Ecumenical plate-spinner: Cardinal coordinates dozens of dialogues

Published: 2006-06-02

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Ecumenism is a work in progress, which explains why Cardinal Walter Kasper's days are never dull. Cardinal Kasper, the Vatican's ecumenical point man, coordinates more than a dozen dialogues at any given time -- a bit like the plate-spinner in a circus. When one dialogue starts to wobble, it calls for some delicate attention that can include theological exchange, personal visits or simple prayer meetings. The last thing anyone wants to hear is the sound of breaking china. Cardinal Kasper recently took time for a wider view of the ecumenical scene under Pope Benedict XVI. In a major address a few steps from the Vatican May 30, he offered a realistic assessment of where dialogue is spinning smoothly and where it's starting to waver. Surprisingly, perhaps, the German cardinal saw great promise in relations with separated Eastern churches, including the Russian Orthodox.

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