“Called Together to Be Peacemakers,” the final report of the international dialogue that occurred from 1998-2003 between representatives of the Mennonite World Conference and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Church Unity, was released in February. Thanks to the gracious help of the MWC office in Strasburg, France, we have been able to make the report available on the web. You will find a link to the document at http://www.bridgefolk.net/theology/dialogue.
The release of any such document would be a major event in Mennonite – Catholic relations, but the document makes major substantive contributions on many points. Chapter 1 endeavors to narrate the history that separated Mennonites from Catholics in a way that both can accept. Chapter 2 takes up three key theological concerns: the nature of the church, understandings of sacraments/ordinances, and the call to peacemaking. Chapter 3 closes with confessions of past sin that invite Mennonites and Catholics to move forward through a “healing of memories.”
While reading and reflecting on the document, begin thinking about how you might use it to encourage local dialogues between Mennonites and Catholics in your own setting.