The Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome, the Centro Pro Unione, and the Anglican Centre in Rome held a prayer vigil on Monday, 17 Janaury 2022, the eve of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, under the theme ‘Beyond Separation to God’s New Paths’.
Category: News
NEWS – World Methodist Council Statement on the Volcanic Eruption in the Pacific Ocean
On Saturday, 15 January, an underwater volcanic eruption and tsunami at Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai, 65 km north of the Kingdom of Tonga’s main island Tongatapu, caused waves of 1.2 m to force residents to flee to higher ground. The eruption caused shockwaves worldwide. It could be heard more than 10,000 km away in Alaska.
The World Methodist Council (WMC) officers stand in solidarity with the people of Tonga and the Pacific Islands who have been affected by the tsunami. Bishop Ivan Abrahams, General Secretary of the WMC, noted the concerns of Tongan government officials who did not want another wave – “a tsunami of Covid-19” to accompany aid to the island. He, however, encouraged the Wesleyan/Methodist family to keep the Tongan people in their prayers and mobilize the Methodist relief agencies to work together with the government and churches in Tonga. Abrahams also encouraged Methodists to consider giving to UMCOR and other church agencies in New Zealand and Australia as they respond to the situation in Tonga and the Pacific Islands.
We continue to pray for the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga and all people in the Pacific Islands in the day ahead as they deal with the tsunami’s impact.
Donations to support disaster relief can be given through the United Methodist Committee on Relief.
WEBINAR – “Voices from Bethlehem: Christian Unity in the Birthplace of Jesus” on 21 January 2022
The Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome and the Methodist Liaison Office Jerusalem invite you to the webinar “Voices from Bethlehem: Christian Unity in the Birthplace of Jesus” on Friday, 21 January 2022 at 09:00 Rome/10:00 Jerusalem.
The webinar celebrates the theme of the 2022 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity – “we saw the star in the East, and we came to worship him” from Matthew 2 – which was selected by the Middle East Council of Churches. In this webinar Christian leaders from Bethlehem and environs will discuss the importance of Christian unity in contemporary times in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus.
Speakers for the events are:
- Daoud Nassar (Lutheran) is the director of Tent of Nations, a receipent of the World Methodist Peace Award
- Zoughbi Zoughbi (Latin-rite Catholic) is the founder and director of Wi’am: The Palestinian Conflict Transformation Center
- Fr. Issa Michael Thaljieh (Greek Orthodox) is the parish priest of the Greek Orthodox Nativity Church in Bethlehem
- Dn. Ashot Ghazaryan (Armenian Apostolic) is the secretary of the Armenian Theological Seminary of Jerusalem
- Revd Angleena Keizer (Methodist) is a mission partner assigned to the Methodist Liaison Office Jerusalem and a resident of Bethlehem.
The Rev. Matthew A. Laferty, director of the Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome, will moderate the webinar.
The webinar is free and will last 90 minutes. The webinar will be conducted in English on Zoom.
Please register online to receive the Zoom link. Click here to register.
Photo: The Adoration of the Magi. Image in public domain.
NEWS – World Methodist Council Mourns Death of Archbishop Desmond Tutu
With great sadness, the Officers and members of the World Methodist Council received the news about the passing away of Archbishop Emeritus Mpilo Desmond Tutu (7 October-26 December 2021).
We extend our heartfelt condolences to Mama Leah, the entire Tutu family, and the global Anglican communion.
We give thanks to God for the life and witness of Archbishop Tutu, a transformative leader, a priest, a prophet, and a pastor who listened to the voices of the marginalized and fearlessly spoke truth to power in apartheid South Africa and many other places around the globe where injustice prevailed.
We were privileged to have “the Arch” as the keynote speaker at the Fifteenth World Methodist Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1986.
We mourn the loss of this stalwart of justice, peace, and reconciliation, a global icon whose legacy lives on and leaves an indelible mark on the lives of many.
May he rest in peace and rise with all the saints in Glory.
Bishop Ivan M Abrahams
General Secretary
World Methodist Council
NEWS – Merry Christmas from the Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome!
The Rev. Matthew A. Laferty, director of the Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome, and the MEOR staff wish you and your loved ones a very merry Christmas. May God richly bless you in 2022!
“Come, let us with speed to Bethlehem go,
Methodist hymnographer Charles Wesley
The house of that Bread which God doth bestow:
To all He hath given and sent from above
The Banquet of Heaven, the Son of His love.”
Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome 