transform institutions in the long run. Through their commitment they can give reasons for remaining to other persons who are thinking of emigrating.
Sometimes Muslims rally around these movements, because they wish to share the same diaconal values and sometimes even spiritual values. The movements are missionary towards Muslims for the building of a just common society.Often these movements - new or old, movements for renewal or not - are way ahead in relationship to the hierarchy in the field of ecumenism. They are trans-confessional, they are not non-confessional. Together they live the common Christian values. They await spiritual direction from the priests and bishops, but no confessional recuperation.
Sometimes the bishops complain that the movements do not respect culture and traditions. But this is very important. The alternative is not traditional, inculturated and confessional or modern, transconfessional and without attachments to local traditions. The goal should be to go out of the treasure of traditions together, which allows building creatively and together a just and Christian future. This presupposes a new ecumenical spirit.
It could prove useful to train a group of priests and bishops from the different Churches and members of the movements to search this treasure together for useful traditions.

[00195-02.03] [UD128] [Original text: French]