Sam Zege

On Saturday, January 25, 2020 a historical “Ecumenical Charter” was signed by Seventh-day Adventists, Roman Catholics, Orthodox, Anglicans, Evangelicals and Methodists. The signing ceremony took place in the San Paolo Maggiore Roman Catholic Church in Bologna, Italy. The document that was signed is a pledge of commitment to each other. Adventists pledged a commitment to Rome, and Rome reciprocated that commitment. Make no mistake. The churches that signed this document promised to uphold the principles of the Ecumenical Charter which includes affirming an allegiance to each other.

• The Ecumenical Charter declares that the church is “one, holy, catholic and apostolic” and therefore the “inescapable ecumenical task consists in making visible this unity.”

• The Ecumenical Charter declares that the churches are “called together in the unity of faith.”

• The Ecumenical Charter calls for the “visible unity of the Church of Jesus Christ in the one faith and in witness and in common service.”

• The Ecumenical Charter says that “the most important task of the Churches is to proclaim the Gospel together through word and action, for the salvation of all human beings.”

• The Ecumenical Charter states that the purpose of this document is to “to avoid harmful competition and the danger of new divisions.”

• The Ecumenical Charter recognizes “the spiritual gifts of the different Christian traditions” and appeals to every church to “welcome each other’s gifts.”

• The Ecumenical Charter laments the “painful sign of the division still existing between many Christian Churches” which according to them is due to the “lack of Eucharistic sharing.”

• The Ecumenical Charter encourages “ecumenical celebrations, common songs and prayers.”

The Ecumenical Charter was signed on the final day of the 2020 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. A 17-minute sermon was given by Seventh-day Adventist Pastor Giovanni Caccamo to commemorate the ecumenical signing ceremony. [1] The Ecumenical Charter, the photos, the sermon by SDA Pastor Giovanni Caccamo and the news surrounding this historic event were made available by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bologna. [2]