Interview
Would you like to briefly reflect on the impact of the recent International Ecumenical Fellowship congress?
Dr Valencia: Our congresses are a high point of our fellowship, and in Liverpool we had a unique experience after a pandemic that made us rethink our lives and our faith, so it was necessary to meet again and share faith and the desire for unity. A unity that we see at times, very distant but that we see with hope. Our world is divided by wars, our neighbours in Ukraine suffer, and we suffer with them, the violation of their dignity as a people, so we have lived through a pandemic but now we are facing new realities that make us think about giving a response as united Christians. We are called to be a voice in the desert.
What are you most looking forward to at the WCC 11th Assembly?
Dr Valencia: We are looking forward to this assembly in Karlsruhe, because its theme helps and enlightens us: “Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity.” Indeed, there is a key word which is love, that love of Christ which makes us brothers and sisters and which calls us to bear witness to it, to be one. If we do not live, make real and share this love with those who need us, we are hollow metal, we become mere civil servants without a soul and we are not living this love of Christ. That is why we trust that Karlsruhe is a call to live this love, to reconcile with one another and to work with more conviction for unity, even if it is becoming more and more difficult, because of the different realities we experience.
What can we pray for you and the International Ecumenical Fellowship?
Dr Valencia: The International Ecumenical Fellowship tries to give an answer from our basic ecclesial realities, from the very life of the communities of faith that want to respond to the call of unity made by Jesus. That is our identity, that from the grassroots and in ecclesial diversity we can be one. The International Ecumenical Fellowship is present in Africa, on 1-2 of September they have their conference in Uganda, and now we start a beautiful project in Latin America, with dreams and hopes that from each of the bases, we become sensitive and walk towards visible unity. Pray for us, as we pray for all of you. Always united in prayer.
