Pope meets Evangelical leaders to discuss religious
freedom
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| A woman at a Presbyterian church in Juba, South Sudan, takes part in a prayer session for justice and peace.- AFP |
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis met on Thursday with leaders of
the World Evangelical Alliance who were in Rome to discuss
closer cooperation with the Catholic Church, especially regarding issues
of religious freedom.
The WEA is a network of Protestant Churches in 129 nations
representing more than 600 million evangelical Christians worldwide. Its
secretary general, Bishop Efraim Tendero, was leading the
delegation to the papal audience and for talks with the Pontifical Council for
Promoting Christian Unity.
He talked to Philippa Hitchen about his hopes for
strengthening practical cooperation with Catholics in countries around the
globe..
Bishop Efraim said he is bringing to the Pope a “call for
closer partnership” in protecting religious freedom, promoting the distribution
of bibles and addressing social justice issues. “We want to see this world to
be a place where peace, justice and righteousness reign”, he says, “where
everyone has a decent standard of living, and where Jesus Christ is recognised
as Lord of all.”
Searching for common agenda
He notes that the WEA and the Pontifical Council have just
completed seven years of dialogue, culminating in a joint document on Scripture
and Tradition. While major theological differences remain, he says, it’s
increasingly important to “look for a common agenda”, rather than “focus on
what differs and what pulls us apart”.
Prior to his appointment as head of the WEA, Bishop Efraim
served as for over 20 years as National Director of the Philippine Council of
Evangelical Churches and as President of the Philippine Relief and Development
Services, working to support the poor and needy.
Ecumenism in the Philippines
In the country which is 80 percent Roman Catholic, he says
ecumenical relations are very good and he was recently asked to address a
retreat for the Filipino bishops conference. There is also strong practical
cooperation on issues including human trafficking, combating climate change,
fighting corruption, promoting peace, and providing relief and development for
victims of the many typhoons which affect the region.
Also attending the papal audience was Rev. Thomas K.
Johnson, the WEA’s Religious Freedom Ambassasdor to the Vatican.
He explains why there is an urgent need to join forces to combat the increasing
persecution of Christians worldwide.
Worsening persecution of Christians
Johnson notes the problem is not confined to one particular
area of the globe but he says the last three years may have seen the worst
persecution in the whole history of the Christian Church.
He recalls the important international consultation that
took place two years ago in the Albanian capital, Tirana, on discrimination,
persecution and martyrdom. Representatives of the WEA, the Vatican, the World
Council of Churches and the Pentecostal world discussed ways of responding to
the problem “in a unified manner”.
Hopes for joint educational materials
While Johnson admits there are still problems of
discrimination between Evangelicals and Catholics in some countries, he adds
that Evangelicals have always been made to feel “very welcome in the Vatican”.
As a philosophy professor and human rights specialist, he is
particularly interested in Catholics and Evangelicals publishing “education
materials that we’ve developed together”. While no-one is expecting any major
pronouncements from Thursday’s meeting, he says the small steps undertaken
together can lead “to a broader coalition over years” and reinforce the message
that, “Christians of all varieties need to be protecting each other in the
public square”.
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