UCC leaders attend Pope's ecumenical gathering
Written by staff reports April 18, 2008
Two UCC leaders will be attending an ecumenical prayer service with Pope Benedict XVI tonight in New York City.
General Minister and President John H. Thomas and Ecumenical Officer Lydia Veliko will join an ecumenical contingency of 200 heads of communion and other ecumenical leaders at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Manhattan.
"The opportunity to gather for prayer with key United States Catholic leaders in the context of Pope Benedict XVI's visit provides an occasion to encourage deeper Protestant Catholic relationships in our local communities," Thomas said. "As participants in many rounds of theological dialogue between Reformed Christians and Roman Catholics in the United States, we are committed to a vision of unity that can overcome the many differences that still inhibit a fully shared participation in God's mission here and throughout the world.
"I look forward to hearing a word of ecumenical hope from Pope Benedict that can be lived out between UCC churches and Catholic parishes around the country," Thomas said.
The two UCC leaders will be joined by three colleagues from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) -- the UCC's full-communion partner -- including the Rev. Michael Kinnamon, general secretary of the National Council of Churches, the Rev. Suzanne Webb, president of Churches Uniting in Christ, and the Rev. Sharon E. Watkins, the Disciples' general minister and president.
Pope Benedict XVI arrived on April 15 for his first visit to the United States. He was greeted by President Bush and the First Lady, who are hosting a reception today on the south lawn of the White House for the pontiff, according to the official website for the pope's U.S. visit.
Benedict will address the United Nations this morning. On Sunday morning, Benedict will visit Ground Zero, where he will meet with some family members of victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. That afternoon, he will preside at a Mass at Yankee Stadium. He leaves New York on Sunday evening and will arrive at the Vatican on Monday.
Rebecca Woods, news editor of DisciplesWorld, contributed to this story.