Communique from Methodist-Catholic Commission Plenary, October 2025

Communique from Methodist-Catholic Commission Plenary, October 2025

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The Methodist-Roman Catholic International Commission met in plenary session in San Salvador, El Salvador, from 19 to 24 October 2025, building on its work on the theme of diversity, unity, and communion for mission. The Commission, officially called the Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the World Methodist Council and the Catholic Church, was established in 1967 as the bilateral theological dialogue between the World Methodist Council and the Catholic Church with the goal of full communion in faith, sacramental life, and mission. The meeting in San Salvador is the fourth annual meeting in the 12th round of the international Catholic-Methodist theological dialogue.

The Commission received a report on its pending publication of We Believe in One God: Sixty Years of Methodists and Catholics Together. The document synthesizes the Commission’s eleven previous official dialogue reports, which demonstrates the common Christian faith shared by Catholics and Methodists. A culmination of nearly two years of work, the publication is the Commission’s contribution to the celebrations marking the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea.

The Commission dedicated the majority of its meeting to exploring the themes of unity, diversity, and communion for mission. A draft report was reviewed by the Commission exploring these themes: models of discernment of the essentials of the Christian faith, the meaning and practice of unity and diversity in Methodist and Catholic churches, and communion as integral for the mission of the church. The draft report also included a chapter with concrete recommendations to Catholic and Methodist leaders to further deepen the communion already shared by Methodists and Catholics. The Commission expects to finalize the report by the end of 2026.

Bishop Juan de Dios Peña from the Evangelical Methodist Church in El Salvador, along with clergy and lay leaders, hosted the Commission for Eucharist followed by a dinner at the Vida Nueva Methodist Church in San Salvador. Bishop Peña preached on the meaning of unity from John 17.

The Commission visited a number of pilgrimage sites related to St. Oscar Romero and other Christian martyrs of El Salvador, including the Catholic Cathedral of San Salvador, the Divine Providence Hospital and Mons. Romero House, as well as the University of Central America.

The Commission extends its sincere thanks to Fr. Carlos Chavarria from San Benito Catholic Parish for assisting with the Commission’s meeting.

Three Commission members were unable to attend the meeting due to family and work commitments. Fr. Anthony Currer of the Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle (UK), formerly of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity of the Holy See, substituted for Fr. Martin Browne OSB and acted as the Catholic co-secretary for the meeting.

The Commission is scheduled to meet next from 18-24 October 2026.

The Commission is made up of:

Methodist Members
Rev. Prof. Edgardo A. Colón–Emeric (Co-Chair), United States of America
Rev. Matthew A. Laferty (Co-Secretary), Methodist Ecumenical Office, Rome
Dr. Jung Choi, Korea/United States of America
Rev. Prof. Blanches de Paula, Brazil
Prof. Geordan Hammond, United Kingdom/United States of America
Rev. Prof. Glen O’Brien, Australia
Rev. Dr. Hermen Shastri, Malaysia
Prof. Lilian Cheelo Siwila, Zambia/South Africa

Catholic Members
Archbishop Shane Mackinlay (Co-Chair), Australia
Rev. Martin Browne OSB (Co-Secretary), Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, Rome
Prof. Catherine E. Clifford, Canada
Rev. Prof. Gerard Kelly, Australia
Sr. Prof. Mary Sylvia Nwachukwu DDL, Nigeria
Rev. Prof. Daniel Franklin Pilario CM, Philippines
Rev. Prof. Jorge Scampini OP, Argentina
Dr. Clare Watkins, United Kingdom
Rev. Anthony Currer, United Kingdom (2022 and 2025 meetings)

Italian President Attends Roman Methodist Anniversary Celebration

Italian President Attends Roman Methodist Anniversary Celebration

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ROME (MEOR) – The Via XX Settembre Methodist Church in Rome celebrated its 130th anniversary on Saturday, 20 September 2025, with a special anniversary program which included speeches, music, and testimonies. The President of the Republic of Italy H.E. Mr. Sergio Mattarella was among the special guests attending the anniversary program.

Rev. William Burt, superintendent of the Italian mission of the Methodist Episcopal Church, inaugurated the Via XX Settembre Methodist Church on 20 September 1895 after two years of construction. The date was deliberately chosen for the inauguration as it was the 25th anniversary of the Breach of Porta Pia in 1870, leading to the capture of Rome by the Royal Italian Army and the city’s annexation into the newly-formed unified Italian state. As such, the capture of Rome realized religious freedom for all faith traditions and religions, including Methodists and other Protestant communities, present in the Italian capital.

The building originally housed a church, seminary with student accommodation, professors’ quarters, publishing house, and administrative offices. The Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church supported the construction of the building. Today, the building is home to the Via XX Settembre Methodist Church, the Korean Methodist Church of Rome, the Federation of Protestant Churches in Italy, the headquarters of the Methodist Churches in Italy and the central government of the Union of Methodist and Waldensian Churches, and the offices of otto per mille for the Waldensian-Methodist Church.

Rev. Luca Anziani, Deacon Alessandra Trotta, and President Sergio Mattarella. Photo by quirinale.it

In remarks to the assembly, Rev. Luca Anziani, president of the Methodist Churches in Italy, said that Methodist churches in Italy have always “carefully combined the Gospel message with a passion for the birth of a united Italy in defense of freedom and democracy. Your presence today [addressing President Mattarella] thus takes on a very special meaning for us, and we wish to confirm that we will continue, together with other Protestant churches, to participate with passion and care in building the common good, where no one will ever be excluded.”

Rev. Mirella Manocchio, pastor of the Via XX Settembre Church, addressed the gathering, “it is no coincidence that it has been since September 20, 1895, twenty-five years after the Breach of Porta Pia. Every year, Roman Protestants remember with a worship of gratitude to the Lord the historic events of September 20, 1870, which marked the beginning of religious freedom in the capital and a crucial point in the history of relations between the Italian state, the Roman Catholic Church, and the religious minorities already present on Italian soil. And it will be a religious minority that will build the entire edifice we find ourselves in today.”

President Sergio Mattarella, in an spontaneous address, said, “the President of the Republic’s visits are always governed by precise protocol, and I wasn’t supposed to speak, but I decided to do so to thank you for your welcome and to offer my best wishes for the 130th anniversary of the founding of the Methodist Church of Rome. Above all, I want to thank you for the significant contribution you have made to the life of our Republic.”

Other speeches for the celebration included opening remarks from Deacon Alessandra Trotta, testimonials from the Italian-Filipino and Korean congregations, and short historical lectures on the history of Methodism in Italy. Church choirs also offered special music.

The Rev. Matthew A. Laferty, director of the Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome, was also present as an invited guest.

Top photo: President Sergio Mattarella of Italy addressing the assembly of the 130th anniversary celebration. Photo by quirinale.it

Director Participates in Synod of Italian Methodist-Waldensian Church

Director Participates in Synod of Italian Methodist-Waldensian Church

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ROME (MEOR) – The Rev. Matthew A. Laferty, director of the Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome, participated in the annual Synod of the Union of Methodist and Waldensian Churches in Italy from 22-27 August 2025 in Torre Pellice, Italy. The Synod is the highest deliberative body of the church. Rev. Laferty by virtue of his directorship maintains ministerial standing in the Methodist-Waldensian Church and is a voting member of the Synod.

Among the opening acts of the Synod, the Synod received a telegram from Pope Leo XIV sent by the Vatican’s Secretary of State. Pope Leo wrote, “I assure you of my fervent remembrance in prayer so that all Christians may journey with sincerity of heart toward full communion, to bear witness to Jesus Christ and his Gospel.” He continued, “we are called to cooperate in the service of humanity, particularly in defending the dignity of the human person, in promoting justice and peace, and in providing common responses to the suffering that afflicts the most vulnerable.”

The Synod marked a special anniversary during its sessions – the 50th anniversary of the Pact of Integration between the Methodists and Waldensians. In 1975 the Evangelical Methodist Church in Italy and the Waldensian Evangelical Church entered into a new union relationship through integration, forming the Chiesa Evangelica Valdese (Unione delle chiese metodiste e valdese). The pact outlines a unique agreement on communion, collaboration, and sharing. Read more about the Pact of Integration.

The Synod heard reports from its various programmatic and administrative committees on a wide range of topics including ecumenical affairs, ministerial formation, diaconal service, and finance. The Synod approved over 40 million Euros in projects related to otto per mille and ordered a review of OPM priorities and review process.

In addition to its usual business, the Synod received a number of special guests and observers including the Rev. Dr. Jonathan Dean from the Methodist Church in Great Britain and the Rev. Dorothea Lorenz from The United Methodist Church in Germany.

MEOR Director Speaks at International Conference on Church Law and the 1700th Anniversary of the Council of Nicaea

MEOR Director Speaks at International Conference on Church Law and the 1700th Anniversary of the Council of Nicaea

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CHICHESTER, UK – The Rev. Matthew A. Laferty, director of the Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome, was in Chichester, United Kingdom, from 20-22 June 2025 for a conference on ecclesiastical law, entitled “Nicaea Received: 1700 years of Canons, Councils and Ecumenism.” The conference, organized by the Ecclesiastical Law Society, brought together church lawyers, experts in ecclesiastical law, and senior church leaders to discuss the importance of the Council of Nicaea, particularly the 20 canons (or laws) created by the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, to the churches today and to the pursuit of Christian unity. The conference assembled a wide range of participants from Anglican, Catholic, Methodist, Orthodox, and Reformed churches.

Director Laferty spoke an ecumenical panel about the relevance of the Nicene Creed for Methodist churches today, particularly as a doctrinal standard in Methodist church law. In addition to Rev. Laferty, the panel also included the Most Rev. Bernhard Longley, Catholic Archbishop of Birmingham, H.E. Archbishop Nikitas Lulias, Archbishop of Thyateira and Great Britain of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Prof. Anna Tronet, a canonist from the Church of Sweden, and the Ven. Moira Astin, bishop-designate of Crediton in the Church of England.

Plenary speakers for the conference were His All-Holiness Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople and New Rome, Prof. Dr. Myriam Wijlens, Catholic canonist-theologian, and the Rt. Rev. Dr. Christopher Cocksworth, dean of Windsor.

MEOR Welcomes Student Group from Candler School of Theology in Atlanta

MEOR Welcomes Student Group from Candler School of Theology in Atlanta

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ROME – The Methodist Ecumenical Office welcomed a group of students from Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, USA on 26-27 May 2025. Candler School of Theology is a seminary of The United Methodist Church.

The students were in Italy’s Tuscany region and later the City of Rome, studying the intersection of food, migration, and religion. As part of the program, the students sought to understand the ecumenical dimensions of the topic and the role of dialogue and encounter for fostering a shared witness of Christian faith and joint action for peace and justice. The group spent 10 days in Tuscany exploring the topic prior to their two-day program in Rome.

The students come from a variety of Christian communions – Methodist, Reformed, Baptist, and Catholic.

MEOR organized several meetings and site visits in Rome for the Candler students, including:

  • the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, where they were briefed by Fr. Martin Browne OSB, official responsible for relations with Methodists, on the Catholic Church’s ecumenical engagement, Methodist-Catholic dialogue, and history of the Catholic Church in the international ecumenical movement,
  • the Federation of Protestant Churches in Italy, where leaders of FCEI’s program “Mediterranean Hope” discussed its various projects with migrants and refugees,
  • Methodist clergy serving in Rome – Rev. Mirella Mannochio, Rev. Eliad Santos, and Rev. Sarah Mae Gabuyo,
  • the Sant’Egidio Community, and
  • the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center, based at St. Paul’s Within the Walls Episcopal Church in Rome.

Rev. Matthew A. Laferty, director of the Methodist Ecumenical Office, accompanied the group during their stay in Rome.

The group was led by Rev. Dr. Jennifer R. Ayres, L. Bevel Jones III Professor of Religious Education and Director of the Religious Education Program at Candler School of Theology, and Rev. Dr. Arun Jones, Dan and Lillian Hankey Associate Professor of World Evangelism at Candler School of Theology and Director of the World Methodist Evangelism Institute.

The program was organized by the Candler School of Theology and the World Methodist Evangelism Institute with the cooperation of the Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome.