Catholics and Pentecostals on Kerygma/Preaching and Christian life

From 8-14 July, the second plenary session of the seventh phase of the International Catholic Pentecostal Dialogue, hosted by the Catholic Church, was held in Rome. The primary goal of this dialogue is to promote mutual respect and understanding between the Catholic Church and Classical Pentecostal leaders and churches. In the context of the general theme “Lex orandi, lex credendi,” the annual session discussed “Kerygma/Proclamation and Christian life.”

As the press release highlights, on the occasion of the Dialogue's 50th anniversary (1972-2022), Pope Francis addressed a message delivered to the members by Cardinal Kurt Koch, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity (DPCU).

The current phase of dialogue is co-chaired by Rev. Cecil M. Robeck, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA, USA, and Bishop Joseph Bambera, Diocese of Scranton, PA, USA, assisted by Rev. David Cole, Chair, Christian Unity Commission, Pentecostal/ Charismatic Churches of North America, USA, and Msgr. Juan Usma Gómez, Head of office of the Western Section of the DPCU, Colombia. For the first time, Pentecostal participants belong to Churches affiliated with the Pentecostal World Fellowship, which is also represented in the Dialogue by its Vice-president, the Rev. David Wells, General Superintendent of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada.

During the session in Rome, discussions focused on two topics, "Pentecostal Preaching" and "A Catholic Perspective of the Kerygma."

In its fifty years of activity, the dialogue ‒ which involves representatives of the two currently most numerous Christian communities ‒ has published six reports on various themes: Final Report (1972‒1976); Final Report (1977‒1982); Perspectives on Koinonia (1989); Evangelization, Proselytism and Common Witness (1997); On Becoming a Christian: Insights from Scripture and the Patristic Writings with Some Contemporary Reflections (2006); and “Do Not Quench the Spirit”: Charisms in the Life and Mission of the Church” (2015).

The next plenary session, scheduled for summer 2023, will deal with the theme “Prayer/Worship and Christian life.”