WITTENBERG, Germany (RNS/ENI) The Vatican official responsible for links with other churches has rejected suggestions of a “standstill” in the search for Christian unity.
“There has already been a lot of movement,” said Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. “I hope that there can be even more movement for the unity of the church, the cohesion of Christianity, and for common witness.”
In Wittenberg, the spiritual birthplace of the Protestant Reformation, Kasper attended a ceremony seeking closer ties between Catholics and other Christians.
“We have learned a lot in the last 50 years,” noted Kasper, a former professor of theology in Germany. “At the university I spent a lot of time teaching about Martin Luther, and I have learned from that experience too.”
Kasper was asked about comments by Bishop Wolfgang Huber, who retired at the end of October as Germany’s senior Protestant bishop, in which he said the Vatican had created “difficulties” for ecumenical dialogue in the past decade.
“Well, we caused each other difficulties,” said Kasper, laughing.
“Difficulties are sometimes from the one side and sometimes from the other, one should not overrate them. The basics, the direction is right and we should jointly continue the course.”
The Wittenberg event followed celebrations in Augsburg the previous day to mark the 10th anniversary of the Lutheran World Federation and the Roman Catholic Church signing an agreement about the doctrine of justification, a central point of contention at the time of the 16th-century Reformation.
At the 10th anniversary celebrations in Augsburg, Kasper had described the joint declaration as a sign of the workings of the Holy Spirit. “We cannot be thankful enough for that and for many, many other steps that have been possible since,” he said in a sermon at Augsburg Cathedral, the city where the declaration had been signed 10 years earlier. In 2006, the Methodist World Council also affirmed the joint declaration.
“The godless complain about the supposed standstill in the ecumenical movement and the miserable moan about what has not yet been achieved, forgetting all that has been given us in the last few years, all that is sheer ingratitude,” said the cardinal.
By Anli Serfontein
Copyright 2009 Religion News Service. All rights reserved. No part of this transmission may be distributed or reproduced without written permission.
Beliefnet
Advertisement
posted November 5, 2009 at 7:05 pm
” Kasper had described the joint declaration as a sign of the workings of the Holy Spirit.”
And what had the HS been doing the previous several hundred years? Tripartite poker game in Heaven?
“The godless complain about the supposed standstill in the ecumenical movement”
Speaking as one godless I have no idea why we’d be complaining about that. I think we’re safer with several openly competing Christian gods than with one official Christian god whose followers can, if they choose, concentrate on us godless.
I wonder if this guy was just telephoning in this interview.
posted November 7, 2009 at 5:32 pm
nnmns quote, “Speaking as one godless I have no idea why we’d be complaining about that. I think we’re safer with several openly competing Christian gods than with one official Christian god whose followers can, if they choose, concentrate on us godless”
So you admit you desire to keep Christians divided as a tactic. It makes it apparent why you support jest and H22 they fit your plans. I’m not mad at you, you are doing what you are supposed to do as a person who hates Christians and our God. I am often disappointed in H22 and jest they are more dangerous than you could ever be.
posted November 7, 2009 at 7:37 pm
Nnmms there is only one God, and you know Christians believe this, so you are just kicking at us, as per usual.
You distrust Jestrfyl and I ck because we are not fundamentalist Christians, it’s not necessary to slam us every time you get a chance. Be nice. By the way I’ve been called lots of things, but never dangerous 
posted November 7, 2009 at 11:15 pm
H22, it has nothing to do with fundamentalism, I don’t believe you guys are Christian at all. Of course it is up to God to judge you and not me but the Holy Spirit does give decernment. You attack Christians that try to stay true to the word, your views on creation limits God, you preach that God would create homosexuality, and every god is equal to our Lord. Yes you are a danger the bible warns about false gospel teachers as you and jest.
posted November 8, 2009 at 12:29 pm
I’m Christian ck. The Holy Spirit gives me decernment 24-7, since I was a baby. God made all men and women for who they are, and what he made was good. I have never stated my views on creation, so I don’t know what you are referring to. I’ve always believed in some way God created the Universe, does that make me a sinner to you? There is only one God that I know or would want to know. The Lord is his son, and equal to God. I hope this will stop you worrying about my dangerous Christian ideas. You’re next Jest.
posted November 8, 2009 at 4:22 pm
H22 quote, “I’m Christian ck. The Holy Spirit gives me decernment 24-7, since I was a baby”
That is just silly H. unless you are claiming to be a prophet.