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 →