His Holiness Benedict XVI sent a note to the assembly of the Reformed Church of France during its annual meeting. The Reformed Church received the note with surprise and gratitude. It had been one of the most critical of Benedict XVI's election.
The Protestant Federation of France -- of which the Reformed Church is the largest member -- stood out among the well-wishers after Benedict's election on April 19 by bluntly expressing its concern about him and demanding "a sign of ecumenical openness."
The Pope had responded to such criticism immediately after his election:
In his first address as Pope, Benedict said he was "willing to do everything in my power to promote the fundamental cause of ecumenism ... and am fully determined to accept every initiative that seems opportune to promote contact and understanding."
No comments:
Post a Comment