There’s a first time for everything. On March 12, we hosted Napa’s first-ever Ecumenical Forum in New York City. It was eye-opening, to say the least—and it opened the door to some exciting collaborations.
All told, Steph and I along with Barry and Linda Rowan welcomed 15 Catholic and Protestant leaders into our home. Barry and Linda Rowan, our fellow Catholics and Napa friends, co-hosted.
On the Protestant side, we were joined by leaders from Christianity Today, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and various denominations. On the Catholic side, we had Fr. Ambrose Criste, O.Praem., and several others. Bishop Steven Lopes of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter—which oversees the Anglicans in communion with the Catholic Church—bridged both sides, in a way.
Four Catholics and four Protestants led various discussions throughout the evening, which also included dinner and drinks. No doubt, our religious traditions are divided on many key issues.
But in our time together, we started from a place of common ground. We share a commitment to the Apostle’s Creed and the Nicene Creed, which celebrates its 1,700th anniversary this year.
We also share a profound concern about rising cultural hostility to core Christian teachings and truths. We all believe in the sanctity and right understanding of marriage. We are all committed to defending the unborn and vulnerable mothers. And we know that religious liberty is a fundamental right that must be protected in modern society.
Personally, I’m beyond grateful that the Catholic Church has remained consistent on these issues. While Protestantism is increasingly divided on them, our attendees were rooted in truth.
Before we departed, we all affirmed our desire to work together to restore Judeo-Christian principles in American culture and law. We agreed that spiritual warfare is real and worsening—and that the path forward depends on prayer and our shared faith in Jesus Christ. As we fix our eyes on Jesus he will show us our common ground for the benefit of the Common Good.
We also agreed to form a steering committee, with the goal of hosting more ecumenical gatherings and fostering partnerships that lead to action across society. We’re also looking for ways to involve a limited number of Protestants at the Napa Institute’s summer conference.
When I founded Napa, I wanted to help prepare Catholics for what Archbishop Chaput called the “Next America.”
The Next America has arrived, and as we confront the challenges ahead, it will help us to work with Protestants to defend our faith and the truth.
I hope this Ecumenical Forum is the start of many such collaborations. It may be the first time we’ve done this, but it won’t be the last.
