Tag: Ecumenism

ecumenical journey

An ecumenical journey walked together

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On 26/02/2021

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I have already shared in a previous text that I joined the World Council of Churches’ communications department almost two years ago. It marked the beginning of an incredible journey of reflection on what it means being a Roman Catholic Christian. 

Finding a book about ecumenism from the perspective of the Charisma of Unity was a natural move for me. The Focolare Movement has a substantial influence on how I experience faith and celebrate the diversity of God’s Creation.

The book “My Ecumenical journey” gathers all the crucial elements addressed by Chiara Lubich in her journey towards understanding ecumenism.

Following the path of Chiara, I captured the importance of three pillars:

  • a life inspired by the Gospel;
  • mutual love;
  • Jesus forsaken;

With these three elements, the global Christian community can walk together and make space for God to heal the past wounds and reveal a future towards a reconciled world.

God’s grace of unity within the different Churches is never a simple process. It demands openness and a personal commitment to an ecumenism of life, where we invest energy and time on finding elements that bring us together in the name of Jesus Christ. 

The book “My Ecumenical Journey” allowed me to discover what inspired Chiara to emphasise the path towards Cristian unity as a crucial step, and perhaps a precondition, to a united world.

Accepting the limits and the slow pace of this process can enable us to continue to walk together and strengthen our connection in a world too affected by physical and spiritual walls.

Mutual love

Systematically challenged to mutual love

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On 19/09/2020

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This year, I received as a gift the book “My Ecumenical Journey” by the founder of the Focolare Movement Chiara Lubich (1920-2008). The compilation of reflections about ecumenism is accompanying my morning meditation before I start to work.

One year ago, I joined the communication department of the World Council of Churches, a membership organization that works for the unity between Churches from different Christian denominations.

Believing in unity nowadays demands hope in something bigger than merely human goodwill. But Chiara Lubich’s reflections on “My Ecumenical Journey” give some key elements that can help us to walk together towards a shared space of empathy, acceptance and communion.

Those who want to contribute to a united world, particularly between the various Churches, are systematically challenged to mutual love.

“A love that leads each Church to become a gift for the others, so that we can foresee in the Church of the future that there will be just one truth, but that it will be expressed in different ways, seen from different viewpoints, made more beautiful by the variety of interpretations”,

Chiara Lubich, my EcumEnical journey.

Mutual love starts with us, though. We are invited to be the first to love and not to wait that love comes from someone else. But what can we do when love doesn’t become mutual? In moments where we can’t understand or accept each other, Jesus Forsaken remembers us the measure of God’s love, that overcome men’s fears, indifference, ignorance and even death.

In “The art of loving”, another inspiring book that I read recently, Erich Fromm recalls that “Love is not just a relationship with a particular person: it is an attitude, a character orientation that determines a person’s relationship with the world.”

Love is our final Christian call. And we, church people, can’t do it without ecumenism. Seeking unity between our Churches, acknowledging the richness of the many interpretations of the Gospel, is to accept the systematical challenge for loving each other and to testify a world where differences don’t necessarily trigger division.

Notes: On 23 September this text was also published on the WCC Blog

ecumenical

My most ecumenical year

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On 20/05/2020

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Today I celebrate my first year working for the most important ecumenical organisation in the world. The World Council of Churches is a fellowship that brings together hundreds of different churches from several denominations. 

In times when society seems increasingly divided, and faith is not rarely misused, working for a fellowship of churches can potentially be considered a waste of time. But I have testified how religious leaders play a crucial role in strengthening communities all across Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America. Sometimes faith provides an entry point whereas other institutions struggle to reach vulnerable people.

On 20 May 2019, I joined the Communication team of the Council. It was a moment in my career in which I was thirsty for a new challenge. I was hoping to be part of a team, and I needed to follow my life decision on choosing a workplace where I could share my knowledge and skills but also make a positive difference in peoples lives. 

Today, I can say that my journey at WCC has never been tedious. Never. I am challenged on a daily basis. But the most striking thing for me is that I can experience the beauty of ecumenism day by day.

In Geneva, most of the time, I share the office with a Latvian Lutheran man and a Greek Orthodox woman. God only knows how diverse we are! As a Catholic Brazilian growing up within the Focolare community, I simply can’t stress enough how fulfilled I am, as a Christian communicator working, particularly, with these two colleagues. It is beautiful to realise that despite our different faith backgrounds, our sometimes opposite worldviews, we are deeply connected by our love for communication and the strong commitment for justice and peace.

In my most ecumenical year, I understood that ecumenism is first and foremost a personal choice. The big lesson at the Council is that unity is a masterpiece that needs to be carefully crafted. And this presupposes my willingness to invest energy, skills, love and, especially, patience and compassion.

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