From: Calisi Matteo, str.lla Cannaruto,1/3 70124 Bari Italy Europa
<calisi@teseo.it>
Date: 12/17/96 3:30am

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

The Italian Charismatic Consultation (ICC), made up of some representatives
of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal and of several Italian Evangelical
churches, organized "the 5th Retreat for a Fraternal Dialogue" in San
Nicola la Strada (Caserta, Italy) from the 29th November to the 1st December 1996. The theme was "The Pentecostal Challenge".

The Conference was attended by Catholic Charismatic leaders and Evangelics
of different churches and denominations, the mainline Protestant Churches
such as Baptists, Waldesians, the Brothers'Assembly, Reformed of
Switzerland; the Classical Pentecostal churches, such as the Pentecostal
Holiness Church and the First Assembly of God from the USA, the Pentecostal
church of Switzerland, Neo-Pentecostal and Non-denominational churches,
such as the Evangelical Church of Reconciliation. Moreover, the meeting was
attended by some interdenominational and missionary organizations, such as
the Full Gospel Bussiness' Men Fellowship International, the International
Committee of La Mont‚e … Jerusalem, la Ligue pour la Lecture de la Bible,
Derek Prince Ministries and so on.

Very influential servants of Christ spoke during the meeting. The principal
speakers were: the Bishop of Caserta Raffaele Nogaro, Bishop Bernard E.
Underwood, General Superintendent of the International Pentecostal Holiness
Church in the U.S.A, Prof. Matteo Calisi from Bari, Pastor Giovanni
Traettino from Caserta, Prof. Massimo Introvigne from Torino, Director of
the Center for the Studies on New Religions (CESNUR), Catholic and
university teacher.

Other important leaders of the Charismatic-Pentecostal movement attended
the meeting: Prof. Tarcisio Mezzetti, university teacher of Perugia, Past.
Ernesto Bretscher sr. from Caulonia, Dott. Geoffrey Allen of Pavia,
biblist, Dott. Oreste Pesare, Director of the office of the International
Catholic Charismatic Renewal Service (ICCRS) of the Vatican City and Pastor
Emilio Ursomando from Reggio Calabria who led the National Musical Ministry
"David's tent".

The aim of this Italian Conference for a Catholic-Pentecostal Dialogue was
to meet to pray and to discover together how the Holy Spirit joins. The
Co-Presidents of the Executive Committee (made up of 4 Catholic and 4
Evangelical members) and of the National Council of ICC are Rev. Giovanni
Traettino and Prof. Matteo Calisi. The first is an Evangelical Pastor,
President of the Italian Institute of Theological and Philosophical Studies
in Caserta, Apostle of the Evangelical Church of Reconciliation, a member
of the Executive Committee of the European Charismatic Consultation. The
latter is a member of the International Council of the Catholic Charismatic
Renewal Service (ICCRS), a member of the Council of the European
Charismatic Consultation; and both are members of the Pentecostal
Studies'Society.