A Day of Ecumenical Dialogue

Today at General Seminary, in collaboration with the John 17 project and Good Shepherd New York, we were honored to host Professor Piero Coda, Secretary General of the Roman Catholic International Theological Commission. The gathering offered a rich dialogue on ecumenical relationships, notably against the backdrop of the Vatican’s evolving emphasis on Synodality. The conversation was nothing short of life-giving, bringing together diverse Christian voices from the Community of the Crossing at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, the Focolare Movement, The Center for Action and Contemplation, Sophia University, and an array of Christian traditions including Roman Catholic, Episcopalian, Coptic, non-denominational, and ecumenical churches.

One resonant theme emerged: the Spirit is at work, drawing Christ's church closer for the work of God's mission in the world. Fr. Coda’s contributions, especially his insights into Trinitarian Ontology and its relevance to both Synodality and ecumenism, were inspiring. I his view, ecumenism involves sibling churches sharing with each other the 'treasures' unique to their traditions.

To this end, we closed the meeting with Evening Prayer in the Chapel of the Good Shepherd. I often say that Thomas Cranmer's translation of the monastic offices into English, and their consolidation into Morning and Evening Prayer, is a gift not just for Anglicans, but a treasure for the whole Church. It was a delight to share something of our Anglican spirituality with our siblings in Christ, celebrating our walk towards Christian unity.

Dean Michael