Newry, Northern Ireland
September 24 2002
The Reformed-Roman Catholic international dialogue met from September 18 to 24 2002 at Dromantine conference and retreat centre, Newry, Northern Ireland.
This was the fifth meeting of the third phase of dialogue, which focuses on the theme of the church as a community of common
witness to the kingdom of God. The meeting was organized by the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
The co-chairmen of the dialogue are the Most Rev Anthony Farquhar, Auxiliary Bishop of Down and Connor (Northern Ireland) and Professor Dr H Russel Botman, Uniting Reformed Church of Southern Africa (South Africa).
Papers were prepared for this meeting on the Reformed side by
- Professor Leo J Koffeman (Uniting Churches in the Netherlands): "The church as community/communion",
- Professor Rathnakara Sadananda (Church of South India): "The kingdom of God in the biblical tradition - a summary of the discussion"
and on the Catholic side by
- Rev John Fuellenbach SVD (Italy): "The church as koinonia - the basis for ecumenical dialogue: a
Catholic perspective",
- Dr Donna Geernaert SC (Canada): "The theme of kingdom of God in ecumenical dialogue",
- Rev William Henn OFM Cap (Italy), 3 papers: "The kingdom of God - history and tradition", "The kingdom of God - theological exposition", "The church as communion/community - creatura verbi et sacramentum gratiae",
- Rev Professor Benedict T. Viviano OP (Switzerland): "The kingdom of God and the church", and
- Dom Michel Van Parys OSB (Belgium): "The Holy Spirit, the kingdom of God and the church".
Other Reformed participants included Professor Heidi Hadsell (USA), Professor Dr Alasdair Heron (Germany), Rev Maria Luiza Rückert (Brazil), Professor Peter Wyatt (Canada), and Dr Odair Pedroso Mateus (Switzerland) who served as co-secretary. Professor Heron and Professor Koffeman served as co-chairs on the Reformed side in the absence of Professor Botman. Other Catholic participants included Rev Henry O'Brien (Scotland) and Msgr John Radano (Italy) who served as co-secretary.
Two case studies were also presented concerning the role of the churches in the conflict in Northern Ireland. Fr Timothy Bartlett (Northern Ireland) wrote on "The church as an instrument of the kingdom of God in Northern Ireland: a Catholic perspective", and Dr David Stevens, general secretary of the Irish Council of Churches, gave a Reformed view entitled, "The church as community of common witness to the kingdom of God."
To understand further the local situation, the dialogue team visited Belfast on the afternoon of Friday, September 20. They were
welcomed to St Peter's Cathedral by the Bishop of Down and Connor, Most Rev Patrick Walsh, after which Dr David Stevens led them through areas of Belfast associated with conflict. At the Ulster Television Centre later that day, Mr Alan Bremner, director of programming, and Mr Ken Reid, political correspondent, used excerpts of news programmes to illustrate various aspects of the conflict. Afterwards, Very Rev John Dunlop, a former moderator of the Presbyterian general assembly, and Msgr Thomas Toner, administrator of St Peter's Cathedral, discussed the cooperative efforts of the Protestant and Catholic clergy in processes of reconciliation.
On Sunday the dialogue members attended services in churches of their respective traditions. In the course of the week they were joined at dinner on various evenings by leaders of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, including the moderator, Dr Russell Birnie, the Clerk, Very Rev Dr Samuel Hutchinson, and Rev Dr Donald Watts, deputy clerk, and by Catholic bishops, namely, His Grace, Most Rev Sean Brady, Archbishop of Armagh, Most Rev John McAreavey, Bishop of Dromore, and Most Rev Gerard Clifford, Auxiliary Bishop of Armagh.
This is the third phase of international dialogue between the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the Roman Catholic Church. The report of the first phase (1970-1977) was entitled The Presence of Christ in Church and World. The report of the second phase (1984-1990) was called Toward a Common Understanding of the Church.
The next session will take place in Toronto, Canada, in August 2003.
