Category: News

The Reverend Matthew A. Laferty, director of the Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome and the Methodist representative to the Holy See, met His Eminence Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, prefect for the Congregation for the Evangelization for Peoples, on 16 March 2021. They discussed a wide array of topics related to mission and evangelism. Cardinal Tagle oversees the Catholic Church’s international relief and development organization ‘Caritas Internationalis’, Pontifical mission societies, and Catholic mission areas (predominately located in Africa, Asia, and Oceania). Cardinal Tagle and Rev. Laferty spoke about a need for an ecumenical witness in mission, the 400th anniversary of Cardinal Tagle’s Vatican department, Methodist understandings of mission, and ways Methodists and Catholics globally can support minority Christian communities who suffer persecution.

The Rev. Dr. Jong Chun Park, president of the World Methodist Council, recently wrote to Methodist leaders in Myanmar. He concluded his letter with, “we hold the Methodist churches of Myanmar in prayer as you do prophetic witnesses and provide comfort to your people in this anxious and uncertain time. And we want to assure you that we stand in solidarity with the patriotic and courageous people of Myanmar struggling and suffering for the cause of justice, truth, freedom, and peace. May God create a new thing in Myanmar!”

Methodists globally are praying for the end of violence and political oppression, reconciliation, the restoration of democracy, and church leaders and missionaries ministering in Myanmar.

Read the complete text of Dr. Park’s letter.

The MEOR oversight committee – the Forum – met virtually on 10 March and 11 March for strategic planning. Mr. Ivan Samdaan from the Methodist Church in Southern Africa was the moderator for the sessions.

Among many decisions, the Forum agreed to several actions to strengthen MEOR’s ministry in Rome including:

• The MEOR director will present a revised mission/strategy plan to the Forum.
• MEOR will revise its corporate and legal structures to better facilitate business in Italy.
• MEOR will seek ways to better integrate into the overall governance and ministry of the World Methodist Council and solicit more diverse voices in oversight.

The Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome is the presence of the World Methodist Council in Rome for ecumenical dialogue, joint action for peace and justice, prayer and reflection, and hospitality.

MEOR director and Methodist representative to the Holy See Matthew A. Laferty met H.E. Sally Axworthy MBE, British ambassador to the Holy See, on 8 March 2021 to discuss the work of the Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome, the role of women in Methodist churches, and issues affecting Methodists globally. He also presented Ambassador Axworthy with a book on women in the early Methodist movement in observance of International Women’s Day.

There was a strong Methodist presence at a small ecumenical World Day of Prayer service on Friday, 5 March 2021 for the people of Vanuatu held at the Anglican Centre in Rome. The service was by prepared by laywomen from Vanuatu. MEOR administrator Stefanie Gabuyo played violin for the service. MEOR director and Methodist representative to the Holy See Matthew A. Laferty offered a blessing. Methodist mission partners Fiona Kendall and Grace Pratt Morris-Chapman led prayers.

From left to right: Stefanie Gabuyo, Rev. Matthew A. Laferty, Fiona Kendall, Grace Pratt Morris-Chapman