Up to 3,000 church leaders, members and ecumenical partners from nearly every Christian tradition around the world will gather in Busan, South Korea, Oct. 30 for the 10th Assembly of the World Council of Churches.
The assembly, which meets every seven years, is the council’s highest governing body and is the only occasion when the 345 member churches come together in prayer and celebration.
The Catholic Church will send several delegated observers, a category of participants officially named for churches that are not council members, but with whom the council has a working relationship.
The WCC assembly — with the theme, “God of life, lead us to justice and peace” — will last until Nov. 8. It has the mandate to review the council’s work, to determine its overall policies, to issue public statements and to elect a new central committee. Only the assembly has the authority to change the WCC constitution.
The working languages in use during the assembly will be English, French, German, Russian and Spanish.
The assembly is more than a manifestation of fellowship and business. It also represents the gathering of a worldwide ecumenical movement of churches and partner organizations.
Most days will begin with prayer and Bible study, followed by plenary assemblies on themes such as Asia, mission, unity, justice and peace. At least four days will include time for “ecumenical conversations.”
Although this is the 10th general assembly, it is the first in Northeast Asia. Using the idea of a “madang,” the courtyard of a traditional Korean home, the assembly will include a “madang program” to promote the exchange of gifts and experiences among participants through workshops, exhibits and side events.
More than two dozen Catholic observers will participate. These will include officials of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity as well as from religious orders, Catholic organizations and the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences.
The Catholic Church has had a formal relationship with the World Council of Churches since 1965 through a worldwide working group with regional and local input known as the Joint Working Group. The group has met regularly to discuss issues of common interest and promote cooperation. Plenary meetings are held annually; an executive group meets twice in between.
The Catholic Church also works with the WCC in other capacities. It is a full member of the WCC Faith and Order Commission, which studies the theological questions related to Christian divisions. Church officials serve as consultants to the WCC team on mission and unity, which focuses on how the churches can best be faithful to their mission and provide a common witness to Christ in all realms of life: personal, cultural and socio-economic.
Father Thomas A. Baima, vicar for ecumenism in the Archdiocese of Chicago and professor at St. Mary of the Lake, the largest seminary in the United States, said the assembly was important for bringing Christian churches — including the Catholic Church — together.
“The position of the Catholic Church is that the ecumenical movement is a work of the Holy Spirit,” he told Catholic News Service.
“Christianity has something great to offer to the world, a relationship with the triune God through Jesus Christ in his church. But often the world cannot hear our message because of our division. We have to move that obstacle out of the way.
“Organizations like the World Council of Churches are institutions at the service of that movement. Anything that advances the work of the Spirit we need to support,” Father Baima said. – CNS