The First Joint Retreat of Catholics and Protestants

The CBCK Committee for Promoting Christian Unity & Interreligious Dialogue (President: Most Rev. Hyginus Kim Hee-joong) held the first joint retreat with the representatives promoting Christian unity of the National Council of Churches in Korea (KNCC) at St. Benedict Meditation Center, Pusan from August 16 to 18, 2010.
  The main cause for this retreat was to give the clergy of the Anglican Church and Protestant Churches a chance to experience the retreat in the Catholic spiritual tradition. This joint retreat is considered to be a very important milestone for promoting Christian unity.
 All the participants discussed the movement of promoting Christian unity on the first day. Then, they did a variety of activities: attending a lecture of the Director of the Center, practicing meditation, celebrating the via crucis, and experiencing the unaccustomed retreat and religious life. They also visited Oryundae Korean Martyrs Museum and Olivetan Benedictine Sisters of Busan.
 The Protestant clergies said that it was a good opportunity for the deeper understanding of the Catholic Spirituality. They also said that it led them to realize that the teaching of humility and obedience in the tradition of the religious is to be humble. In addition, they found the silent mental prayer quite impressive compared to the loud vocal prayer practiced by most of the protestants. They also shared their opinions that both Catholics and Protestants must try harder to get rid of misunderstanding each other with more exchange.
 Archbishop Kim Hee-joong suggested that education for Christian unity should start from seminary. He also said that we would have an abundant harvest if we keep on sowing.