Reformed Churches Praise Orthodox Head for Contribution to Christian Unity

A delegation of leaders from the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) has praised Orthodox leader Bartholomew I for the contribution he has made to fostering Christian unity in Turkey.

The WARC leaders concluded their meeting with the Patriarch of Constantinople in Istanbul, Turkey, on Monday.

WARC president, the Rev Dr Clifton Kirkpatrick, said he was thankful for the Patriarch's "faithful witness" of the Christian faith during difficult times, adding that he looked forward to future ecumenical dialogues.

Bartholomew I said that the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the highest ecclesiastical official of the Eastern Orthodox Church, has for more than a century placed much importance to the ecumenical movement. The Patriarchate was one of the founding members of the World Council of Churches, an ecumenical movement with the goal of Christian unity.

During his meeting with the WARC leaders, Bartholomew I affirmed the need for continued dialogue between the Reformed and Orthodox Churches, which first began in 1988.

"In our meetings with the Ecumenical Patriarchate we heard solid and warm support for our dialogue, said Reformed theologian Iain Torrance, president of Princeton Theological Seminary and co-chairperson of the Reformed-Orthodox Dialogue, according to a report on Tuesday. "We took this as a great encouragement and saw it as the expression of a commitment equal to our own."

Torrance said the dialogue between the two Churches had led to agreements on the Trinity and Christology.

Pope Benedict XVI recently concluded a historic visit to Turkey last November, with the intention of drawing the Catholic and Orthodox Churches closer together.

The Pope said divisions among Christians were a "scandal to the world" as he reaffirmed his wish to fully unite the two Churches during his papacy.

WARC's general secretary, the Rev Dr Setri Nyomi, concluded: "It was a good opportunity to foster our relationship and to think together on our common commitment to Christian unity and coherence in the ecumenical movement."