INTERNATIONAL CATHOLIC-PENTECOSTAL DIALOGDE

July 18-25, 1992

The third meeting of the fourth phase of the Catholic-Pentecostal Dialogue was held in Rocca di Papa, July 18-25, 1992, at the center Mondo Migliore. The meeting was co-sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and several Classical Pentecostal Churches and leaders.

At this meeting, Pastor Justus du Plessis, who had chaired the Pentecostal team with distinction since 1982, resigned his office and was elected co- chairman emeritus. Rev. Cecil M. Robeck, Jr. (Assemblies of God, Pasadena, California, D.S.A.) was elected co-chairman by the Pentecostal team. Other members elected to the Pentecostal Steering Committee were Rev. Ronald Kydd (Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, Keene, Ontario, Canada), co-secretary, and Rev. James D. Jenkins (Church of God, Cleveland, TN, Jackson, Mississippi, D.S.A.), member at large. Fr. Kilian McDonnell, O.S.B. (St. John's University, Collegeville, Minnesota, D.S.A) served as co-chair and Rev. Heinz-Albert Raem, (Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Vatican City), as co-secretary on the Catholic side.

The general topic chosen for this meeting was: Evangelization and Culture (secularization). Theological position papers were prepared by Fr. Hervé Legrand, O.P. (Professor at the Institut catholique of Paris) on the Catholic side focusing on the European context, while the Pentecostal study, offered by Rev. Everett Wilson (Southern California College, Costa Mesa, California, Assemblies of God), presented a perspective on Latin America. Pentecostals and Catholics agreed that there is no genuine evangelization without the direct and explicit call to repentance and reconciliation to God through Jesus Christ. Evangelization involves (1) conversion, that is, internal change, and (2) being incorporated into a Christian community. Issues discussed included: the challenges to proclamation found in global cultural change; the tension which appears between Catholics and Pentecostals in various contexts, and the importance of dialogue in resolving it.

Although the unity of the Church is a concern of Pentecostals and Roman Catholics alike, the dialogue has not had as its goal or its subject either organic or structural union. These discussions were meant to develop a climate of mutual understanding in matters of faith and practice and to find points of genuine agreement as well as to indicate areas in which further dialogue is required.

Delegates officially sent to the dialogue from the Pentecostal side included Rev. James D. Jenkins (Church of God Cleveland TN, Jackson, Mississippi, U.S.A.); Rev. Japie Lapoorta, (Apostolic Faith Mission, Kuils River, Republic of South Africa); Rev. François Moller, (Apostolic Faith Mission, Sandton, Republic of South Africa); Rev. Steve Overman (International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, Eugene, Oregon, D.S.A.); Rev. Coleman Phillips (International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, Escondido, California, D.S.A.).

Other Pentecostal participants included: Rev. Gary B. McGee (Assemblies of God, Springfield, MO, D.S.A.) and Rev. Miroslav Volf (Croatian Pentecostal Church, Osijek, Croatia).

Pentecostals attending as observers were : Ms. Marta Palma (Misiόn Iglesia Pentecostal, Santiago, Chile), Rev. Everett Wilson (Assemblies of God, Southern California College, Costa Mesa, California), and Rev. Huibert Zegwaart (Broederschap van Pinkstergemeenten, The Netherlands).

Roman Catholic participants also included Rev. Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, O.F.M. Cap., (Milan, Italy); Fr. John C. Haughey, S.J. (Loyola University, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.); Fr. Hervé Legrand, O.P. (Institut Catholique, Paris, France); Fr. Karl Muller, S.V.D. (St. Augustin, Germany); Msgr. John A. Radano, (Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Vatican City); Rev. John Redford, (Maryvale Institute, Birmingham, England); Sr. Helen Rolfson, O.S.F. (St. John's University, Collegeville, Minnesota, USA).

[Information Service 82 (1993/I) 28-29]