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CTBI's ecumenical welcome for Pope Benedict XVI

April 25, 2005

More than sixty representatives of British and Irish Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Protestant and Pentecostal Churches sent a message of welcome to Pope Benedict XVI on the day he was installed as the 265th Pope.

The message read:

The Church Representatives’ Meeting (CRM) of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) convened in Swansea, Wales 22-24 April 2005, wishes to record our cordial best wishes to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI on his election as Supreme Pontiff in succession to the late Pope John Paul II, for whose contribution to Christian Unity we give thanks.

We welcome Pope Benedict’s early assurance of developing engagement and dialogue not only with other Christians towards fulfilling the prayer of Christ himself that “All may be one” (John 17. 21), but also with sisters and brothers of other Faiths in God’s own world. In recalling also his revered predecessor’s priorities regarding “options for the poor” in situations of conflict, deprivation and even exploitation, it is our prayerful expectation that Pope Benedict XVI will pursue such efforts in the true spirit of the Second Vatican Council.

With sincere promise of prayer for this new Pontificate

Signed

Dr David Goodbourn, General Secretary, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland