Tag: Mennonite World Conference

Remembering the Cloud of Witnesses: 2nd Ecumenical Conference on 16th-century Martyrdom

PRESS RELEASE
Mennonite World Conference
August 12, 2004

COLLEGEVILLE, Minnesota — Mennonite and Catholic historians and theologians continued the study of 16th-century religious martyrdom that began last year. Discussions at Saint John’s Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in Minnesota, July 26-28, included plans to form an ecumenical institute for on-going scholarly research on this topic.

The conference was entitled, “Sixteenth century martyrdom in ecumenical perspective.” Ivan Kauffman, a Washington, D.C.-based writer and one of the conference organizers, provided this framework: “The church today stands between a past marred by extensive violence and a future committed to peacemaking. We must somehow connect our historical past to our very different future.”

Sixteenth-century martyrdom became a topic of ecumenical discussion when, in 1998, the Mennonite World Conference entered into a five-year dialogue with the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity. Two major contributors to the international dialogue, Drew Christiansen, S.J., and Helmut Harder, spoke at this year’s martyrs conference.

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Confession and Forgiveness Mark Anabaptist-Reformed Conference

NEWS RELEASE
Mennonite World Conference

For Immediate Release
July 9, 2004

Zurich, Switzerland – Christians from the Zwinglian Reform tradition and the Anabaptist global church confessed sins that separated them 500 years ago and extended forgiveness to each other at an event called “remarkable and memorable.” Settings for the Reformed-Anabaptist Reconciliation Conference were the Grossmunster and nearby Limmat River in the city of Zurich on June 26.

Throughout the day, some 400 people, representing four continents and the two traditions, took steps toward new understanding of what drove them apart and new relationships as brothers and sisters with a common vision.

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Sidebar

Report from Mennonite – Catholic Dialogue now available

“Called Together to Be Peacemakers,” the final report of the international dialogue that occurred from 1998-2003 between representatives of the Mennonite World Conference and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Church Unity, was released in February.  Thanks to the gracious help of the MWC office in Strasburg, France, we have been able to make the report available on the web.  You will find a link to the document at http://www.bridgefolk.net/theology/dialogue.

The release of any such document would be a major event in Mennonite – Catholic relations, but the document makes major substantive contributions on many points.  Chapter 1 endeavors to narrate the history that separated Mennonites from Catholics in a way that both can accept.  Chapter 2 takes up three key theological concerns: the nature of the church, understandings of sacraments/ordinances, and the call to peacemaking.  Chapter 3 closes with confessions of past sin that invite Mennonites and Catholics to move forward through a “healing of memories.”

While reading and reflecting on the document, begin thinking about how you might use it to encourage local dialogues between Mennonites and Catholics in your own setting.

Mennonite-Catholic International Dialogue Report Going to Churches

NEWS RELEASE
Mennonite World Conference

For Immediate Release
April 7, 2004

At first thought, a small group of Mennonites and a Vatican delegation seem to be unlikely conversation partners. But maybe not. Five-plus years after they first met for a formal Dialogue, seven representatives from Mennonite World Conference (MWC) and seven from the Catholic Church’s Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity have issued a Report of their conversations. Its title hints at the intention of the meetings, as well as their tone–“Called Together to Be Peacemakers.”

But the conversations and the Report are only one part of the process for MWC. Another part is just beginning. Mennonite World Conference is forwarding copies of the Report to all of its member churches for their “study and reaction.” The English document has been translated into French; a Spanish translation is underway.

“On the MWC side, we are now entering a broadening stage in the process,” explained MWC Executive Secretary Larry Miller, who was one of the participants in the conversations. “This Report is not a kind of Encyclical handed down from the MWC office. Instead, it is intended to be reviewed and explored by Mennonites and Brethren in Christ around the world–from the point of view of their own contexts and convictions.” Continue reading “Mennonite-Catholic International Dialogue Report Going to Churches” →

Mennonite-Catholic dialogue featured in Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano

International Contacts Between Mennonites and Catholics

by John A. Radano

For its relationship with Mennonites, the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity is in touch with the Mennonite World Conference (MWC) whose central office is in Strasbourg, France. Those communities from different parts of the world adhering to the MWC consist altogether of about one million persons.

There were two important contacts in this past year. First, the President of the MWC, Dr. Mesach Kristeya accepted the invitation of Pope John Paul II to participate in the “Day of Prayer for Peace in the World” January 24, 2002, in Assisi, and read one of the ten statements of commitment in the third part of that day. Second, another session took place of the international dialogue organized by the MWC and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. Continue reading “Mennonite-Catholic dialogue featured in Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano“ →

Joint news release: Mennonite-Catholic International Dialogue

JOINT PRESS RELEASE
Mennonite World Conference (MWC) and
Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
November 14, 2002

AKRON, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. – The fifth meeting of the Mennonite-Catholic international dialogue took place at the headquarters of the Mennonite Central Committee, Akron, Pennsylvania, October 25-31, 2002. Co-sponsored by the Mennonite World Conference (Strasbourg, France) and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (Vatican City), the dialogue began in 1998, has met annually since then and is working toward issuing a final report in 2003. Dr. Helmut Harder (Mennonite, Winnipeg, Canada) and Bishop Joseph Martino (Catholic, Philadelphia PA, USA) are co-chairmen. Continue reading “Joint news release: Mennonite-Catholic International Dialogue” →

World Religious Leaders Gathered in Assisi Seen as ‘Champions of Peace’

NEWS RELEASE
Mennonite World Conference (MWC)
February 4, 2002

ASSISI, Italy — Religion should never be used to justify violence, war or terrorism by any government or group in the current hostile world environment. Rather, all religions should together commit themselves to justice and peace. These strong beliefs led Pope John Paul II to invite leaders of world religions to gather here to pray for global peace.

The papal invitation to gather in Assisi, Italy on January 24, 2002 for a Day of Prayer for Peace in the World was issued to heads of numerous Christian denominations from Orthodox to Evangelical to Quaker, to leaders of the Jewish and Muslim faiths and of several Eastern religions. Among them was Mesach Krisetya, president of Mennonite World Conference, who came from Indonesia. Others came from as far as Korea, Japan, India and Russia as well as from nearby countries. Continue reading “World Religious Leaders Gathered in Assisi Seen as ‘Champions of Peace’” →

Joint News Release: Mennonite-Catholic International Dialogue

JOINT NEWS RELEASE
Mennonite World Conference and
Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
January 28, 2002

ASSISI, Italy – The fourth meeting of the Mennonite-Catholic international dialogue took place at St. Anthony’s Guest House of the Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement, in Assisi, Italy, November 27th-December 3rd, 2001. Co-sponsored by the Mennonite World Conference (Strasbourg) and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (Vatican City), the dialogue began in 1998 and is anticipated to run for at least five annual sessions after which it will issue a report. Dr. Helmut Harder (Mennonite, Winnipeg, Canada) and Bishop Joseph Martino (Catholic, Philadelphia PA, USA) are co-chairmen.

The presentations given in this session of the dialogue focused especially on two themes. On one theme concerning the sacraments, papers were presented on the Mennonite side by Dr. Helmut Harder (“What Anabaptists-Mennonite Confessions of Faith Say About Baptism and the Lord’s Supper”) and on the Catholic side by Rev. Dr. James F. Puglisi, SA, Rome (“Contemporary Theology of the Sacraments with Particular Attention to the Christian Initiation [Baptism and Eucharist]”). On a second theme concerning relations between church and state in the Middle Ages, papers were presented from the Mennonite perspective by Dr. Neal Blough, Paris, France (“From the Edict of Milan to Vatican II, via Theodosius, Clovis, Charlemagne and the Fourth Lateran Council”) and from the Catholic perspective by Dr. Peter Nissen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands (“Church and Secular Power[s] in the Middle Ages”). Continue reading “Joint News Release: Mennonite-Catholic International Dialogue” →

Mennonites and Catholics Find Common Ground on Adult Baptism

NEWS RELEASE
Mennonite World Conference (MWC)
January 28, 2002

ASSISI, Italy – Global Anabaptist-related churches may be surprised to learn that Catholics believe in baptizing adults on confession of faith. Wasn’t voluntary adult baptism at the root of the turmoil and persecution of Anabaptists in the 16th century in Europe?

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper were topics discussed here November 27 to December 3, 2001, at the fourth of five Mennonite-Catholic Dialogues begun in 1998. Continue reading “Mennonites and Catholics Find Common Ground on Adult Baptism” →