Pope Leo XIV and Church Leader Bedford-Strohm Join Forces for Love and Peace
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Bishop Bedford-Strohm expresses delight over collaborative efforts with Pope Leo XIV - Anticipates Collaboration with Leo XIV, as per Bedford-Strohm's Statement
The selection of Pope Leo XIV has given rise to a wave of anticipation in Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, the head honcho of the World Council of Churches. "I reckon he'll pick up where Pope Francis left off, advocating for the love of all folks, particularly those in need, and for our planet," Bedford-Strohm, theformer bishop of Bavaria, shared on Facebook after American Robert Francis Prevost was chosen as the successor to Pope Francis.
"A powerful global voice for human dignity and the banishment of violence is sorely needed. I've got no doubt that Pope Leo XIV will be just that, a robust voice," he declared.
The new Pope, too, brought up the theme of peace in his initial speech. "Given the state of the world at present, we require a potent moral voice here," he stated. Bedford-Strohm underscored his eagerness to work with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and Pope Leo XIV.
Chief among their aims will be the crusade for love toward the most vulnerable and all people, reinforcing human dignity through justice, peace, reconciliation, and ecumenical unity. Dialogue, synodality, and missionary witness will be central to their collaboration, as both leaders embark on a journey to foster justice, peace, and reconciliation amidst the chaos of current global issues, such as war, economic and gender injustice, and climate crises.
The WCC has expressed readiness to maintain its engagement and partnership with the Roman Catholic Church in pursuit of bridges, synodality, and a combined missionary witness. Pope Leo XIV's inaugural homily encompassed these themes, signifying a mutual commitment to unity and cooperation.
In their endeavors, they aspire to achieve an ideal of visible unity while preserving diversity among Christian traditions, adhering to the ecumenical ethos of the WCC. Their collaboration will seek to address the broad social and ecological challenges that confront our world, striving for a shared global Christian mission that uplifts human dignity, promotes peace, and champions justice.
- Pope Leo XIV, in his inaugural speech, emphasized the need for a strong moral voice to address the current state of the world, particularly in combating issues like war, economic and gender injustice, and climate crises.
- Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, the head of the World Council of Churches, expressed his eagerness to work with Pope Leo XIV to advocate for love towards the vulnerable, reinforce human dignity through justice, peace, reconciliation, and ecumenical unity.
- The European Parliament has also expressed its concern at the lack of progress in the fight against racism and xenophobia, and Bedford-Strohm, with his new collaborative efforts with Pope Leo XIV, hopes to foster a shared global Christian mission that uplifts human dignity and promotes peace.
- In an effort to address broad social and ecological challenges, the World Council of Churches and Pope Leo XIV plan to engage in dialogue, synodality, and missionary witness, utilizing their collective influence, possibly even garnering support from celebrities and entertainers, to champion their cause and bring hope to those in need.
