INTERNATIONAL CATHOLIC - PENTECOSTAL DIALOGUE

Collegeville, Minnesota (USA) 25-29 October 1982

The tenth session of the dialogue between the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity of the Roman Catholic Church and representatives of Classical Pentecostal Churches took place at St john's Abbey, Collegeville, Minnesota from 25-29 October. The meeting concluded the second quinquennium, or five year term, of these conversations.

The session included the discussion of the topic of ministry. This topic was discussed at the previous gathering of the dialogue in Vienna (1981) but it was felt that the time allotted then was insufficient. The subject was completed at this meeting and the final report of the quinquennium contains a summary of the discussions on this matter. The papers on this topic were “A Pentecostal Perspective of the Church and its Ministry” by H. David Edwards, President of Elim Bible Inst., Lima, N.Y. and "Ministry in the Church" by Liam Walsh, O.P., Assistant to the Master General of the Dominican Order, Rome.

This meeting also drafted a second “Final Quinquennium Report of the Dialogue between the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity of the Roman Catholic Church and some Classical Pentecostals, 1977-1982”. The dialogue session scheduled for 1978 was cancelled due to the death of Pope John Paul I. This report synthesizes the topics discussed during the meetings of the previous five years. These topics included faith and experience, speaking in tongues, healing, the inspiration of the Bible, Mary, tradition, worship, and ministry.

It is expected that the synthesized report will be published at a future date, sometime in 1983.

The participants included: Rev. Kilian McDonnell, O.S.B. Collegeville, MN (Roman Catholic Co-Chairman); Rev. David du Plessis, Oakland , CA (Pentecostal Co-Chairman); Rev. Jerome M. Vereb, C.P. Vatican City (Roman Catholic Secretary); Rev. William Carmichael, Sisters, OR (Pentecostal Secretary); Rev. William J. Dalton, S.J., Jerusalem, Israel , Rev. H. David Edwards, New York, NY; Rev. Howard M. Ervin, Tulsa, OK; Rev. Ivan Havener, O.S.B. Collegeville, MN; Rev. David P. Kast, Denver, CO. Bishop W. Robert McAlister, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Rev. John L. Meares, Washington, D.C.: Rev. Justus T. du Plessis, Lyndhurst, Republic of South Africa; Rev. Jerry Sandidge, Houston, TX; Rev. Liam G. Walsh, O.P., Rome; Rev. Robert J. Wister, Mahwah, N.J.; and Rev. joseph W. Witmer, Washington, D.C.

At a dinner concluding the sessions, awards and mementos were presented to Rev. David du Plessis and Rev. Kilian McDonnell, O.S.B. who have co- chaired the dialogue since its beginning. The award to Dr. du Plessis was presented by Rev. Jerome Vereb, C.P. of the Vatican Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity in Rome. The award to Father McDonnell was presented by Rev. William Carmichael of Virtues Ministries Inc. of Sisters, Oregon. Speakers at the dinner included Bishop Robert McAlister, Pentecostal Bishop from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Mons. Basil Meeking of the Vatican Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity in Rome, both of whom had previously served as co-secretaries of the dialogue.

Roman Catholic Bishop George Speltz of St Cloud and Abbot Jerome Theisen, O.S.B. of St John's Abbey greeted the participants at the dinner at which some representatives of local Pentecostal Churches were aiso present, including the Rev. Herman Rohde, Superintendent of the Minnesota District of the Assemblies of God. At the dinner the participants in the Dialogue expressed their gratitude for the hospitality of the Benedictine monks of St John's Abbey.

[Information Service 50 (1982/IV) 128]