New WCC leader says cooperation with Catholic Church important

(August 29, 2009) The newly elected general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC) said he believes it is important to maintain and develop cooperation with the Catholic Church. "The contribution of the Roman Catholic Church to theological work, and also in regard to many social and ethical problems, is very important," the Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit, a Norwegian theologian and pastor, told Vatican Radio on Friday, a day after his election. "The Roman Catholic Church is a universal church, and the World Council of Churches for its part is a global institution, and this opens the road to many exchanges of experience and to a shared evaluation of current challenges," said 48-year old Tveit, a member of the (Lutheran) Church of Norway. He said he hoped to meet with Pope Benedict XVI, "although not immediately." He said he would speak about their common faith and common challenges. Rev. Tveit is scheduled to take over on Jan. 1 from Rev. Samuel Kobia, a Methodist minister from Kenya, who has been serving as WCC general secretary since Jan. 1, 2004. The Roman Catholic Church is not a member of the World Council of Churches, although for 40 years a Vatican-WCC joint working group has promoted cooperation and collaboration. The Geneva-based World Council of Churches is a fellowship 349 Orthodox, Anglican, Protestant, United and other denominations in more than 110 countries.