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 Homepage | The person | The family | The friends | Sitemap | Search | Contact  News  Year 2005 Français | English | Español |  PrintEcumenism : First meeting with the Church Representatives Trosly-Breuil, 30 November–1 December 2004 This long awaited “historical” first meeting will remain a precious and important step in Faith and Light’s history along its path towards opening up to ecumenism. Rather than accomplishing a list of tasks, which was not the aim of the meeting, it was a simple and convivial time to meet each other, where sharing the gift of Faith and Light touched each person’s heart. Getting to know each other, listening to each other and hearing about the challenges faced by Faith and Light, visit of the Farm, coffee at the Val Fleuri, common reflection, unity in prayer. Each representative expressed their happiness over this first step and their desire to support Faith and Light in the best possible way. For its part, the Bureau is aware of the grace of being able to count on the more concrete support of the different Churches, thanks to the official existence of this group, full of hope for the future.  Reverend Ruth Patterson, Presbyterian Church Minister, Ireland (Representing the Prostestant Churches)  Reverend John Packer, Bishop of Leeds and Ripon, U.K. (Representing the Anglican Church)  Monseigneur Guy Harpigny, Bishop of Tournai, Belgium (Representing the Catholic Church)  Monseigneur Georges Abou Zakhem, Bishop of the Orthodox Patriarchate in Antioche, Bishop of Homs, Syria (Representing the Orthodox Churches) Mandate of the representatives  Monseigneur Guy Harpginy’s Testimony : From 30 November to 1st December last year, I was invited to participate in a Faith and Light meeting with three other Bishops or Church Ministers : John Packer, Bishop of the Anglican Communion in Leeds (UK), Ruth Patterson, Presbyterian Minister in Northern Ireland, Georges Abou Zakhem, Orthodox Bishop of the Patriarcathe in Antioche, Bishop of Homs (Syria). The reason behind the initiative to invite the ministers of several Churches and ecclesiastical communities comes from the fact that many of the Faith and Light communities on the planet are composed of people from different denominations. At the beginning, at its first pilgrimage to Lourdes in 1971, the movement was in the majority a Catholic one, but now there are a number of Orthodox, Anglican and Protestant communities. Sharing with the poor, persons with an intellectual disability, has led to sharing between the brothers and sisters in Churches and ecclesiastical communities who are praying for all Jesus’ disciples to become ONE. In order to truly discern what the Holy Spirit is proposing Faith and Light wants to have an institutional contact with the main Christian traditions. In the diocese, I would like Faith and Light Communities to gain more recognition as a place where there is sharing with the poor, and also where there is communion. As is often the case in the history of the Church, it’s often sharing with the poor that gives evangelical and spiritual signification to new projects. The pilgrimage to Lourdes in 1971, considered by Faith and Light’s founders as a calling from the Spirit, has become (thanks to the welcome given to people with intellectual disabilities in an astounding number of countries) a place where the Lord gives us the opportunity to have a strong experience of what Unity in the Church is. (Extract from the Editorial, Tournai Church, January 2005) |
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