Vice-President of World Methodist Council visits Rome

The Vice-President of the World Methodist Council, Mrs Gillian Kingston, visited Rome from 21 to 24 May. Mrs Kingston, a former Lay Leader of the Methodist Church in Ireland, was in Rome to participate in the celebration of Wesley Day organised by the Methodist Ecumenical Office. 24 May was the day in 1738 when John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, felt his heart ‘strangely warmed’ by the assurance of God’s salvation.

On Wednesday 22 May, Mrs Kingston participated in the General Audience held by Pope Francis in St Peter’s Square, after which she had an opportunity to greet him personally. Later in the morning, the WMC Vice-President visited the office of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, where she was able to brief the new Secretary of the Dicastery, Archbishop Flavio Pace, about the upcoming meeting of the World Methodist Council, which takes place in Gothenburg, Sweden, in August. Revd Matthew Laferty, Director of the Methodist Ecumenical Office, Rome, and Revd Fr Martin Browne OSB, the official in the Dicastery responsible for Methodist matters, also participated in both meetings.

Source: http://www.christianunity.va/