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Ecumenical
and Interfaith Council
• About Us
• Our Objectives
• Ecumenical Pastoral Guidelines
• Our Members
• Our Terms of Reference
• Expressions of Interest Form
• Vatican Documents on Interreligious Relations
• Contact Us
• Ecumenical Web Link
About Us
The Diocesan Ecumenical and Interfaith Council is one of five councils who find their origin in the 1992-93 Diocesan Synod. They are responsible to assist the entire diocesan community to translate its vision and Pastoral Plan into action, in relation to the Council's specific area of interest. They do this in keeping with the diocesan vision To hear God's people and empower them to participate fully in Christ's mission.
Our Aims:
The Council shall be of service to the diocesan community by:
• Being an informed body in the diocese in relation to ecumenical and interfaith matters
• Communicating with parishes and regions
• Promoting how essential ecumenism and interfaith relations are to the mission of our church at parish and regional level
• Assisting pastoral regions in the diocese to establish a similar ecumenical and interfaith group
• To deal with the immediacy of ecumenical and interfaith issues as they arise
• To provide ecumenical and interfaith formation and education
• To participate in inter-council collaboration
Our
Objectives:
•
To study
and assist in the implementation of the 1964 Vatican Decree
on Ecumenism (Unitatis Redintegratio); the 1993 document
issued by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
- "The Directory for the Application of the Principles
and Norms of Ecumenism; Pope John Paul II's encyclicals Ut
Unum Sint (That All May Be One) and Tertio Millennio
Adveniente (The Coming of the Third Millennium),
and subsequent directives and documents
• To promote
and strengthen ecumenical and interfaith attitudes within the
diocese
• To facilitate
and encourage growth of both those initiatives at parish and
regional level
• To offer
advice to the bishop on these matters and to implement his wishes
• To pursue
and to maintain membership in appropriate state and national
bodies
• To be a
resource for the establishing of ecumenism throughout the diocese
Ecumenical
Pastoral Guidelines
The diocese's
documents Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations within the Catholic
Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle and Real Yet Imperfect,
were released on 5 June 2001. At the launch, Bishop Michael Malone
said:
"As a
relative newcomer to the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle, I have
been struck by many encouraging aspects of Church life. One of
the more important influences on me has been the emphasis given
to ecumenical and interfaith relations.
"It came
as no surprise then, that the Diocesan Ecumenical and Interfaith
Commission made it a priority to produce pastoral guidelines for
relationships with other Christians and other faiths. The document
Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations within the Catholic Diocese
of Maitland-Newcastle draws upon a broad range of similar
documents and is based on Vatican II ecclesiology, recent decrees
and study reports. Real
Yet Imperfect, its condensed version, has been published for
wider use.
"Pastors
and people will find these guidelines most useful.Their application
in pastoral situations will be of assistance.Their interpretation
needs to balance wise counsel, best practise and pastoral sensitivity.
These
guidelines are an attempt to promote the unity for which Jesus
Christ prayed, and for which we also pray. The Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle
is firmly committed to this process towards unity. May these documents
be a sign of that commitment."
Email us or Ph: (02) 4979 1111 for a copy of Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations within the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle or click here for a copy of Real Yet Imperfect.
Council Members
• Rev Deacon Lawrence Caelli (Chairperson)
• Mrs Beverley Hincks (Deputy Chairperson)
• Mr Andy Adams
• Mrs Moira Gordon
Vatican Documents on Interreligious Relations
To order the Catholic Church's key documents on interreligious dialogue click here.
To order the Columban Mission Institute's booklet on Pope Benedict's addresses and homilies on Christian-Muslim-Jewish Relations click here.
Contact
Us
The Council welcomes requests
by parishes for information and assistance with planning. The
Ecumenical and Interfaith Council can be contacted at:
Street: Diocesan Centre 841 Hunter
Street Newcastle NSW 2300
Postal: PO Box 756 Newcastle NSW 2300
Ph (02) 4979 1111 or Fax: (02) 4979 1119 or Email.
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