TOULOUSE, France, AUG. 22, 2007 (Zenit.org).- A code of conduct on Christian evangelization is one step closer to being established after ecumenical leaders honed suggestions for the guidelines.
The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and the World Council of Churches began the project of establishing the code last May, seeking to develop a set of guidelines that could help maintain the balance between freedom of religion and freedom to explain and promote one's faith.
As a further step, some 30 representatives of various Christian denominations gathered in France from Aug. 8-12 to discuss the code of conduct, the World Council of Churches reported.
Archbishop Robert LeGall of Toulouse, a participant in that meeting, says he hopes the code will ensure the "mutual respect of those who are engaged in a religion" while at the same time preserving the "right to spread and explain one's faith."
When the Vatican met with the World Council of Churches in May 2006 to begin the establishment of the code, certain conclusions were reached.
"Freedom of religion is a fundamental, inviolable and nonnegotiable right of every human being in every country in the world," states the report of that meeting.
"Freedom of religion connotes the freedom, without any obstruction, to practice one's own faith, freedom to propagate the teachings of one's faith to people of one's own and other faiths, and also the freedom to embrace another faith out of one's own free choice," the report continues.
Concrete suggestions
According to the World Council of Churches, the report included some concrete suggestions, such as "discouraging and rejecting 'unethical means,' avoiding taking advantage of 'vulnerable' people like children and disabled persons, and doing humanitarian work 'without any ulterior motives.'"
In Toulouse, the World Evangelical Alliance, an association of organizations and churches that reports a membership of some 420 million Christians worldwide, said they were ready to join the Vatican and the World Council in supporting the code.
The World Council of Churches said that certain elements were identified in Toulouse as key concepts upon which the code of conduct should be based. They include "common understandings of conversion, witness, mission and evangelism, and concern for human dignity; a distinction between aggressive proselytizing and evangelism; the balance between the mandate to evangelize and the right to choose one’s religion."
Organizers expect the code to be finalized by 2010. The next step of the process will be a meeting in 2008, when the code of conduct will be drafted.
ZE07082206 - 2007-08-22