When Brian C Stiller, Global Ambassador, World Evangelical Alliance, met Pope Francis for lunch, he asked Pope Francis what his heart was for evangelism. Pope smiled, knowing what was behind Stiller's question and comment was, “I’m not interested in converting Evangelicals to Catholicism. I want people to find Jesus in their own community. There are so many doctrines we will never agree on. Let’s be about showing the love of Jesus.”
Writing in his blog, Stiller says , "a vibrant pope, spiritually vital, tough in ethical leadership and competent in overseeing his world communion is critical. What he says and does has a profound affect on us all."
"In his years in and out of Rome, he became friends with an Italian pastor. In time he came to learn that the church and pastor felt the power and presence of the Catholic Church, with its weighty presence, obstructing their desire to grow and be a witness. So he decided to visit the church and offer an apology for the difficulty brought to their congregation," Stiller writes.
Earlier this week, Pope Francis went to southern Italian city of Caserta for a private visit to the Pentecostal community known as the Evangelical Church of Reconciliation. The Pope first met the founder of the community, Pastor Giovanni Traettino, during his time as archbishop of Buenos Aires and over the past year he has met and received groups of Pentecostals at his Santa Marta residence in Vatican.
Pardon and reconciliation were the themes at the heart of the Pope’s words as, to loud applause he asked forgiveness for the words and actions of Catholics who have persecuted Pentecostals in the past.
All of us are sinners, the Pope stressed, but all of us must continue to walk boldly in the presence of Our Lord. Quoting from St Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, Pope Francis spoke of the diversity of the Body of Christ but he stressed that diversity is reconciled to unity through the action of the Holy Spirit.
The Pope first met the founder of the community, Pastor Traettino, during his time as archbishop of Buenos Aires and over the past year he has met and received groups of Pentecostals at his Santa Marta residence here in the Vatican.
Pope's friendship with Bishop Tony Palmer, the international ecumenical officer of the Communion of Episcopal Evangelical Churches and founder of the online Ark Community, who died recently following a motorbike accident in England was well-known. During one of his visits to the Vatican in February this year, Bishop Palmer recorded an iphone message that Pope Francis wished to send to a Pentecostal group meeting, chaired by Kenneth Copeland, in the United States. In that off-the-cuff video message, the Pope spoke frankly of his longing for unity and reconciliation, saying that all Christians share the blame for the sins of division.
Writing about his luncheon meeting with Pope, Stiller says, "from the outset his charm set us all at ease. As we moved from the greeting hall to the conversation room, he stood by the door to turn out the lights. I noticed that gone were the papal slippers and instead shoes with dangling laces. At lunch, eaten in the cafeteria, it wasn’t the waiters who served us drinks; Pope Francis served Geoff Tunnicliffe, Secretary General of the WEA and me."
"His presence undermines pomp or circumstance. One has to remind themself (sic) that sitting across the lunch table, smiling through moments of joy is one of the most influential persons in the world. His celebrity is muted by his kindly ordinariness. His influence is corralled by his loving affection for people. His power leans towards the poor, those trampled underfoot," Stiller's blog says.
According to him, two dominant gifts showed. First his pastoral instincts and gifts are so evident. Stiller asked, “When you were presented on the balcony in St Peter’s Square after your election, did you plan to ask those in the square to pray for you and then bow in silence?” He laughed. “No,” he said, “in that moment I sensed the Spirit leading me to do that.” So Stiller asked, “When you did so, how did you feel?” He looked at Stiller and smiled, “I was so at peace.”
Stiller says Vatican matters. "For Evangelicals and Protestants, of all shapes and sizes, the state and condition of the Roman Catholic Church matters. Of the over 2 billion Christians, one-half are linked to the Vatican. About 600 million are Evangelicals and another 550 million members of the World Council of Churches, (which includes the Orthodox Churches)," he writes.
The religious environment is undergoing a transformation. There's a major religious shakeup worldwide. Christians are being persecuted in various countries, especially in the Middle East. The situation has taken a turn for the worst in Iraq and Syria. "The Middle East is on the edge of what we know not. Islam is on the rise," he says.
Christians need the support of each other. Evangelicals, Protestants and Catholic Church need to put up a united front to withstand the attack on Christianity.
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| Stiller & Pope Francis |
"In his years in and out of Rome, he became friends with an Italian pastor. In time he came to learn that the church and pastor felt the power and presence of the Catholic Church, with its weighty presence, obstructing their desire to grow and be a witness. So he decided to visit the church and offer an apology for the difficulty brought to their congregation," Stiller writes.
Earlier this week, Pope Francis went to southern Italian city of Caserta for a private visit to the Pentecostal community known as the Evangelical Church of Reconciliation. The Pope first met the founder of the community, Pastor Giovanni Traettino, during his time as archbishop of Buenos Aires and over the past year he has met and received groups of Pentecostals at his Santa Marta residence in Vatican.
Pardon and reconciliation were the themes at the heart of the Pope’s words as, to loud applause he asked forgiveness for the words and actions of Catholics who have persecuted Pentecostals in the past.
All of us are sinners, the Pope stressed, but all of us must continue to walk boldly in the presence of Our Lord. Quoting from St Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, Pope Francis spoke of the diversity of the Body of Christ but he stressed that diversity is reconciled to unity through the action of the Holy Spirit.
The Pope first met the founder of the community, Pastor Traettino, during his time as archbishop of Buenos Aires and over the past year he has met and received groups of Pentecostals at his Santa Marta residence here in the Vatican.
Pope's friendship with Bishop Tony Palmer, the international ecumenical officer of the Communion of Episcopal Evangelical Churches and founder of the online Ark Community, who died recently following a motorbike accident in England was well-known. During one of his visits to the Vatican in February this year, Bishop Palmer recorded an iphone message that Pope Francis wished to send to a Pentecostal group meeting, chaired by Kenneth Copeland, in the United States. In that off-the-cuff video message, the Pope spoke frankly of his longing for unity and reconciliation, saying that all Christians share the blame for the sins of division.
Writing about his luncheon meeting with Pope, Stiller says, "from the outset his charm set us all at ease. As we moved from the greeting hall to the conversation room, he stood by the door to turn out the lights. I noticed that gone were the papal slippers and instead shoes with dangling laces. At lunch, eaten in the cafeteria, it wasn’t the waiters who served us drinks; Pope Francis served Geoff Tunnicliffe, Secretary General of the WEA and me."
"His presence undermines pomp or circumstance. One has to remind themself (sic) that sitting across the lunch table, smiling through moments of joy is one of the most influential persons in the world. His celebrity is muted by his kindly ordinariness. His influence is corralled by his loving affection for people. His power leans towards the poor, those trampled underfoot," Stiller's blog says.
According to him, two dominant gifts showed. First his pastoral instincts and gifts are so evident. Stiller asked, “When you were presented on the balcony in St Peter’s Square after your election, did you plan to ask those in the square to pray for you and then bow in silence?” He laughed. “No,” he said, “in that moment I sensed the Spirit leading me to do that.” So Stiller asked, “When you did so, how did you feel?” He looked at Stiller and smiled, “I was so at peace.”
Stiller says Vatican matters. "For Evangelicals and Protestants, of all shapes and sizes, the state and condition of the Roman Catholic Church matters. Of the over 2 billion Christians, one-half are linked to the Vatican. About 600 million are Evangelicals and another 550 million members of the World Council of Churches, (which includes the Orthodox Churches)," he writes.
The religious environment is undergoing a transformation. There's a major religious shakeup worldwide. Christians are being persecuted in various countries, especially in the Middle East. The situation has taken a turn for the worst in Iraq and Syria. "The Middle East is on the edge of what we know not. Islam is on the rise," he says.
Christians need the support of each other. Evangelicals, Protestants and Catholic Church need to put up a united front to withstand the attack on Christianity.
