Pope Francis' Message for Waldensian Synod

Pope Francis has sent a message to the annual meeting of the Synod of the Union of Methodist and Waldensian Churches, which meets in Torre Pellice, Piedmont, from 20 to 25 August. The Pope’s greetings were conveyed in a telegram from the Cardinal Secretary of State to the local Catholic Bishop.

The message expresses the Holy Father’s prayer that “the days of the meeting may be for each person an opportunity for a profound experience of Christ, who welcomes, guides and leads us to the fullness of communion with him and with our brothers and sisters.” The Pope’s message makes specific reference to progress made in the quest for Christian Unity, “raising a prayer of praise to God the Father for the gifts bestowed through ecumenical dialogue, as well as for the harmonious collaboration between the Churches”. The message continued by stating that Pope Francis wished to unite himself spiritually with the Synod gathering, “so that we may grow in mutual knowledge in order to witness together to the Gospel of Jesus”.

The Union of Methodist and Waldensian Churches, founded in 1975, is comprised of the Methodist Evangelical Church in Italy and the Waldensian Evangelical Church, which will mark its 850^th anniversary in 2024.

^{Photos ©️ Ullas Tankler}