wfn.org | Committee recommends continuing Catholic conversations, rejects NCC

[PCUSA NEWS <PCUSA.NEWS@ecunet.org>]

Note #6593 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

proposal
11-June-2001
GA01038

Committee recommends continuing Catholic conversations, rejects NCC proposal

by Midge Mack

LOUISVILLE, June 11 - The Assembly Committee on Catholicity and Ecumenical
Relations voted to recommend that Presbyterian bodies continue conversations
with the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity of the Roman
Catholic Church. But the committee will not recommend an overture that would
require tighter oversight and detailed annual fiscal reporting from the
National Council of Churches (NCC).

	The vote came during the first day of committee work during the 213th
General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

	Following the first-ever conversations between the PC(USA) and the Catholic
Church during in the past year, the General Assembly Committee on Ecumenical
Relations desired to acknowledge the Catholic Church as part of the body of
Christ, offering to form appropriate language to describe this new
relationship. The Assembly committee recommends this action to the full
Assembly along with measures that open the door to future developments.
These include a future joint study of events in the 16th and 17th centuries,
leading to our divisions.

Also included is the possibility of inviting the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops to join us in a study of baptism that will enable us to affirm each
other's baptisms.

	The committee voted not to recommend Overture 01-40 from Savannah
Presbytery concerning the NCC on the basis that the two-year old Committee
on Ecumenical Relations has a plan of action for closer oversight of
activities and fiscal responsibility of all ecumenical partner bodies.

	The Assembly Committee also welcomed and heard messages from several
individuals representing partner nations around the world. These included
churchmen from reformed church bodies in Sudan, Ireland, Croatia, Malaysia,
and Malawi.

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