Pope Francis Recognizes Dialogue with Pentecostals is Important

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

This past Friday morning (September 28, 2018), Pope Francis met with the bishops who oversee the work of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU). Cardinal Kurt Koch is President of the PCPCU and Bishop Brian Farrell is its Secretary. The bishops responsible for ecumenism who relate to the PCPCU gather at once each year to review a specific project and see how things have progressed. I have not yet obtained the opening remarks of Cardinal Koch, but Pope Francis made a speech to the members of the PCPCU regarding their work with Pentecostals, Charismatics, and Evangelicals.

Pope Francis is most interested in the work with Classical Pentecostals as well as Charismatics. The PCPCU has been in dialogue with Classical Pentecostals since 1972. More recently, the PCPCU has met with Charismatics under that rubric, including a number of independent Pentecostal preachers like Kenneth Copeland, as well as a number of non-denominational Charismatic and megachurch pastors.

The dialogue with Classical Pentecostals began under the leadership of David du Plessis (at that time defrocked by the Assemblies of God – he was later reinstated). In 1985 David was succeeded by his younger brother, Justus du Plessis (Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa), who served as co-chair until 1992. At that time, I was elected to serve as the Pentecostal Co-chair.

The Dialogue is now in its seventh round, each of which has run from 5 to 8 years, with a couple of breaks. All previous rounds were completed with full, written reports that have been circulated widely and have been cited in a number of academic papers. They have all been well received. I have listed the places where they have been published below.

For over 35 years, I have watched closely what the past three popes have had to say about Pentecostals. I believe that this is the first and fullest formal address given on the topic of Pentecostals by any pope to date. It is clear that Pope Francis recognizes some of the issues between Catholics and Pentecostals, but it is equally clear that he believes that this dialogue is particularly important. He highlights the work of the Spirit in ways that Pentecostals would likely highlight it, and I believe that it could be of help to other Pentecostals and Charismatics with ecumenical interests to see how strongly he supports the International Catholic – Pentecostal Dialogue which is overseen by the PCPCU.

I hope that you enjoy reading this short piece, and will take the time to look up some of the past reports made by members of the Dialogue. Please note the bibliographical information below.

“Audience of the Holy Father with participants in the Plenary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, 28.09.2018”

http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2018/09/28/180928a.html

The first three reports of the International Roman Catholic – Pentecostal Dialogue of this Dialogue were published in Pneuma: The Journal of the Society for Pentecostal Studies 12:2 (Fall, 1990), 85-142.

See also William G. Rusch and Jeffrey Gros, Eds. Deepening Communion: International Ecumenical Documents with Roman Catholic Participation(Washington, D.C.: United States Catholic Conference, 1998), 367-422.

The reports from the first four rounds of discussion may be found in Jeffrey Gros, FSC, Harding Meyers, and William G. Rusch, Eds. Growth in Agreement II: Reports and Agreed Statements of Ecumenical Conversations on a World Level, 1982-1998 (Geneva, Switzerland: World Council of Churches / Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2000), 713-779.

They may also be found in Wolfgang Vondey, Pentecostalism and Christian Unity: Ecumenical Documents and Critical Assessments (Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2010), 101-198.

“Evangelization, Proselytism and Common Witness: The Report from the Fourth Phase of the International Dialogue 1990-1997 between the Roman Catholic Church and Some Classical Pentecostal Churches and Leaders,” Asian Journal of Pentecostal Studies 2:1 (January 1999), 105-151

See also the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity’s Information Service No. 97 (1998/I-II), 38-56.

Pneuma: The Journal of The Society for Pentecostal Studies 21:1 (Spring 1999), 11-51.

It has been published in French in the Service d’information No. 97 (1998/I-II), 38-57.

It was published as a Portuguese language booklet under the title Diálogo Católico-Pentecostal: Evangelizaçâo, Proselitismo e Testemunho Comum (Sâo Paulo, Brazil: Paulinas, 1999), 77 pp;

in Spanish in “Evangelización, Proselitismo y Testimonio Común,” Diólogo Ecuménico XXXIV, n. 108 (1999), 103-152,

and in German with all previous reports in Norbert Baumert und Gerhard Bially, Eds. Pfingstler und Katholiken im Dialog: Die vier Abschlussberichte einer internationalen Kommission aus 25 Jahren (Düsseldorf, Germany: Charisma, 1999), 59-95.

“On Becoming A Christian: Insights from Scripture and the Patristic Writings with Some Contemporary Reflections,” The Report from the Fifth Phase of the International Dialogue between Some Classical Pentecostal Churches and Leaders and the Catholic Church (1998-2006)

This document was published in The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity’s Information Service N. 129 (2008/III), 162-215; in French in Service d’information N. 129 (2008/III), 163-219;

The English version is available at: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/eccl-comm-docs/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_20060101_becoming-a-christian_en.html, at the following site: http://www.prounione.urbe.it/dia-int/pe-rc/doc/e_pe-rc_5-contents.html, and at: http://www.pctii.org/cyberj/cyberj18/2007RC_Pent_Dialogue.pdf;

See also, Wolfgang Vondey, Ed. Pentecostalism and Christian Unity: Continuing and Building Relationships (Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2013), 95-216.

It has recently appeared in Thomas F. Best, Lorelei F. Fuchs, SA, John Gibaut, Jeffrey Gros, FSC, and Despina Prassas, Eds, Growth in Agreement IV: International Dialogue Texts and Agreed Statements, 2004-2014 Faith and Order Paper 219 (Geneva, Switzerland: WCC Press, 2017), I: 401-470.

“‘Do Not Quench the Spirit’: Charisms in the Life and Mission of the Church”: Report of the Sixth Phase of the International Catholic-Pentecostal Dialogue (2011-2015).”

See the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity’s Information Service N. 147 (2016/I), 47-62.

The document is available in English at the following site: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/pentecostals/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_2011-2015_do-not-quench-the-spirit_en.html
and in French at the following website: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/pentecostals/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_2011-2015_do-not-quench-the-spirit_fr.html.

Cecil M. Robeck, Jr.
Pentecostal Co-Chairman, International Catholic – Pentecostal Dialogue
Wednesday, October 3, 2018