Bishop Brian Farrell Archives

Top Vatican officials talk China, intercommunion, and al-Sistani

Mar 27, 2021

Two prominent Vatican prelates waded into hot-button issues in the areas of ecumenical and interfaith dialogue, voicing a desire to increase dialogue with China and outlining the Catholic Church’s rules for intercommunion.

By Elise Ann Allen

COVID-19 and ecumenism: Pandemic prompts prayer, action

Jan 17, 2021

The pandemic lockdowns and travel restrictions have had an impact on the Catholic Church’s relationships with other Christian churches, but the effects were not all bad.

By Cindy Wooden

‘Ut Unum Sint’ at 25: Learning to recognize, welcome others’ gifts

May 24, 2020

Twenty-five years ago, St. John Paul II’s encyclical on ecumenism, “Ut Unum Sint,” put the papal seal of approval on a shift in the Catholic Church’s approach to the search for Christian unity.

By Cindy Wooden

New Orthodox schism stalls ecumenical dialogue, Vatican official says

May 13, 2019

A significant rupture between Orthodox churches in Ukraine has brought the official theological dialogue between Catholics and Orthodox to a standstill, according to a Vatican official involved in the talks.

By Robert Duncan

Search for Christian unity is making progress, Vatican official says

Jan 25, 2019

Despite some new tensions, “practically the whole of Christianity is in a process of advancing beyond the controversies and competition of the past, toward greater understanding, trust and solidarity,” said Bishop Brian Farrell, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

By Cindy Wooden

Christians have moral mandate to fight racism, populism, say speakers

Sep 19, 2018

ROME — Christians have the teachings and the responsibility to address growing fear of and discrimination against immigrants and refugees, said speakers opening a Vatican-sponsored conference. “Welcoming migrants, especially those in danger, is a moral principle whose foundation and strength come from the Gospel and sacred Scripture, and it is

By Carol Glatz

Comfort level with dialogue a U.S. gift to the universal Church

Oct 19, 2016

All three new American cardinals set to be elevated by Pope Francis on Nov. 19 bring strong backgrounds in ecumenical and inter-faith dialogue, but in reality there’s little remarkable about that, since the pope could have thrown darts at a dartboard in the US and come up with much the same thing.

By John L. Allen Jr.

Pope’s choice for new Vatican post boosts moderates, Americans

Aug 17, 2016

By choosing Bishop Kevin Farrell of Dallas as the first-ever head of his new department for family, laity, and life issues, Pope Francis has handed a big win to pastoral moderates in the Church and also laid to rest concerns that he’s somehow hostile to Americans.

By John L. Allen Jr.