Describing Pope Leo XIV and King Charles III praying together in the Sistine Chapel as “a thrilling sign of transformation,” Bishop Niall Coll of Ossory said the moment underlined how far relations between Christian traditions have come since Vatican II.
“It’s not that both traditions have reached consensus on all matters,” he told The Irish Catholic, “but we are seeing the fruits of both our commitment to listening to each other and learning from one another. Our different traditions and patterns of worship reflect the same Lord.”
Bishop Coll was speaking ahead of the annual Irish Inter-Church Meeting, set to take place November 13 -14 at the Dromantine Retreat and Conference Centre in Co. Down. This year’s theme, ‘Nicaea 1700: Strengthening our Witness and Unity’, marks 1,700 years since the first Council of Nicaea and the formulation of the Nicene Creed.
“Whatever divides Christians in Ireland in terms of how they worship, witness and pray,” Bishop Coll said, “our shared esteem for the Nicene Creed underlines that we agree on the essentials of Christian faith that Jesus Christ is truly God and truly human. A fundamental unity on the core beliefs exists between the mainline Christian traditions in Ireland: Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox.”
Reflecting on his years of ecumenical dialogue during his time in Belfast, the Donegal-born bishop praised the “mutual respect and friendship” now evident among Church leaders. “This work has been very helpful in improving community relations in the North and transforming relationships on the ground,” he said.
Finally, Bishop Coll offered a mutual call for Christians to stand together in a society that is “increasingly individualistic, secular and materialistic.”
“Keeping the flame of faith alive, calling people to prayer and worship, speaking up for justice and reaching out to help the poor and marginalised, these are the true works of ecumenism, a shared witness to the living God in our time,” he said.
