After 1848, when civil rights were granted to Protestants and Jews, our church was at last free to develop throughout Italy. Despite hostile reactions from Roman Catholic clergy, dozens of Waldensian congregations were established and the Bible made its first appearance in Italian homes.

After the tragedy of World War II, protestant and anglican churches founded the World Council of Churches (Geneva) in an effort to reconcile differences among different denominations.

Since the 2nd Vatican Council, which was attended also by delegates for our church, the relationship with Rome has improved and there are now widespread contacts with catholic parishes, especially during the Week for Christian Unity in January each year.

While talks with Vatican authorities remain scarce and often disappointing, we are willing to meet our catholic brothers and sisters for Bible study and debates on church history and ethical issues.

In 1980 the first ecumenical translation of the Bible was published. It is written in plain language and is often used at interdenominational meetings.

In the year 2000 the ecumenical climate was shaken by two events: the Catholic Jubilee, with its allocation of papal pardons to pilgrims (the same practice denounced by Martin Luther in 1517!); and the statement that Rome is the only church of Jesus Christ, made in the Vatican document Dominus Jesus. At the same time, a Note from cardinal Ratzinger made it clear that there are no “sister churches” for Rome.

After four decades of debate, the ecumenical movement has reached the point where it must choose between two options: either it continues stressing the common ground and try to underscore differences; or else it steps forward and confronts differences openly, in the light of the Bible and its teaching.

A clear illustration of our official position is found in the document L’ecumenismo e il dialogo interreligioso, issued by the 1998 Synod of the Union of Methodist and Waldensian Churches.