People have a real desire for practical ecumenism and are committed to local unity at parish level, according to Canon John O’Toole, the national ecumenical officer for the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.
He was speaking after a meeting of Churches Together in England which discussed the current “ecumenical temperature” in Britain, as Churches of all traditions face up to the task of serving and transforming communities.
“There are different visions of unity and how that is achieved on a theological level, but there’s also the practical level where people just want to get on with things,” Canon O’Toole said.
The driving force for much of this work is through local charitable work such as soup kitchens, credit unions and food banks, he added. “There is nothing prescriptive about these meetings … it is just about encouraging people to build relationships.” Canon O’Toole pointed out that many chaplaincies, such as those in prisons or hospitals, are interreligious and an increasing number of Catholics are also becoming involved in the Street Pastors initiative, pioneered in Brixton, London, in 2003. There are now over 12,000 trained volunteer pastors in 300 UK towns and cities. “Street Pastors works like community support. It allows people to have a presence and a witness in a non-judgmental way, while working across denominations,” said Canon O’Toole.
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