Cardinal Koch: Catholic Church has strong collaboration with WCC

(Vatican Radio) The 10th Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) opened on in Busan, Korea, with the theme “God of life, lead us to justice and peace.”

The opening service of common prayer on the first day of the assembly honoured diverse faith traditions from around the world. The gathering prayer included deeply moving litanies of lamentations, cries and hopes from the churches in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, North America and the Pacific.

Although it is not a member, the Catholic Church has a large delegation attending the meeting, led by the President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Cardinal Kurt Koch.

“The Catholic Church is not only an observer, because we have a strong collaboration with the WCC,” he told Vatican Radio. “First with Faith and Order, we collaborate with this Centre, and then the Joint Working Group that we have between the WCC and the Catholic Church, and I think the two ways are very beautiful, and it is always clear that we must deepen [the ties], but I think they are good ways to the future.”

Cardinal Koch said the WCC has a two-prong approach to healing Christian divisions.

“From the beginning of the World Council of Churches, we have two paths,” he said. “The first is Life and Work, that is practical; and Faith and Order, that is theological…I think we must go in the two steps.”

Listen to the full interview by Philippa Hitchen with Cardinal Koch: