Pontifical Council for Christian Unity head, Cardinal Walter Kasper,
has warned that the church must undergo a "self-critical examination of
conscience" to confront the "exponential" rise of Pentecostal movements
but has raised hopes for closer Catholic-Orthodox relations.
"We shouldn't begin by asking ourselves what is wrong with the
Pentecostals, but what our own pastoral shortcomings are," Kasper told
the gathering, noting that such evangelical and charismatic groups
count 400 million faithful around the world, the Sun-Journal reports.
Cardinal Kasper's comments came on the eve of Saturday's ceremony to elevate 23 new cardinals.
Kasper said the rise of independent, often "aggressive" evangelical
movements in Africa and elsewhere had complicated the church's
ecumenical task. Nevertheless, Kasper told reporters that "ecumenism is
not an option but an obligation."
Kasper opened his remarks by updating the cardinals and
cardinal-designates on an important new document approved by a
Vatican-Orthodox theological commission that has been working to heal
the 1,000-year schism between the Catholic and Orthodox churches.
In the document, Catholic and Orthodox representatives both agreed
that the pope has primacy over all bishops - although they disagreed
over just what authority that primacy gives him.
Kasper told the cardinals that the document was an "important
turning point," since it marked the first time that Orthodox churches
had agreed there is a universal level of the church, that it has a
primate, and that according to ancient church practice, that primate is
the bishop of Rome - the pope.
Kasper said that the Vatican's relations with the Russian Orthodox
Church, in particular, had become "significantly smoother" in recent
years.
"We can say there's no longer a freeze but a thaw," Kasper said.
FULL STORY @
Pentecostal movements worry Vatican (Sun-Journal)
PHOTO