Ecumenical Update
11 March 2010
The annual Women’s World Day of Prayer took place on Friday (5 March). I find it interesting that this world wide ecumenical service happens every year. Women (and men!) gather each year for a service devised by women of a particular country. This year it was devised by the women of Cameroon. People who might not attend a local ecumenical service would never miss this service.
Why is that? This day has a lone history beginning with an idea in USA and Canada in the 19th century and evolving through the years until the first international committee was formed in 1897. The first service in this country was in 1928. Catholics were encouraged to join in 1968. In 1982 the service was devised by the women of Ireland, both north and south. Now there are 3,000 branches in our islands with 5,000 services every year. Mimi Barton from Marlborough is the national chairman at the moment. When we think ecumenism is tired look at the enthusiasm of the women!
In ‘The Tablet’ published on 13 February there is an article by Cardinal Kasper entitled ‘Still a place for optimism’. He speaks of the many dialogues between the Catholic Church and other denominations which have been taking place for 40 years or more and how these dialogues should be connected to the local and not happening in the ether somewhere. I quote: “Ecumenical dialogue is perhaps in danger of becoming a matter for specialists and thus moving away from the grass roots. But our theological dialogues will only bear fruit only of they are undertaken in a wider church context. They must be supported by the faithful, for it is only in this way that the fruits can sustain and inspire the dialogues themselves. We must therefore reflect further on how to implement a better interaction between all dimensions of dialogue and embark on a people centred ecumenism.”
What can we do to make the dialogues more grounded in the local?
Cardinal Kasper’s book ‘Harvesting the Fruits’ a compendium of the dialogues is published by Continuum and is widely available.
Our previous ecumenical update is still online.
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