Statement of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches
The World Alliance of Reformed Churches stands together with the millions of Christians mourning his death.
It is with a deep sense of sorrow that we have learned of the passing away of his holiness Pope John Paul II, Bishop of Rome and head of the Roman Catholic Church. The World Alliance of Reformed Churches stands together with the millions of Christians mourning his death.
We give thanks to God for the impact Pope John Paul II has made in his lifetime as a leader. We give thanks for a ministry in which, as a priest, bishop, and head of the Roman Catholic Church, he sought to bear witness to the gospel in the contemporary world. He clearly valued being with people in their circumstances, sharing in their experiences and struggles. His travels to different parts of the world to encourage the faithful and sometimes challenge the forces of evil will remain a great contribution in a broken world which has needed strong voices for transformation.
While we may not have agreed on every social ethical stance, the papacy of Pope John Paul II has emphasized a clear stand on some major issues which are shared by the World Alliance of Reformed Churches. These include concern for human dignity in general, peace, resistance to war (for example the Iraq war), religious freedom and economic justice. We recall with thanks events such as the two days of Prayer in Assisi (held 10 years apart) that were organized to demonstrate a value for inter-religious solidarity for peace that had his personal stamp of leadership.
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Under his long papacy the World Alliance of Reformed Churches has carried out two phases of the Reformed*Roman Catholic dialogues which have brought increased understanding between the Reformed and Roman Catholic families. The first series focused on “Our common understanding of the church” (1984-1990) and the second “The church's witness to the Kingdom of God” (1997-2004). In addition, it was under his papacy that we held a trilateral consultation on Indulgences in which Reformed and Lutheran representatives engaged in discussion with Roman Catholic counterparts * a discussion which until then was not possible for centuries.
In terms of ecumenical gains during his papacy, we celebrate more than what was achieved in Reformed * Roman Catholic relationships. The Catholic-Lutheran agreement on central aspects of a doctrine that divided the church in the 16th century (the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, 1999) and his 1995 invitation to a reflection on how the papal ministry can be a ministry of Christian unity are only two examples of what we are thankful for.
As we thank God for his life and contributions, we pray for the Roman Catholic family through these difficult times.
On behalf of the leadership and member churches of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches we offer our condolences as we mourn the death of a pope who has been a good leader for our world * one who knew and understood suffering, and who walked with those who suffer all over the world.
Rev. Dr. Clifton Kirkpatrick
President
