Do we really care about Christian unity? That was the challenging question posed by of one of my colleagues this morning, as he perceived a lack of interest in ecumenical issues in the Catholic community. His observation prompted a few questions of my own. Why might some Catholics feel that ecumenism isn’t a priority? And, ...read more

This post was submitted by Rev. Dr. Karen Hamilton, General Secretary of the Canadian Council of Churches.  A question that I often ask preachers and pastors is whether anyone in their congregations ever complains if the worship service goes longer than an hour and a half. At least, I ask Roman Catholic and Protestant preachers ...read more

“A zealous pastor, a humble religious, a faithful churchman, and an admirable human person” are just some of the words by which my fellow Basilian and biographer of our order, Fr. P. Wallace Platt, has described George Bernard Cardinal Flahiff. George Flahiff, born on 26 October 1905 in Paris, Ontario, was Superior General of the Basilian Fathers from ...read more

Tonight on Perspectives: A major new international interreligious dialogue initiative is inaugurated in Vienna, Austria with the Holy See playing an vital role as “Founding Observer”; A high ranking Vatican official expects little change in church-state relations with the new Chinese government; and we take a look at Catholic-Orthodox dialogue fifty years after Vatican II. ...read more

It’s easy to take ecumenism for granted in Canada, even during this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Of course, the full expression of visible unity has not been achieved, and won’t likely occur within our lifetime. But we have grown so accustomed to respectful relations and cooperative efforts on social issues that our prayers ...read more

Benedict XVI celebrated Vespers on January 25 to mark both the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul and the end of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The liturgy, which was attended by representatives of various Christian denominations, took place at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside-the-Walls. The video of his homily is ...read more

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity concludes Wednesday on the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle. Tomorrow we get to hear the Pope’s reflections on Christian unity as he presides over Vespers at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome. He will be joined by representatives of other ...read more

Last week I blogged about the importance of the Second Vatican Council in the life of the Church, and the responsibility of all Catholics to be proactive with the graces entrusted to them.  The fruits of that Council, namely the documents themselves and the broader shift in ecclesial mentality, are perhaps the greatest and most ...read more

What’s the difference between saying, ‘We come to pray together’ and ‘We come together to pray’? What is the difference between proselytizing, evangelizing and dialogue? Do these actions mutually exclude each other? These are some of the questions most people have when it comes to interfaith dialogue. It quickly becomes about fine distinctions and nuanced ...read more

Here is Pope Benedict XVI’s speech in the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Assisi, Italy, before representatives of the world’s religions and non-believers: Dear Brothers and Sisters, Distinguished Heads and Representatives of Churches, Ecclesial Communities and World Religions, Dear Friends, Twenty-five years have passed since Blessed Pope John Paul II first invited representatives ...read more