Sowing seeds of an ecumenical Springtime

One of the most significant events during the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity here in Rome is a lecture given by guest speakers at the Centro Pro Unione, followed by an ecumenical Celebration of the Word. The encounter takes place in the same room where bishops and lay experts gathered during the Second Vatican Council to draw up the decree on ecumenism Unitatis Redintegratio. The guest speaker on Thursday was the general secretary of the World Council of Churches, Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit who talked of the need for a greater spirit of mutual accountability among the different Christian communities. Following the lecture, Dr Fyske Tveit spoke with Philippa Hitchen about his vision for the ecumenical movement and about the importance of the church in Jerusalem as a model for dialogue amongst all people of faith....

“I try to say it is both a source to our unity, as what we have together are the gifts coming from Jerusalem…but also a matrix of what we are called to do”

"There is always a time for planting seeds in the ecumenical movement....in preparation for the next spring....I think also we now can plant seeds in terms of being willing to work together in many issues that were seen as reserved for the WCC - all Churches now talk about how we shall respond to climate change. In this I see seeds of doing something together which is more than just common action, it is also a deeper understanding of (the fact that) this is God's world and we are here to steward it together giving a joint Christian witness."

Dr Fykse Tveit also spoke about the effects of the financial crisis on the ecumenical movement and the importance of prayer ....
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