A Winnipeg priest and university professor has been appointed to an international group promoting relationships between the Roman Catholic Church and other Christian denominations.
Rev. Luis Melo, director of ecumenical and inter-religious affairs for the Archdiocese of St. Boniface, is beginning a six-year term to the Joint Working Group between the Catholic Church and the World Council of Churches.
Thought to be the first Winnipegger appointed to this position, Melo is co-chair of several interdenominational dialogues in Winnipeg, and was instrumental last year in launching a twinning program between four Catholic parishes and four Mennonite churches in the city.
"The work I've done here for the last five years has caught the eye of the Vatican and they think I could make a contribution," explains Melo, 47. "Hopefully it works the other way as well."
Significant
Melo's appointment is significant in setting the stage for the Roman Catholic Church to join the World Council of Churches, which represents 240 Christian churches and denominations, says James Christie, president of the Canadian Council of Churches.
"He's coming out of a climate where the first step has been taken and the precedent has been set, where the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops is a full member in a regional council of churches," explains Christie, dean of theology at the University of Winnipeg.
Dating back to 1965, the Joint Working Group works to initiate and build connections between the World Council of Churches and the Roman Catholic Church. Melo was invited to participate by Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
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