FROM: Calisi Matteo, str.lla Cannaruto,1/3 70124 Bari Italy (Europa), INTERNET:calisi@teseo.it

TO: Harold Hunter, DATE: 5/24/96 5:39 PM

Re: Rimini 1996

CONSULTAZIONE CARISMATICA ITALIANA Prof. Matteo Calisi, Stradella Cannaruto, 1/3 - 70124 Bari, Italia (Europa) Tel. 39 (080) 50.26.103; Fax 39 (080 ) 50.26.102; E-mail calisi@teseo.it Past. Giovanni Traettino, via Vivaldi, 47- 81100 Caserta, Italia (Europa) Tel. / Fax 39 (0823) 44.30.77

PRESS RELEASE

CELEBRATION OF THE GIFT OF UNITY IN RIMINI

A NEW PAGE OF CHRISTIANITY HAS BEEN WRITTEN

The Catholic Charismatic Renewal in Italy, officially called Rinnovamento nello Spirito Santo, held its 19th National Conference from April 25 to 28, 1996, in Rimini. The theme of the meeting "That They may Be One So That The World Might Believe" was inspired from the Ecumenical Encyclical Ut Unum Sint of Pope John Paul II.

The Conference was attended by over sixty-thousand partecipants, among whom were special guests from the Ecumenical Council of The International Charismatic Consultation On World Evangelization (ICCOWE), The European Charismatic Consultation (ECC) and The Italian Charismatic Consultation (ICC) and about one hundred delegates of different christian churches coming from the whole world: Reformed - Greek-Orthodox - Russian-Orthodox - Anglicans - Lutherans - Presbyterians - Pentecostals - Methodists - Baptists - Apostolicals - the Brothers'Assembly - Waldesians and Non- Denominatonals.

The principal speakers were Father Michael Harper, Orthodox, Dean of the British Antiochian Orthodox Deanery and Chairman of ICCOWE, Pastor Giovanni Traettino, Pentecostal, Apostle and leader of the Communion and Restoration Movement, Co-President of ICC and Father Raniero Cantalamessa, Apostolic Preacher and member of the International Theological Committee for the Catholic-Pentecostal Dialogue, sponsored by the Pontificial Council for Christian Unity in the Vatican.

Among the other speakers were His Eminence Cardinal Camillo Ruini, President of the Episcopal Conference of Italy (CEI) and Vicar of Rome, Cardinal Hyacinthe Thiandoum, the Arcibishop of Dakar in Senegal, Arcibishop Giuseppe Chiaretti, President of the Secretariat for Ecumenism and Dialogue of the CEI, Bishop Angelo Comastri, President of the CEI Committee for the Holy Year, the Arcibishop of Foggia-Bovino Giuseppe Casale, President of the Center for Studies on New Religions, (CESNUR), the Bishop of Locri-Gerace Giancarlo Maria Bregantini, Father Antonio Belpiede, National Assistant of the Franciscan Secular Order in Italy, Father Mario Panciera, theologian and journalist and Professor Massimo Introvigne, Director of the CESNUR.

During the opening session of the meeting, Pastor Giovanni Traettino publicly handed over a personal letter to Cardinal Camillo Ruini, in which he urges an acceleration of the process of reconciliation between Pentecostals and Catholics in Italy.

The meeting culminated with an ecumenical procession with the participation of the representatives of the Christian Churches. A big wooden cross was taken to the stage first by Cardinal Thiandoum, by Pastor Giovanni Traettino and then by Father Michael Harper, to symbolize the walk of the christians toward the hoped for unity. The assembly was invited to pray chapter 7 of the gospel of John, where Jesus asks the Father of the gift of unity of His disciples.

During the ceremony, the assembly intoned the ancient Hymn of the undivided Church Veni Creator Spiritus while each representative held an olive-branch in their hands.

Later, the catholic delegates asked forgiveness to the pentecostals, which was symbolized by the kissing of feet. First Msgr. Dino Foglio, Coordinator of National Service Committee Rinnovamento nello Spirito Santo, kissed the feet of Pentecostal pastor Giovanni Traettino, followed by Cardinal Thiandoum and by the other bishops. This event of Reconciliation opens a new chapter in the relationship between the catholic church and that part of the Italian and International Pentecostal Movement more sensible to the inter-christian dialogue.

In the end, the partecipants sang some traditional catholic, orthodox and protestant songs and the Our Father in the Russian-Orthodox tradition.

During the meeting two books of Prof. Massimo Introvigne were presented:

1) Aspettando la Pentecoste - Il Quarto Ecumenismo (Edizione Messaggero, via Orto Botanico, 11 35123 Padova, Italy), an interview to Pastor Giovanni Traettino and to Prof. Matteo Calisi, Co-President of the ICC and member of the International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services (ICCRS), about the dialogue between catholics and pentecostals in Italy. The prefaces have been edited by Arcibishop Giuseppe Casale and Prof. Paolo Ricca, Dean of the Waldesian Faculty in Rome;

2) La Sfida Pentecostale, Editrice ELLE DI CI 10096 Leuman, Torino - Italy) with some notes by several specialists (Casale, Cantoni, Mosher, Gasper, the German Theological Committee of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal) about some aspects as "Toronto Blessing", "Kansas Prophets", "Peace in the Spirit", "Sociology of Pentecostalism", Pentecostalism and Teology", "Pentecostalism and Ecumenism".

The Executive Committee and the Council of ICC have established that the "5th Retreat for a Fraternal Dialogue" will be held in Rome from the 29th November to the 1st Dicember 1996. Leaders and Pastors of Evangelical Churches and of the Italian Catholic Charismatic Renewal will be present at the meeting.

ECUMENICAL DELEGATION AT the 19th National Conference of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Rimini April 25-28,1996

International Ecumenical Delegation: ICCOWE/ECC 1) Father Michael Harper, Dean of the British Antiochian Orthodox Deanery and Chairman of ICCOWE 2) Kim Kollins, Catholic from Germany, Co-President of the European Charismatic Consultation 3) Rev. Peter Dippl, Pentecostal Pastor from Berlino, Co-President of ECC 4) Rev. Traettino Giovanni, Pentecostal Pastor, Co-President ICC, President of Communion and Restauration, member of the Executive Committee of ECC 5) Mr. Mario Cappello, Catholic and President of International Catholic Program Evangelization (ICPE) in Germany 6) Rev. Hanssen Ove Conrad, Lutheran Pastor of the Church of Norway, member of the Executive Committee of ECC, theologian and professor of the New Testament. 7) Mr. Henry Cappello, Catholic from Malta, Responsable of Europe Araise and member of ICCOWE. 8) Rev. Stenback Carl-Gustaf, Pastor of Lutheran Church of Sweden, President of Oasis (Committee of the Lutheran Charismatic Renewal) 9) Rev. Miguel Escobar, President of the Methodist Church of Chile and of United States

ITALIAN ECUMENICAL DELEGATION: ICC 10) Father Carlo Colonna s.j., theologian and writer of Bari 11) Rev. Emilio Ursomando, Pentecostal Pastor of the Christian Community of Reggio Calabria 12) Prof. Tarcisio Mezzetti, Senior of the Magnificat Community of Perugia 13) Dott. Geoffrey Allen, Senior of the Christian Community of Pavia, Teacher of God's Word 14 Rev. Ernesto Bretscher Jr., Evangelic Pastor of the Christian Community of Torino and Secretary of the Council of Churches of Torino 15) Prof. Matteo Calisi, Catholic and member of ICCRS and ECC, Co-President of ICC, delegate for the Ecumenism for the Renewal in Italy, member of the Executive Committee of the Catholic Fraternity of Alliance Communities of Pontificial Law 16) Rev. Massimo Loda, Pastor of the Christian Community of Pavia, responsable of the Evangelic Churches of North Italy (Movement Communion and Restauration)

OTHER GUESTS AND ECUMENIC ORGANIZATIONS: 17) Rev. Hermann A, Parli, Riformed Pastor of Fribourg in Switzerland, Director of Claropa Radio Center 18) Rev. Francesco De Maio, Evangelic Pastor, Derek Prince Ministries 19) Don Marcello Mammarella, Catholic Theologian of Pescara, of the Commission of Faith and the Constitution of the Ecumenical Council of Churches of Geneva 20) Dott. Eric Belcher, Evangelical Pentecostal, Institute Christ for Nations of Dallas Texas (USA) 21) Rev. Martin Lombardo, Evangelic Pastor, Jesus Cares Ministries, USA and Rome 22) Prof. Massimo Introvigne, Director of CESNUR, teacher at Pontificio Ateneum "Regina Apostolorum" in Rome 23) Father Raniero Cantalamessa ofm cap., Apostolic Preacher and member of the International Theological Commition for the Catholic-Pentecostal Dialogue of the Vatican. 24) Mons. Gervasio Gestori, Undersecretary of CEI 25) Father Mario Panciera, Theologian and journalist 26) Martha Reyes, Hosanna Multifestival, Los Angeles, California (USA) 27) Sr. Ancilla Beretta, International Ecumenical Committee for the " Climbing to Gerusalemme" 28) Mr. Claude Lopez, Australia, Director (pro-tempore) Office of ICCRS, City of Vatican 29) Father Antonio Belpiede, ofm cap., National Assistant of the Franciscan Secular Order in Italy 30) Rev. Olaf Franke, Pastor of the Pentecostal Church of Ghana in Berlin

CATHOLIC BISHOPS: 31) Card. Camillo Ruini, President of the CEI and Vicar of the Diocese of Ro= me 32) Card. Hyacinthe Thiandoum, Arcibishop of Dakar in Senegal (Africa) 33) Mons. Giuseppe Chiaretti, Arcibishop of Perugia, President of the CEI Secretariat for Ecumenism and Dialogue 34) Mons. Giancarlo M. Bregantini, Bishop of Locri-Gerace, Expert in Ecumenism and History of Church 35) Mons. Giuseppe Casale, Arcibishop of Foggia-Bovino, President of CESNUR 36) Mons. Luigi Bettazzi, Bishop of Ivrea, already President of Pax Christi 37) Mons. Pietro Giachetti, Bishop of Pinerolo, Segretariate CEI for Ecumenism and Dialogue 38) Mons. Angelo Comastri, President of the CEI Committee for the Holy Year

OTHER PASTORS AND LEADERS OF INTERNATIONAL AND ITALIAN CHRISTIAN DENOMINATION AND CHURCHES RAPRESENTED (OVER 100 PARTECIPANTS) Riformed - Greek-Orthodox - Russian-Orthodox - Anglicans - Lutherans - Presbyterians - Evangelical-Pentecostals - Methodists - Baptists - Apostolicals - the Brothers'Assembly - Waldesians - Non-Denominationals and Evangelical Charismatics...

____________________________________________________________________ Comitato della Consultazione Carismatica Italiana Rev. Ernesto Bretscher, Sr (pastore evangelico della Comunit=E0 Cristiana di Caulonia), Sr. Nancy Kellar, s.c. (cattolica, direttore dello ICCRS, Citt=E0 del Vaticano), Rev. Giovanni Traettino, Co-Presidente (pastore evangelico della Comunit=E0 Cristiana di Caserta), P. Carlo Colonna, s.j. (sacerdote e teologo cattolico di Bari), Dott. Geoffrey Allen (evangelico, anziano della Comunit=E0 Cristiana di Pavia), Prof. Matteo Calisi, Co-Presidente (cattolico, membro dell'ICCRS-Italia di Bari), Rev. Emilio Ursomando (pastore evangelico della Comunit=E0 Cristiana di Reggio Calabria), Prof. Tarcisio Mezzetti (cattolico, anziano della Comunit=E0 Magnificat di Perugia).