杏MAP导航

By Christopher Wells

Representatives of Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, and Protestant churches and ecclesial communities took part in a press conference presenting the Ecumenical Vigil of Prayer that 杏MAP导航 Francis has proposed will take place ahead of next fall鈥檚 General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.

A good step

鈥淭he fact that we start this [synod] in an ecumenical way is quite new,鈥� said Frère Alois, the prior of the ecumenical Taizé Community, which is helping to organize the event. Frère Alois, whose intervention at the opening of the Synod on Synodality helped inspire the initiative, noted, too, that 鈥渢he fact that we start with a prayer vigil is also new in the history of synods.鈥�

He said it is 鈥渁 good step鈥� that can help people understand that the synod is not intended simply to be a meeting where Church leaders discuss their problems, but is instead, a meeting of Christians coming together.鈥�

Frère Alois was one of several ecumenical leaders who spoke with Vatican Radio about synodality and ecumenism on the sidelines of Monday鈥檚 press conference.

Press conference on the Ecumenical Prayer Vigil

The spirit of humility

Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, the representative of the Armenian Apostolic Church to the Holy See highlighted the 鈥渟pirit of humility鈥� that can be seen in the invitation to other churches 鈥� such as the Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox churches 鈥� 鈥渢o present their traditions, their experiences.鈥� He added that listening to others and being open to learning from them is already a 鈥渨onderful spirit.鈥�

The Archbishop pointed to the Armenian Church鈥檚 centuries-long experience of synodality, saying that synodality in his community 鈥渋s all for the growth of the Church, for the good of the Church.鈥� He praised the Catholic Church for its openness to learning, while noting that Armenian Church can also learn from Catholics: 鈥淟earning from each other is a great way of carrying [forward] the mission of Christ,鈥� he said.

Archbishop Khajag Barsamian

Giving space to different voices

The Anglican Communion was also represented at Monday鈥檚 press conference, in the person of Archbishop Ian Ernest, the Archbishop of Canterbury鈥檚 Personal Representative to the Holy See. He, too, pointed to his community鈥檚 experience of synodality. The synodal process in the Catholic Church, he said, 鈥渋s for me very positive in the sense that we, who from the Anglican Communion have lived through synods and the synodal process, we鈥檝e seen how the Church has been giving space to different voices.鈥�

Referring to comments by Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, who responded to questions about tensions in the synod process, Archbishop Ernest said, 鈥淭hese voices have brought tensions鈥� But when the tensions are under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and brought into prayer, definitely it will bring fruit.鈥� He said the Catholic Church is definitely on a pathway where voices which have not been heard are being heard today, where the cries of the people鈥� are being heard.鈥�

He welcomed the initiative of an Ecumenical Prayer Vigil, saying he would be 鈥渋nviting people to pray for it and inviting people to join us on that day,鈥� adding that it would also be an opportunity for 鈥� a sort of introspection of our own selves as a communion.鈥�

Archbishop Ernest added, 鈥淭hese are exciting times for the church worldwide, not only for the Catholic Church. But we have to expect that there will be challenges, difficulties, threats. But: God is in charge.鈥�

Archbishop Ian Ernest

Let鈥檚 come together

The Ecumenical Prayer Vigil pioneered by 杏MAP导航 Francis is an example of the joint paths of synodality and ecumenism in action. How those journeys will proceed has yet to be discovered, said Frère Alois. 鈥淔or the moment, we have this first step in the beginning,鈥� he said, explaining that it will be up to the leaders of the synod 鈥渢o find out how to give space to these moments of unity and prayer during the synodal process.鈥�

In the meantime, he offered an invitation to all those interested in the Synod, saying, 鈥淟et鈥檚 come together. Let鈥檚 be more aware that we are a people, that we are the people of God all together.鈥�

Frère Alois