During the weekend of 30 September to 2 October the WCC’s Ecumenical Institute of Bossey has host a series of events to celebrate seventy years of ecumenical formation, including an evening to meet present students on 30 September, an open house on 1 October with prayers in the Bossey chapel, guided tours of the campus, meetings with Bossey students and faculty, an ecumenical marketplace, alumni reunions and an evening concert, as well as presentations and discussion on “Peace-Building and the Role of Religions”.

For the occasion, a book on the history of the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, entitled The Story of Bossey: A Laboratory for Ecumenical Life, has been released by the WCC Publications and launched on 1 October.

The highlight of the celebrations was the exceptional lecture by Prof. Dr Ahmad al-Tayyeb, the Grand Imam of Cairo’s Al-Azhar mosque and university, on “The Role of Religious Leaders in Achieving World Peace”. On that occasion, a Joint Communique was issued by the delegations representing the World Council of Churches and the Muslim Council of Elders.

On September 29, 2016, a Delegation of the Evangelical Church of Germany (EKD) visited the see of the Ecumenical Patriarchate at the Phanar (Istanbul, Turkey) where they met with His All-Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew as well as with the Synodical Commission on Inter-Christian Affairs under the chairmanship of His Eminence Metropolitan Chrysostom of Myra.

The delegation was composed of the President of its council, Bishop Dr. Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, of Rev. Dr. Martin Illert and Rev. Dr. Petra Boss-Huber and was accompanied by His Grace Bishop Bartholomew of Arianzos (auxiliary of the Metropolis of Germany).

During the meeting, they discussed the future celebrations of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation planed in May 2017 in Wittenberg and in Tübingen, as well as the documents of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church.

The bilateral theological dialogue between the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Evangelical Church of Germany (EKD) has started in 1969. First contacts between the two Churches were already established in the 16th century, when the Ecumenical Patriarch Jeremiah II corresponded with Lutheran scholars of the University of Tübingen on theological issues.

The International Commission for Anglican–Orthodox Theological Dialogue is actually meeting in Armagh (Ireland) until Thursday 29th September 2016. As part of their meeting, members of the Commission yesterday worshipped on Sunday 25th September 2016 at a Service of Holy Communion in St Mark’s Parish Church, Ballymore (Tandragee), and at Festal Evensong in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh. The Evensong was followed by a reception in the Alexander Synod Hall, Armagh. Continue reading →

The fourteenth meeting of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church was held from 16 to 21 September 2016 in Villa Maria, Francavilla al Mare (Chieti). The meeting was generously hosted by His Excellency Bruno Forte, Archbishop of Chieti-Vasto, a member of the Commission, with the support of the Italian Bishops’ Conference.

All the Orthodox Churches, with the exception of the Patriarchate of Bulgaria, were represented, namely the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Patriarchate of Alexandria, the Patriarchate of Antioch, the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Patriarchate of Moscow, the Patriarchate of Serbia, the Patriarchate of Romania, the Patriarchate of Georgia, the Church of Cyprus, the Church of Greece, the Church of Poland, the Church of Albania and the Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia. A corresponding number (26) of Catholic members, coming from different countries, were present. Continue reading →

The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the Assisi Meeting of the Community of Sant’Egidio

The International Meeting “Thirst for Peace: Religions and cultures in dialogue” takes place in Assisi from September 18 to 20, 2016. Thirty years after the historical Day of Prayer for Peace promoted by the late Pope John Paul II on October 27, 1986, representatives of different religions and cultures who believe that the “Spirit of Assisi” could bring peace in a world wounded by violence and war, are meeting for three days, for dialogue and prayer. Among the participants: His Holiness the Pope of Rome Francis, His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Andrea Riccardi — founder of the Community of Sant’Egidio and Olav Fykse Tveit — General Secretary of the World Council of Churches. Continue reading →

14th plenary session of Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church

The meeting of the 14^th plenary session of Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church is taking place in Chieti (Italy) from September 15 to 22, 2016. It gathers two representatives from each of the fourteen Orthodox Autocephalous Churches, alongside 28 Catholic participants. All the Orthodox Autocephalous Churches are present, with the exception of the Holy Church of Bulgaria. The meeting is chaired by its two co-presidents: Cardinal Kurt Koch from the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity and Archbishop Job of Telmessos from the Ecumenical Patriarchate, in replacement of Metropolitan John of Pergamon who has retired from the dialogue. Continue reading →

XXIV International Ecumenical Congress of Orthodox Spirituality in Bose

Between 7–10 September 2016, a “miracle” happened in the Monastery of Bose (Italy): among about 200 participants of the XXIV International Ecumenical Congress of Orthodox Spirituality were bishops, clergy, monastics and lay people coming from all the 14 Orthodox Local Autocephalous Churches, as well as representatives from the Oriental Orthodox Churches, the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion and the Reformation. A great ecumenical venue, where 19 distinguished speakers reflected this year on “Martyrdom and Communion” by exploring the notion of martyrdom and the martyrologia of the Churches of Russia, Georgia, Romania, Bulgaria, Armenia and England. Continue reading →