Vi leser at Kardinal Kasper nylig har utgitt ei bok om resultatene av 40 år med økumeniske samtaler etter Vatikankonsilet: A new book on ecumenism, written by members of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, was presented at the Vatican today by Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the same council. The book aims to look “both to the past and to the future» of ecumenical efforts. The new work, which is entitled «Harvesting the Fruits. Basic Aspects of Christian Faith in Ecumenical Dialogue. Ecumenical Consensus, Convergences and Differences,» was recently published by the London-based publisher Continuum.
Cardinal Kasper explained at the Vatican’s press office that the new publication «is the result of two years of intense efforts I undertook with officials of my pontifical council, in collaboration with our consultors and ecumenical partners.”
The work is dedicated to analyzing the main Protestant communities that were the first to establish ties with the Church following the Second Vatican Council, as well as examining the current situation, «with an eye both to the past and to the future,» the cardinal explained.
During the presentation, Cardinal Kasper also announced that a symposium, due to be held in February 2010, will use the book as its starting point to discuss the future of Western ecumenism.
I den forbindelse sier Kasper også at pave Benedikt snart skal besøke den lutehrske kirken i Roma – men så langt er ingen dato fastsatt.
På et annet nettsted leser vi også følgende: As far as the book is concerned, Cardinal Kasper said that even the people working on it were «positively surprised at how much has been accomplished in these years. It is a very rich harvest that overcomes the polemics and the great historical problems of the Reformation.»
The cardinal said he knows that «even among some members of the Roman Curia» there sometimes is a feeling that ecumenism «has not borne any fruit and left us with our hands empty.»
But «that is not the official opinion» of the church, he said, pointing out that Cardinal William J. Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, is also a member of the council for Christian unity, and read the first draft of the book and made suggestions.
Also, he said, Pope Benedict XVI and Cardinal Levada were given the first copies of the completed edition of «Harvesting the Fruits.»