Today’s episode is the keynote lecture Cathy gave to bring to an end the Pope Francis and the Future of the Church: Prospects and Challenges for Renewal conference held at St. Mark’s College on May 4-6, 2023. Her paper was delivered on May 6, 2023 and was titled, ““Leaning into the Distant Goal of Vatican II: Pope Francis and Christian Unity.”
In her lecture she states that Catholics would not be embarking on the path towards a more synodal church today were it not for sixty years of sustained ecumenical dialogue with other Christians who have helped us to rediscover how such practices are “constitutive” of the church. Learning to embrace the synodal way in the life and practice of the Catholic Church will have profound consequences for the realization of Vatican II’s distant goal of Christian unity and for the future shape of Christianity. Francis models a practice of leaning into reconciliation, walking together with fellow Christians in common witness as we grow together in unity.
I am so happy to bring this lecture to all of you who were unable to be at the conference. In the coming weeks, we will bring you the keynote lectures of Dr. Emilce Cuda and Dr. Massimo Faggioli also.
What Matters Most is produced by the Centre for Christian Engagement at St Mark’s College, the Catholic college at UBC. The CCE is a centre at St. Mark’s College that explores the Christian and Catholic intellectual tradition and seek to learn from others, other Christians, members of other religious traditions, and from those who do not claim any particular or formal religious affiliation.
Since St. Mark’s Centre for Christian Engagement seeks to enable the creation of a culture of encounter and dialogue, let me invite you into that discussion. Send me questions, send me ideas for guests, send me comments. Please follow me on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter @biblejunkies, or on Facebook, at Biblejunkies, or on Instagram @biblejunkies. Or email me at [email protected]. Let me know what you think.
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John W. Martens