Reformed leader: Pope Francis a partner, a friend for peace
(Vatican Radio) The streets of Assisi are always peopled with pilgrims and tourists from every race and all walks of life. These days in Assisi, however, many can be seen wearing a particular lanyard with the Thirst for Peace emblem emblazoned on it. They are here for three days of dialogue ahead of the World Day of Prayer for Peace, which this year is marking the 30th anniversary of its first celebration under Pope St. John Paul II.
The Sant’Egidio community, which Pope St. John Paul II charged with carrying forward the message and the “spirit” of Assisi, has organized these days in order to take a measure of the progress made over the past three decades and – with the help of Pope Francis’ presence on Tuesday, September 20th, for the culminating event – to rekindle a sense of urgency and universal duty to pray and work for peace.
Despite our differences – which are real and honestly felt – the desire for peace is, like the longing for the divine source of its being, built into the human person. It is to this profound and enduring truth of human nature that participants are gathered to give witness, each according to his or her best lights.
One participant, the General Secretary of the Communion of Reformed Churches, Rev. Chris Ferguson, told Vatican Radio the Reformed communities have found the World Day of Prayer for Peace to be a propitious occasion for renewing commitment to oneness in faith for all disciples of Christ and to celebrate the unity of the human family. “To be Reformed Christians is to be ecumenical, and to be ecumenical is to embrace solidarity with all humanity, he said. Rev. Ferguson went on to say, “‘All things to God’s glory,” is a maxim of the Reformed ethos, “and we echo the Church Fathers in saying, ‘God’s glory are human beings fully alive.’”
Rev. Ferguson also told us the contribution of Pope Francis to the quest for peace in the spirit of Assisi.
“We [Reformed leaders] had the privilege of meeting with Pope Francis in June, and we said that we were brought together by a strong sense of urgency and a strong sense of joy: joy at our common accomplishments.” He went on to say, “Pope Francis, for us, is a dialogue partner, a leader, and – in that sense – a friend of our common efforts.”
Listen to the full interview:
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