WCC NEWS: WCC speaker addresses Catholic superiors general

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World Council of Churches - News

WCC SPEAKER ADDRESSES CATHOLIC SUPERIORS GENERAL

For immediate release: 30 January 2012

How is Christian identity defined today? What is the relationship
between Christian identity, spirituality, religious plurality and
Christian-self understanding? Rev. Carlos Emilio Ham addressed these and
other questions at the International Union of Superiors General’s (UISG)
Assembly of the Constellation of Rome, on 12 January.

“Our identity is always defined in relation to the other. As human beings
we are not individual islands,” said Ham, who serves as the programme
executive for Diakonia, and Latin America and the Caribbean, at the World
Council of Churches (WCC).

“Rather, our identity or ‘sameness’, relates to affinities and
affiliations, to forms of belonging, to experiences of commonality,
connectedness and cohesion,” he added.

Ham was addressing the theme “Who do you say that I am? (Lk 9:20): Our
identity in relation to the other” at this assembly of the UISG, an
international forum where superiors general of institutes of religious
Catholic women share experiences, exchange information and mentor one
another in their role as leaders.

Based on the gospel text, Ham said that “Beyond the question of identity
is the issue of confession”, and added, “We are called not only to
confess the Messiah, as Peter did, but also to be faithful disciples, and
the nature of our discipleship always reflects our understanding of Jesus'
lordship.”

Reflecting on the concepts of religious plurality and Christian
self-understanding, Ham also emphasized the significance of embracing the
“other”.

“The work of the Spirit shows that at the heart of the Christian faith
lies an attitude of hospitality that embraces the ‘other’ in their
otherness,” he said.

Ham called his participation at the UISG an honour, and thanked Josune
Arregui, executive secretary of the UISG, for the kind invitation.

He also appreciated the initiatives of dialogue carried out by the UISG, in
collaboration with other religious congregations within the Roman Catholic
Church, with other confessions and the larger society.

Read full text of the presentation  (Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=f3ccd1ce34ff9e87a715
)

More information on the International Union of Superiors General
(Link: http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=a9edde5adb28b81c720d )

Christian self-understanding amid many religions (Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=81d696a5c551bb3ab771 )

(Link: http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=5a9154fdb58fdefaaf47 )
Joint Working Group with the Roman Catholic Church (Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=c96ae73a403481508994 )
(Link: http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=346f485ddfa10eeecfe1 )


The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness 
and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of 
churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 349 Protestant, 
Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 560 million 
Christians in over 110 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman 
Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, 
from the [Lutheran] Church of Norway. Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.



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