FRANCIS TO WILDENSIANS: "FORGIVE US FOR HOW WE HAVE TREATED YOU"

by **Harry** Wed Jul 22, 2015 9:36 am

06/22/2015

Francis to Waldensians: “Forgive us for how we have treated you”
FRANCIS TO WILDENSIANS: "FORGIVE US FOR HOW WE HAVE TREATED YOU" Strumenti-new

[url=http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/index.php?eID=tx_cms_showpic&file=fileadmin%2Fuser_upload%2Fvaldesi_reuters.jpg&width=800m&height=600&bodyTag=&wrap= | <%2fa>&md5=9947bff15298fec222527996befcc608] FRANCIS TO WILDENSIANS: "FORGIVE US FOR HOW WE HAVE TREATED YOU" 518ccebfcd

FRANCIS TO WILDENSIANS: "FORGIVE US FOR HOW WE HAVE TREATED YOU" 518ccebfcd

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Francis arrives at the Waldensian Temple in Turin

On the second and last day of the Pope’s visit to Turin, he paid a historic visit – the first ever by a Pope – to the Waldensian Evangelical Church, Francis expressed an apology on behalf of the Catholic Church: “Forgive us for the non-Christian and even inhuman attitudes and behaviour that we have shown you. Let us walk together”

domenico agasso jr.
turin
This morning’s event was of historic significance even before it got going: this was the first time a Pope entered a Waldensian temple. But the importance of the visit took on even greater dimensions after the word the Pope addressed to Piedmont’s Evangelical Methodists: “On behalf of the Catholic Church I ask you to forgive us for the non-Christian and even inhuman attitudes and behaviour that we have shown you. In the name of Jesus Christ, please forgive us!” The Pope’s request immediately became a crucial step along the ecumenical path zealously undertaken by Jorge Mario Bergoglio.

On the second and last day of his two-day visit to the northern Italian city of Turin, the Pope left the Archbishop’s residence and drove to the Waldensian Temple by car. He was met at the entrance by the Moderator of the Waldensian Table, Pastor Eugenio Bernardini, the President of the Consistory of the Waldensian Evangelical Church of Turin, Sergio Velluto and the Pastor of the Evangelical Church of Turin, Paolo Ribet.

After Ribet and Bernardini’s initial speeches, the Pope took the floor, expressing his “great joy at being here with you today. The cordial welcome you have given me today reminds me of the meetings I had with friends from the Evangelical Waldensian Church of Rio de la Plata, whose spirituality and faith I had the chance to appreciate, as well as learn many great things.” The Pope then got to the point of this morning’s gathering, underlining that “one of the main fruits which the ecumenical movement has made it possible to gather over the years is the rediscovery of a fraternity that unites all believes of Jesus Christ and those who are baptised in his name”; this bond “is not based on human criteria alone but on the radical sharing of the fundamental experience of Christian life: encountering the love of God who manifests himself through Jesus Christ and the transforming action of the Holy Spirit which helps us along the journey of life.” Rediscovering this fraternity allows us to appreciate the strong bond that already unites us despite our differences.”

Francis recognises that “the communion process is still in progress - unity is achieved along a journey” but with prayer, continued conversion on a personal and community level and with the help of theologians, we hope and trust in the action of the Holy Spirit, that we will reach a full and visible communion in the spirit of truth and charity”.

The Argentinian Pope pointed out that “unity, which is the fruit of the Holy Spirit, does not mean uniformity. Indeed, brothers and sisters share the same origins but they are not identical among themselves. This is very clear in the New Testament, where, despite the fact that all those who shared in the same faith in Jesus Christ were called brothers and sisters, one realises that not all Christian communities they were a part of, had the same style or internal organisation. Even within the same community, you could glimpse different charisms and there were differences and sometimes clashes even in the announcement of the Gospel,” Francis recalled.

The Pope then touched on a very delicate subject, a “raw nerve”: “Unfortunately, in used to happen and still happens today that brothers and sisters do not accept their differences and end up going to war with one another. Looking back at the history of our relations, we cannot but feel sadness when we recall the arguments and violence committed in the name of one’s own faith. I ask the Lord to grant us the grace for us all to recognise ourselves as sinners and be able to forgive one another. It is thanks to God, who never gives up in the face of human sin, that new fraternal paths are opening up before us and we cannot back away from this. On behalf of the Catholic Church, I ask you to forgive us for the non-Christian and even inhuman attitudes and behaviour that we have shown you. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, please forgive us!”

After this request for forgiveness, the Pope presented his optimistic and hopeful outlook for the future. He expressed gratitude to the Lord, noting that relations between Catholics and Waldensians today are increasingly based on mutual respect and fraternal charity. There have been a number of occasions where we have had the chance to strengthen our relations. I think for example of how we collaborated in the publication of an inter-denominational translation of the Bible in Italian, of the pastoral understandings we reached for the celebration of marriage and more recently, our joint appeal for the countering of violence against women.” Of the many cordial exchanges we have had in different local contexts, where there is shared prayer and a shared study of the Scriptures, I would like to recall the ecumenical exchange of gifts at Easter in Pinerolo (near Turin), between Waldensian Church in Pinerolo and the Diocese. The Waldensian Church offered Catholics wine for the celebration of the Easter Vigil and the Catholic Diocese offered its Waldensian brothers and sisters the bread for the Holy Supper on Easter Sunday. This gesture goes way beyond a simple act of kindness and gives us a foretaste, in a way, of the unity of the Eucharistic meal which we yearn for.”

The Pope sees these steps as an impulse “to continue walking together”. And on this subject, Francis had one proposal in particular to make: “One area in which ample possibilities for co-operation between Waldensians and Catholics are opening up, is evangelisation. In the awareness that the Lord preceded us and always precedes us in love, let us approach the men and women of today who sometimes seem so distant and indifferent, to communicate to them the key message of the Gospel, in other words, “the beauty of the saving love of God made manifest in Jesus Christ who died and rose from the dead”(Apostolic Exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium”, 36).

The Pope called for the differences between Catholics and Waldensians on “important anthropological and ethical issues that continue to exist, not to prevent us from finding ways to work together in these and other fields. If we walk together, the Lord will help us to live in that communion which comes before all conflict”.

Francis continued by adding that “another area in which we can increasingly work together is the service we offer to those who suffer, to the poor, the sick and to migrants”. Because from the liberating action of grace in each and every one of us, derives the need to testify the mercy of God who takes care of everyone, particularly those in need. The choice of the poor, the destitute and those whom society excludes, brings us closer to the heart of God, who became poor in order to enrich us with his poverty and as a consequence, it brings us closer to one another.”

Francis again expressed his gratitude for this morning’s meeting expressing the hope that it will set in stone a new way of being with one another: focusing first and foremost on the greatness of our shared faith and our life in Christ and the Holy Spirit and only then at the differences between us. I assure you that I will think of you in my prayers and I ask you to please pray for me, I need it.”

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