Here is the official US Mennonite response to the election of Pope Francis.<\/p>\n
(If there are other official responses, please let Pray Tell<\/em> know.)<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *<\/p>\n Your Holiness:<\/p>\n On behalf of Mennonite Church USA, we offer heartfelt blessings to you in the new ministry to which you have been called. We are grateful for your choice of a name that reminds us of Francis of Assisi, a follower of Jesus who loved peace, cared for the poor, and cherished creation. We are heartened by your choice to live humbly and simply and by your desire to reach across boundaries to people of faith in many traditions. Most of all, we appreciate your profound commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n In the years ahead we hope that relationships between Roman Catholics and Mennonites will continue to be strengthened. We commit ourselves to pray for you and for our Roman Catholic sisters and brothers.<\/p>\n May you be blessed with abundant wisdom to guide the church, with strength to persevere even in daunting and difficult times, and with a loving shepherd\u2019s heart as you represent the church in the world. May God grant you a long and joyous ministry!<\/p>\n Yours in Christ,<\/p>\n Richard Thomas, moderator “We are heartened by your choice to live humbly and simply and by your desire to reach across boundaries to people of faith in many traditions.” <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[13,2224],"tags":[3007,2246,3021,2303],"class_list":["post-18794","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ecumenism","category-pope-francis","tag-ecumenism","tag-mennonites","tag-pope-francis","tag-richard-thomas"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nErvin Stutzman, executive director
\nMennonite Church USA<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"