Charta Oecumenica (2001)

8/7/2019 Charta Oecumenica (2001)

1/10

Cardinal Lehmann and Rev. Darr, who opened the Encounter with a dialogue, will now share i n ac lo sing d ial og ue the ir impress ions a s to whe the r i t ha s b een g iv en to us to r each the agreed g oal sof the Encounter, and whether the ecumenical movement has gained new strength and a newperspective. The session wil l then be c10sedby the two Presidents.

Fifteenth Step: Evening prayer according to the Oprthodox Tradition (19h15)We wil l praise God together and give thanks for the fruits which this day has borne, i n a Vesperservice according to the Orthodox tradition.

Sixteenth Step: "Promenade en bateau"

The re wil l be an opportun it y to s tr eng th en our e cumenica l f el lowship by sha ring a boat tr ip aroundStrasbourg at night.

Sundav. 22 Aoril 2001

Seventeenth Step: Confessional celebrations (8.00 - 10.00)The c hurches in Eu rope have no t y et found thei r wa y to un it y. Each con fe ss ion wi ll ce lebra te theEucharist in its own church in Strasbourg. But we are on the way together towards uni ty, whichwe wi ll demo ns tr at e fo ll ow in g these worship se rvi ces a s we make our sepa ra te p il gr images to onemeeting point, St. Thomas' Church, and gather there for common prayer in a Closing WorshipService.

Eighteenth Step: Closing worship - Signature of the Charta OecumenicaAt the end of the Closing Worship Service, the Charta Oecumenica will be signed by the two

Presidents of CCEE and CEC. Thi s way both Organi sations (CCEE and CEC) will reaffirm theconc erns o f the Char ta Oecume nica and co mmend i t a s a b asi c t ext t o a II Churches and Bi shops'Con fer ences in Europe , t ha t t hey may seek to r ece ive and implement i t i n thei r own context s.If the Spirit of Jesus is given to us during the Encounter, urging us towards unity and giving uscoura ge to take st eps towa rd s the uni ty o f the churches a nd tow ard hel ping to bui ld Europe , t henthe participants in the Encounter, the church leaders and young Chris tians, are the f irst witnessesto thi s new start in the ecumenical movement. They are also the first messengers to be sent outwith the concerns of the Charta Oecumenica; t he re fo re, a fte r t he s ign ing o f the Charta, a copy ofit in a backpack will be given to each partici pant, as a sign of his or her willingness to be sent inth is way. F or aI I par ti ci pants i n the Clos ing Worsh ip S erv ice a nd a lso for t he re presenta ti ve s of themedia, the backpacks are an image of our being sent forth on the roads throughout Europe withthe message of the Gospel and with the concerns of the Charta Oecumenica. We a re p lacingour se lv es pub li cl y and vi si bly wi th in the tr adi ti on o f the fi rs t send ing fo rth, w hen Jesus en tru st edto h is d is cipl es the ever n ew message : The k ingdom o f God i snea r!

54

EMBARGO UNTIL 22.4.2001

Charta Oecumenica

Guidelines for the Growing Cooperation among theChurches in Europe

"G/ory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Ho/y Spirit"

As the Conference of European Churches (CEC) and the Council of European 8ishops ' Conferences(CCEEJ we are, in the spirit of the Messages from the two European Ecumeni cal Assemblies of8asle (1989) and Graz (1997), firmly resolved to preserve and develop the fellowship that hasgrown up among us, We give thanks to the Triune God for guiding our steps towards an everdeeper fel lowship through the Holy Spiri t.

Var ious fo rms o f ecumenica l co -operat ion have a lr eady p roved themse lve s. Chri st' s p raye r i s: ...that they may aII be one. As you, Father, are in me and 1 a m in you, may they also be in us, sothat the world may believe that you have sent me" (John 17:21). If we are to be faithful to thispr aye r, we canno t be con te nt w ith the p re sen t s ituati on . In st ead , aware o f our gUl 'l t and ready tor epen t, w e must st ri ve to overcome the d iv isi ons sti tI exi sti ng among us, so that t oge the r we maycredibly proclaim the message of the Gospel among aII people.

L is tening toge ther t o God' s wor d in Holy Scr ip tu re , cha ll enged to confe ss our common fai th and toact together in accordance with the perceived truth, let us bear witness to the love and hopewhich are for aIIpeople .

Europe - fr om the At lanti c t o th e Ura ls, f rom the North Cape to the Medl te rr anean - is today moreplurali st in culture than ever before. With the Gospel, we want to stand up for the dignity of thehuman person created in God's image and, as churches together, contr ibute towards reconci lingpeoples and cultures.

In this spi rit, we adopt this charter as a common commltment to dialogue and co-operation. Itdescr ibes fundamental ecumenical responsibil it ies, f rom which fol low a number of guidelines andcommitments . I t i s des igned to p romote an ecumeni ca l cu lt ure o f d ia logue and co -operati on a t a IIlevels of church li fe, and to provide agreed criteria for this. However, it has no magisterial ordogmatic character, nor is It legally binding under church law. Its authority wil / derive from thevoluntary commitments of the European churches and ecumenical organisat ions. 8ui lding on thisbasic text, they can formul ate thei r own local addenda, desi gned to meet their own specifi cchallenges and resulting commitments.

ITo the Conference of European Churches (CEC) belong almost aII Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican, Old-Catholic andindependent churches in Europe. In the Council of European 8ishops' Conferences (CCEE)are represented aII RomanCatholic 8ishops' Conferences in Europe.

55


2/10

IW E BE LI EV E I N

" ON E H OLY C AT HO LI C A NO A PO STO LI C C HU RC H"

"(Make) every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bondof peace. There isone body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, oneLord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of aII, who isabove aII and throughaII and in aII" (Ephesians 4:3-6)

1. Called Together to Unity inFaith'"

Wit h t he Go spe l o f J es us C hr is t, a cc or di ng t o t he w it ne ss o f H ol y Sc ri pt ur e and as ex pr es sed i n t heecumenicarNicene-Constanfinopolitan Creed of 381, w e b el iev e i n t he Tr iun e G od : t he F at her, S onand Holy Spiri t:Secausewe here confess "one, holy, catholic and apostol ic church" our paramounte cum en lc al t as ~ i s t o s how f or th t hi s uni ty, w hi ch i s a lw ay s a gi ft of Go d.

Fu nd am en tal d if fe ren ces i n f ai th ar e s ti ll b ar ri er s t o v is ib le u ni ty. Th er e ar e di ff er ent v iew s o f t hec hur ch and its oneness, of the s acr ament s and minist ries . We must not be satis fied w ith thiss it uat io n. J es us C hr is t r ev eal ed t o u s o n t he c ros s hi s l ov e a nd t he my st er y o f r ec onc il iat ion; a s h i sf ol low er s, w e i nt en d t o do ou r u tm os t t o ov er co me t he p rob lem s an d o bs ta cl es t hat s ti ll di vi de t hechurches.

We commit ourselvest o f ol low t he apo st ol ic ex hor tat io n o f t he L et ter t o t he E phes ia ns an d pe rs ev er e i n s eek in g acommon understanding of Chris t' s message of salvation in the Gospel;in the power of the Holy Spir it, to work t owards the visible unity of the Church of Jesus Chr isti n t he on e f ai th, ex pr es sed i n t he mut ual r ec og ni ti on of bap ti sm an d i n e uc har is ti c f ell ow shi p,as wel l as in common witness and service .

We commit ourselvest o di sc us s o ur p lan s f or e van gel is at io n w it h ot her c hur che s, e nt er in g i nt o agr ee me nt s w it hthem and thus avoiding harmful competi tion and the r isk of fresh divis ions;t o r ec ogn is e t hat ev er y p er son c an f ree ly c hoos e h is o r he r r el ig ious and c hu rc h a ff il iat ion a s am at ter o f c ons ci enc e, w hi ch m ea ns no t i nd uc in g a ny one t o c on ver t t hr ough m or al pr es su re o rm at er ia l i nc ent i v e, b ut al so not hi nde ri ng an yon e f ro m en ter ing i nt o c onv er si on o f hi s o r h erown free wil l.

3. Movingtowards one another

{I n t he spirit of the Gospel, w e must r eappraise toqether the hist ory of t he Chr istian ~hlJr ches,w hi ch h as be en m ar ked by m an y b en ef ic ia l ex pe ri enc es b ut a ls o b y s chi sm s, hos ti li ti es and ev enarmed conflicts. Human guilt, lack of love and the frequent abuse of faith and the church forpol it ical interes ts have severely damaged the credibi li ty of the Chris tian witness .

E cu me ni sm t he re for e b eg in s f or C hr is ti ans w it h t he r en ew al o f o ur h ear ts a nd t he w il li ngne ss t orepent and change our ways. The ecumenical movement has already helped to spreadreconciliation.

It is impor tant to acknowledge the s piritual riches of the different Christian traditions, to lear nfr om one another and 50 to rec eive these gifts. For the ecumenical movement t o f10uris h it ispar ticularly necessary to integrate the exper iences and expecta tions of young people and act ivelyencourage their participation.

We commit ourselves- t o ov er co me t he f ee li ng of s el f- su ff ic ien cy w it hi n ea ch c hu rc h, an d t o el im inat e p rej udi ce s; t o

seek mutual encounters and to be available to help one another ;- t o p rom ot e ec ume ni ca l op en ne ss an d c o- ope ra ti on in C hr is ti an edu cat ion, a nd i n t heol ogi ca l

training, continuing education and research.

IIO N T HE WAY TOWAR OS TH E V IS IB LE F ELL OW SH IP

OF THE CHU RC HES IN EUR OPE

"Bythis everyone will know that you are my disciples,if you have (ovefor one another" (John 13:35)

2. Proclaiming the Gospeltogether-LThe mo st i mpor tan t t as k o f t he c hu rc hes i n E ur ope i s t h e c omm on p roc la ma ti on o f t he Gos pel , i nboth word and deed, for the salvation of aII. The widespr ead lack of corpor ate and individual

or ie nt at ion an d f al li ng aw ay f ro m C hr is ti an v al ues c hal le ng e C hr is ti an s t o t es ti fy t o t hei r f ait h,par ti cu la rl y i n r es pon se t o t he q ue st f or me an ing w hi ch i s bei ng pur sue d i n 50 m an y f or ms . T hi sw it nes s w il l r eq ui re i nc rea sed de di ca ti on t o C hr is ti an ed uc at ion ( e. g. Q lt ec hi sm c 1a ss es ) an dpas tor al c ar e i n l oc al c on gr ega ti on s, w it h a s ha ri ng of ex per ien ces i n t hes e f ie lds . I t i s e qua ll yi mpo rt ant f or t he w hol e peo pl e of Go d t og et her t o c om mu ni ca te t he Gos pel i n t he pub li c do ma in,which also means responsible commitments to socia l and pol it ical issues.

56

/1

4. Actingtogether

Various forms of shared act ivity are already ecumenical. Many Chris tians from different churchesl iv e s id e b y s id e a nd i nt er ac t i n f ri ends hi ps , i n t hei r ne ig hb our ho od s, a t w or k a nd i n t he ir f am il ie s.Couples in interdenominational mar riages especially should be support ed in exper ienc ingecumenism in their dai ly I ives .

We r ec omm en d t ha t bi la ter al a nd mu lt il at er al e cum en ic al bod ies be s et up an d m ai nt ai ned f or c ooperation at local , regional, nat ional and international levels. At the European level i t i s necessaryto strengthen c o-operat ion between the Conference of Eur opean Chur ches and the Counc il ofEuropean Bishops' Conferences (CCEE) and to hold further European Ecumenical Assemblies.In the event of conf1icts between churches, efforts towards mediation and peace should beinitiated and/or supported as needed.

We commit ourselves- to act toget her at aII levels of chur ch I ife wherev er conditions per mit and ther e ar e no reasons

of fai th or overr iding expediency mit igat ing against this;to defend the r ights of minor ities and to help reduce misunderstandings and prejudic esbetween major ity and minority churches in our countries .

57


3/10

5. Praying together

T he e cu me ni ca l m ov eme nt Ii ve s f ro m o ur h ea ri ng G od' s wo rd a nd l et tin g t he H oly S pi ri t w or k i n u sa nd t hr ou gh u s. I n t he p ow er o f t hi s g ra ce , m an y d if fer ent i ni ti at iv es n ow s ee k, t hr ou gh se rvi ce s

----::r o f p ra ye r an d w or sh ip , t o d ee pe n t he sp ir it ua l f ell ow sh ip a mo ng t he c hu rc he s a nd t o p ra y f or t hev is ib le u nit y o f C hr is t' s C hu rch . A p ar ti cu la rl y p ai nf ul s ig n o f t he d iv isi on s a mo ng m an y Ch ri st ia nchurches is the lack of eucharistic fellowship.

I n so me c hu rc he s r es er va tio ns s ub si st r eg ar di ng p ra yin g t og et he r i n a n e cu me nic al c on te xt . B ut

we have many hymns and I iturgica l prayers in common, notably the Lord's Prayer, and ecumenical

services have become a widespread pract ice: aII of these are features of our Chris tian spi ri tual ity.

We commit ourselves-~__ to pray for one another and for Chris tian uni ty ;

.c !to le ar n t o k no w a nd a pp rec ia te t he w or sh ip a nd o th er f or ms o f s pi rit ua ll ife p ra ct ise d b y ot he rchurches;to move towards the goal of eucharist ic fel lowship.

Our faith helps us to learn from the past, and to make our Christian faith and love for ourn ei gh bo ur s a so ur ce o f h op e f or m or ali ty a nd e th ic s, f or e du ca ti on a nd cu lt ur e, a nd f or p oli ti ca la nd e co no mi c l if e, i n E ur op e a nd t hr ou gh ou t t he wo rl d . .

T he ch ur ch es s up por t a n in te gr at io n of t he E ur op ea n c ont in en t. Wit ho ut co mm on v al ue s, u ni tycannot endure. We are convinced that the spiritual heritage of Christianity constitutes ane mp owe rin g s ou rce o f i nsp ir at io n a nd e nr ic hm en t fo r E ur op e. On t he ba si s o f ou r Ch ris ti an f ait h,we work towards a humane, socia lly conscious Europe, in which human rights and the bas ic valuesof peace , jus tice , f reedom, tolerance , par ticipation and sol idar ity prevail . We l ikewise ins is t on the

r everence for Iife, the value of marriage and the family, the preferential option for the poor, thereadiness to forgive , and in aII things compass ion.

As churches and as international communities we ha ve to counteract the danger of Europed ev elo pi ng i nt o a n in te gr at ed Wes t a nd a d is in te gr at ed E ast , an d a ls o t ak e a cc ou nt o f t he N or thS ou th d iv id e wi th in E ur op e. A t t he sa me t ime we mu st a vo id E ur oc en tr ic it y a nd h ei gh ten E ur op e' ssense of responsibil ity for the whole of humanity, par ticularly for the poor aII over the world .

8. Reconciling peoples and cultures

O ur co mm on en de av ou rs a re d evo te d t o e va lu at in g, a nd h el pi ng t o r eso lv e, po li ti ca l a nd s oc ia li ss ue s in t he sp ir it o f t he Go sp el . B ec aus e w e va lu e t he p er so n an d d ig ni ty o f e ve ry i nd iv id ua l a sm ad e i n t he im ag e o f Go d, w e d efe nd t he a bs olu te ly e qu al v al ue o f a II ~ um an b ein gs ., .A s ch ur ch es we i nt en d t o j oi n f or ce s in p ro mo ti ng t he p ro ce ss o f de mo cr at isa ti on i n E ur op e. Wecommit ourse lves to work for s tructures of peace , based on the non-violent resolut ion of confl ic ts .We condemn any for m of violence against the human per son, particularly against women andchildren.

We consider the diversi ty of our regional, nat ional, cul tura l and rel ig ious t radi tions to be enr ichingfor Europe. In view of numerous conflicts, the churches are called upon to serve together thec au se o f r ec on ci lia ti on a mo ng p eo pl es a nd c ult ur es . We k no w t ha t p ea ce a mo ng t he c hur ch es i sa lso an important prerequis ite for this.

We commit ourselvest o s ee k a gr eem en t w it h o ne a no th er o n t he s ub st an ce a nd g oa ls o f o ur s oci al r es po ns ib ili ty,a nd t o r ep re se nt i n c on ce rt , a s f ar as p os si bl e, t he co nc er ns an d v isi on s o f t he c hu rc hes v is- avis the secular European institutions;to defend basic values against infringements of every kind;to res is t any attempt to misuse rel ig ion and the church for e thnic or nat ionalist purposes.

We commit ourselvesto counteract any for m of nationalism which leads to the oppression of other peoples andnational minorities;to strengthen the position and equal rights of women in aII areas of Iife, and to fosterpar tnership in church and socie ty between women and men.

Re co nci li at io n i nv olv es p ro mo tin g s oci al j us ti ce w it hi n a nd a mo ng a II p eo pl es ; a bo ve aI I, t hi sme an s c 10 si ng t he g ap b et we en r ic h a nd p oo r a nd o ver co mi ng u ne mp lo yme nt . Tog eth er w e w il l

do our par t towards giving migrants, refugees and asylum-seeker~ a humane reception in Europe.I

7. Particlpating inthe building of Europe

Through the centuries E ur ope has developed a primar ily Christian char acter in religious andc ult ur al t er ms . Ho we ve r, Ch ri st ia ns h av e f ai le d t o p re ve nt s uf fer in g a nd de st ru ct ion f ro m b ein ginf licted by Europeans , both within Europe and beyond. We confess our share of responsibil ity forthis gui lt and ask God and our fel low human beings for forgiveness .

6. Continuing in dialogue

We b el on g t og et he r in Ch ri st , a nd t hi s i s o f f un dam en ta l s ig ni fi can ce i n t he f ac e o f o ur d if fe ri ngtheological and ethical positions. Rather than seeing our diversity as a gift which enriches us,however, we have allowed differ ences of opinion on doctrine, ethics and church law to lead tose pa ra ti on s b et we en c hu rc hes , w it h s pec ia l h ist or ic al ci rc um st an ce s a nd d if fe re nt c ult ur al

backgrounds often playing a crucial role.

In order to deepen ecumenical fellowship, endeavours to reach a consensus in faith must beco nt in ue d a t a II c ost . On ly i n t his w ay c an c hu rch c om mu ni on b e g iv en a th eo lo gi ca l f ou nd at io n.There is no alternative to dia logue.

III

O UR CO MMON R ESPON SI BI LI TY I N EU RO PE

We commit ourselves_ t o c on ti nue in c ons ci ent io us , i nt en si ve d ial og ue a t d if fe re nt l ev els b et we en o ur c hu rc hes , a nd

t o e xa mi ne t he qu es ti on o f h ow o ff ic ial c hu rc h b od ie s c an r ec ei ve a nd i mp le me nt t he f in din gsgained in dialogue;in t he e ve nt o f co nt ro ve rs ies , p ar ti cu lar ly wh en d iv isi on s t hr eat en i n q ue st io ns o f f ai th a ndethics, to seek dia logue and discuss the issues together in the l ight of the Gospel.

"Blessedare the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God"(Matthew 5:9)

5859


4/10

9. Safeguarding the creation

Be li eving i n the love o f the Cre ato r God, we g ive thanks fo r the gi ft of cr ea ti on and the g rea t va lueand beau ty o f natu re . Ho we ver, we are appa ll ed to see na tu ral re sources being exp lo ited withoutregard for their intrinsic value or consideration of their Ii mi ts, and without regard for the wellbeing of future generations.

Toge th er we want to he lp cr ea te susta inab le I iving condi ti ons fo r the who le of c reati on. I t i s ou rresponsibility before God to put into effect common criteria for distinguishing between whathuman beings are scienti fically and technological ly capable of doing and what, e thical ly speaking,

t hey shoul d not do.

We recomme nd the introduct ion into European churches o f an Ecumenical Day o f Praye r fo r thePreservation of Creation.

We commit ourselvesto strive to adopt a Iifestyle free of consumerism and a quality of Iife informed byaccountability and sustainability;to support church environmental organisat ions and ecumenical networks in their effor ts for thesafeguarding of creation.

10. Strengthening community with Judaism

We are bound up i n a unique commun ity with the p eopl e I sr ae l, the peopl e o f the Covenant which

God has never terminated. Our fai th teaches us that our Jewish sis ters and brothers "are beloved,for the sake of their ancestors; for the gi fts and the cal ling of God are irrevocable" (Rom 11.28-29). And "to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, thewo rsh ip and t he p romise s; t o them be long the patr iar chs, and from th em, according to the f lesh,comes the Messiah" (Rom 9.4-5).

We deplore and condemn aII manifestations of anti-Semitism, aII outbreaks of hatred andpersecutions .We ask God for forgiveness for ant i-Jewish att itudes among Chris tians, and we askour Jewish sisters and brothers for reconciliation.

It is urgently necessary, in the worship and teaching, doctrine and Iife of our churches, to raiseawareness of the deep bond existing between the Christian faith and Judai sm, and to supportChristian-Jewish co-operation.

We commit ourselvesto oppose aII forms of ant i-Semitism and ant i-Judaism in the church and in society;to seek and intensify dialogue with our Jewish sis ters and brothers at ali levels .

We commit ourselvesto conduct ourselves towards Muslims with respect;to work together with Muslims on matters of common concern.

12. Encountering other religions and world views

The plur al it y of r el ig io us and non-con fe ss ional bel ie fs and ways o f I ife has become a featur e o fEuropean culture. Eastern religions and new religious communities are spreading and alsoattracting the interest of many Christians. In addition, growing numbers of people reject the

Chris tian fai th , are indifferent to i t or have other phi losophies of l ife.

We want to take seriously the critical questions of others, and try together to conduct fairdiscussions with them. Yet a distinction must be made between the communities with whichdi al ogues and encounte rs a re to be sought , and thos e which should be warned agai nst f rom theChristian standpoint.

We commit ourselvesto recognise the freedom of rel igion and conscience of these individuals and communities andto defend their r ight to pract ise their fai th or convict ions, whether s ingly or in groups, privatelyor publicly, in the context of r ights applicable to aII ;

- to be open to dial ogue wi th aII persons of good will, to pursue with them matters of commonconce rn, and to b ring a wi tnes s of ou r Chri sti an fa ith to them.

******************

Jesus Christ , the Lord of the one Church , i s our greates t hope of reconc il iat ion andpeace. In his name we intend to continue on our common path i n Europe. We p ray for

God 's guidance through the power of the Holy Spi ri t.

"May the God of hope fi II us with aII j oy and peac e in beli eving, 50 that we mayabound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Rom 15.13)

******************

As President s of the Confer ence of European Churches and the Counci l o f European Bi shops'Conferences, we commend this Charta Oecumenica as a Basic Text to aII the churches andBishops ' Conferences in Europe, to be adopted and adapted in each of their local contexts.

With this commendat ion we hereby sign the Charta Oecumenica, on the occasion of the EuropeanEcumenical Encounter, on the first Sunday after the common celebration of Easter in the year2001.

11. Cul tivat ing re la tions wi th Islam

Mus lims have I ived in Euro pe for centu ri es. I n s ome Europea n co unt ri es they consti tu te s trongmino ri ti es . W hi le there h ave been pl en ty o f good con tact s and neighbour ly r el at ions betwe enMusli ms and Chri stians, and this remains the case, there are still strong reservationsandpr ejud ices on bo th side s. These a re roote d in painfu l e xper iences th roughout h ist ory a nd in therecent past.

We would Iike to int ensi fy enco un te rs between Chr ist ians a nd Musl ims and enhance Chr ist ianIslamic dialogue at aII levels. W~_recommend, in particular, speaking with one another about our

fai th in one God, and c1arifying ideas on human rights.

60

Strasbourg, 22 April 2001

Metropolitan JeremiePresident

Conference of European Churches

Cardinal VlkPresidentCouncil of European Bishops' Conferences

61


5/10

TEXTS FOR BIBLE STUDIES

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

lThough 1 speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, 1 a m becomeas so un ding b ra ss , o r a t inkl ing cymbal . 2And thoug h 1have the g if t o f p rophecy, and under standa II myst eri es, and a II k nowl edge; a nd though 1 have a II fa ith , 50 that 1 c ou ld remove moun ta in s,and have not charity, 1 am nothing. 3And though 1 bestow aII my goods to feed the poor, andthough 1g ive m y b ody to be b urned, and have not cha ri ty, i t p ro fi te th me no th ing.

4Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is notpuffed up, 5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked,thinketh no evil; 6Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7Beareth aII things,bel ieveth aII things, hopeth aII things, endureth aII things.8Charity never fai le th: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fai l; whether there be tongues,they sh al l c ea se ; whe ther th er e be know ledge, i t sha ll va ni sh away. 9Fo r we know in par t, and weprophesy in part. 10But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall bedone away. llWhen 1 was a child, 1 spake as a child, I understood as a child, 1 t hought as achild: but when 1 b ecame a man, 1 p ut away chi ldish things. 12For now we see through a glass,darkly; but then face to face: now 1 k now in part; but then shall 1 k now even as also 1 a m known.13And now abideth fai th , hope, chari ty, these three; but the greatest of these is chari ty.

Luke 24:13-35

13And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village call ed Emmaus, which was fromJerusa lem a bout thr ee score furl ongs . 14And th ey ta lke d together o f a II these things which hadhappened. 15And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesushi mself drew near, and went with them. 16But their eyes were holden that they should not knowhi m. 17And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one toano ther, a s y e wa lk, a nd a re sad ? 18And the one o f them, w hose name was Cleopas , answer ingsaid unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the thi ngs which arecome to pass there in these days? 19And he said unto them, What things? And they said untoh im , C on ce rn in g Je su s o f Naz are th , whi ch was a p rophet mighty i n deed and word before God andaII the people: 20And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned todea th , and h ave cr uc ifi ed h im. 21But we trus ted that i t had been he w hich should have redeemedI sr ae l: and bes id e a II th is , t o day i s t he th ird day s ince these th ings were done. 22Yea, and cer ta inwomen a lso o f our comp any made us a ston ished , whi ch were ear ly a t t he sepul ch re ; 2 3And whenthey fo und n ot h is body, t hey came , s ayi ng , that th ey h ad a lso se en a v is ion o f angel s, which saidthat he was alive. 24And certai n of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found iteven 50 as the women had said: but him they saw not. 25Then he said unto them, O fools, andslow of heart to bel ieve aII that the prophets have spoken: 260ught not Christ to have sufferedthese things, and to enter into his glory? 27And beginning at Moses and aII the prophets, heexpounded unto them in a II t he s cr ip tu re s the t hings concerning h imsel f. 28And they d rew n ighunto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. 29Butthey cons tra ined h im , say ing, Abi de with us: fo r i t i s t oward evening, a nd the day i s f ar spent. Andhe went in to tarry with them. 30And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread,and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. 31And their eyes were opened, and they knew him;and he vanished out of their si ght. 32And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn withinus, whi le he t al ked with u s b y th e way, and whi le he ope ne d to us the scr ip tu re s? 33And they roseup t he same hou r, and retu rned to Je ru sa lem, and found the e leven gather ed together, and themthat were with them, 34Sayi ng, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. 35Andthey told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaki ng of bread.

62

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Accommodation

CIARUS International Centre

7, rue Finkmatt F - 67000 StraBburgTel : 0033/03.88.15.27.88 Fax: 0033/03.88.15.27.89email: ciarus@media-netfr homepage: www.media-netfr/ciarus

Hotel Ibis "Aux Ponts Couverts"

7, rue de Molsheim F -67000 StraBburgTel : 0033 / 03.90 22 48 70 Fax: 0033/03 .90224860

Centre Saint Thomas

2 rue de la Carpe Haute F -67000 StraBburgTel: 0033/03.883119 14 Fax: 0033/03.8831 0574

Meeting places

Pre-meetinQ vouth:CIARUSInternational Centre

7, rue Fi nkmatt F - 67000 StraBburgTel : 0033/03.88.15.27.88 Fax: 0033/03.88.15.27.89email: ciarus@media-netfr homepage: www.media-netfr/ciarus

CCEEDlenarv assemblvMare B10chUniversity - Salle PasteurPlace de l 'Univers ite 9 F - 67000 StrasbourgTel: 0033/ 03.88 25 97 00 Fax: 0033/ 03.88 35 65 23

KEKCentral committeeMare Bloch University - Sal le TaulerPlace de I 'Universite 9 F - 67000 StrasbourgTel: 0033/ 03.88 25 97 00 Fax: 0033/ 03.88 35 65 23

Ecumenical Encounter

Mare Bloch UniversityPlace de I 'Universite 9 F - 67000 StrasbourgTel: 0033/ 03.88 25 97 00 Fax: 0033/03.88 35 65 23

Places of worship

A) Pre-meetina vouth:Wednesday 18 April9 .00 am and 7 .3 0 pm - Sa in t-Pi er re l e Jeune ca thol ique : rue du General de Cas te lnau (besideCiarus)

Thursday 19 April9 .00 am - Saint -P ie rre l e Jeune p rot es tant : rue de l a Nuee Bleue (beside So fi tel and Ciaru s)

B) CCEECentral Assemblv - KEK Central CommitteeWednesday 18 April6 .30 pm - Common p raye r - S t Pau l' s C hu rch (bes ide Unive rsi ty Mare Bloch )

63


6/10

C) Ecumenical EncounterThursday 19 April6 .30 pm - Opening worship - Strasbourg Cathedral

Friday 20 April9 .30 am - Common prayer according to the Protestant t radi tion - St Paul's Church (besideUniversity Mare Bloch)7.30 pm - Common prayer according to the Roman Catholic t radi tion - St Paul's Church

Saturday 21 April

9 .30 am - Ecumenical worship - St Paul's Church7.00 pm - Common evening prayer according to the Orthodox tradi tion - St Paul's Church

Sunday 22 AprilConfessional celebrations:Catholics 9.30 am: Cathedral, place de la CathedraleLutherans and Reformed 10.00 am: Eglise reformee du Boucl ier, 4 rue du Boucl ierOrthodox: Matins 7.30 am, Divine Liturgy 8.45 am: Eglise St -Et ienne, place St-Et ienne/2 rue de laPierre-LargeFree Churches 10.00 am: Eglise de Sion, 1 place Benjamin Zix (Peti te France)

Closing Worship 11.15 amat St Thomas' Church (11 rue Martin Luther/place Saint-Thomas)

NotesBesides scheduled common prayers the participants are welcome to the Cathedral for theirown moments of silence and personal prayer.A room for meditat ion and prayer isavai lable in the basement of the CIARUS Centre.There wil l be a C atho li c Ma ss each morn ing at the Ca thed ra l: Thur sday and F riday at 7 .30am a nd Sa tu rday at 8 .00 am.

Transport

A city map is included in the folder given to the parti cipants. Stewards are on hand if furtherinformation is required.Day and single t ickets are available to participants for the use of public t ransport (Staff)

The Universitv. St Paul's Church and Gallia Restaurant are a three-minute walk from each other.

To 00 f rom Hotel Ibis Pont Couvert to the univers itv and viceversa: Tramway line CHotel Ibis Pont Couvert Stop: "Musee d 'art moderne"University Stop: "Gallia"

To 00 f rom StThomas Centre to the univers itv and viceversa: Bus l ine 6St Thomas Centre Stop: "Kastner"University Stop: "Brant Universite"

From Ciarus Centre there are no direct l inks bv Dublic transDort . The Centre is at walking dis tancefrom the university (8-10 minutes).

Further information on transport wil l be given dai ly.

64

Meals

Breakfast: Breakfast is always served at one's own lodgings.

Main meals: Meal vouchers wil l a lways be dis tr ibuted before meals at the entrance of restaurants ,according to the following indications:

Youth:

From dinner on Tuesday 17.01 until lunch on Thursday 19.04 meals will be served at CiarusCentre. From dinner on Thursday until dinner on Saturday meals will be served at the Gallia

Restaurant - 1, place de l 'Universite' (beside the University bui lding) . Lunch on Sunday 22.04 wil lbe organized by the Strasbourg local committee and wil l be served at StThomas ' Church.

CCEEPlenary - KEK Central Assembly - Other participants and guestsFrom dinner on Wednesday 18 April unt il dinner on Saturday meals wil l be served at the GALLIARestaurant - 1, Place de l 'Universite' (beside the University buiding). Lunch on Sunday 22.04 wil lbe organized by the Strasbourg local committee and wil l be served at StThomas ' Church.

PressCentre

The Press Centre is s ituated at Aumnerie Universitai re Protestante (7, Avenue de la ForetNoi re, 67000 Strasburgo. Tel: 0033/ 3 / 88 61 07 23 Fax: 0033/ 3 / 88 61 97 48). Access tothe Press Centre and to the meeting is permitted only to accredi ted journal is ts .A special group dealing with press matters ("press staff") wil l be at the disposal of journal is ts .Those in charge are: Helmut Steindl (CCEE), Robin Gurney (KEK), Richard Gossin and CharlesSinger (local press).Press conferences are scheduled on Thursday 19.04.01 at 2 pm (Pasteur Hali) and on Friday2 0.04 .01 at 12 .30 am (Pas teur Ha li ). There wi ll no t bea press confer ence on Satu rday, but thePress staff will be available to journalists at Aumnerie Universitaire ProtestanteThere wil l press releases during and at the end of the encounter.

Badge

The name badge must be worn a t a II time s when c laiming meal voucher s, tr an sport t icke ts and tohave access to the University and to the Council of Europe.

Information Centre:

A secretariat for the CCEEand one for the KEKas well as an Information Centre for accredi ted

journal is ts wil l be open during the course of the meeting at the Mare Bloch University (groundf1oor).Personnel from CCEEand KEKwill be available for fur ther information at the Hotel Ibis "AuxPonts Couverts" , a t StThomas Centre and the Ciarus Centre.Information on the programme wil l be available at the CCEEand KEK Secretariats at the MareBloch University. Please contact the Secretariats also regarding financial matters.There is a cer ta in number of stewards available to give information on the logis tics of themeeting and the city of Strasbourg.

Emergency telephone numbers:

06 / 77 59 39 20 (KEK)0039 / 335 6041 576 (CCEE)

06/ 85061336 (Comitato loca le)

65


7/10

6.

CONSILIUM CONFERENTIARUM EPISCOPORUM EUROPAE (CCEE)Council of European Bishops' Conferences (CCEE)

1. Foundation of the CCEETowards the end of the Second Vat ican Council on 18 November 1965, the presidents of 13 EuropeanBishops ' Conferences met in Rome. They commiss ioned a committee of s ix representat ives of theBishops' Conferences and a liaison oftice to study further co-operation between the Bishops' Conferences

in Europe. Mgr. Etchegaray was entrusted with the responsibility. The committee had two tasks to fulfil:to study the necessary elements for lasting, effective co-operation and to determine the pastoral sectorsin which collaboration appears to be particularly urgent.Alter a wri tten consultat ion with the president of the Bishops ' Conferences of Europe from 10-13 July1967, the committee organised the f irst symposium in Noordwijkerhout ( the Netherlands). A secondmeeting of the Bishops'Conferences took place on 7 October 1967.Here, above aII , i t was decided to convene the second symposium that was held in Chur (Switzerland)from 7-10 July 1969. On 20 October 1969, the representatives of the European Bishops'Conferences metin Rome. On 23 and 24 March 1971the foundation assembly ofthe CCEEwas held in Rometoo.

2. Tasks and o rgans of the CCEEThe Council of European Bishops' Conferences is at the service of the Bishops' Conferences of Europe.The task of the CCEEisto promote co-operation of the bishops in Europe.AII presidents of the individual Bishops ' Conferences belong to the general assembly of the CCEE. I tcurrently has 34 members. The president of the CCEEisthe Prague Archbishop Miloslav Card. Vlk, vicepresidents are the Chairman of the German Bishops' Conference, Dr. Karl Card. Lehmann (Mainz) and theChairman of the Hungarian Bishops' Conference, Archbishop Istvan Seregely (Eger).In addition to the Presidium, the delegated bishops or commissions and the Secretariat of the CCEEactwith the mandate of the general assembly.

3. Sym posiums of the European Bis hopsNoordwijkerhout (Netherlands), 10 - 13July 1967:"Postconciliar diocesan structures"Chur (Switzerland), 7 - 10Juli 1969:'The service and life of the priests"Rome, 14- 18October 1975:"Mission of the bishop in the service of faith"Rom, 17- 21June 1979:"Youth and faith"Rome, 4 - 8 October 1982:" Co -op er at ive r es pon sib il it y o f t he b is ho ps a nd B ish ops ' C on fer en ce s o f E ur ope in t he

evangelisation of the continent"Rome, 7 - 11October 1985:"'Secularisation and evangelisation in Europe today"

The Secretariat of the CCEEcomplied the results in a "synopsis"Rome, 9 - 13October 1989:'The modern view of birth and death: challenge for evangelisation"Prague, 7 - 12September 1993:"Living the Gospelin freedom and solidarity"Rome, 23-27 October 1996:"Religion as a private or a public matter. Church in pluralistic societies".

Approx 80 bishops, experts and representatives of the laity, religious orders and priests take part in thesymposiums.

66

4. Categorial Meetings

Safar, there have been meetings of bishops with competence in the following areas:Socialcommunicationcatechesistourismemigrationyouth pastoralEuropean pilgrimageecumenical work

human rights Uustice-peace)"new religious movements"mission of the laitypriest trainingethnic and Iinguistic minorities in diocesesBiblepastoralenvironement

5. Ecumenicalcollaboration

There are c10secontacts with the Conference of European Churches (CEC).Since 1971, a joint CCEE/CECcommittee hasexisted and has met oncea year.A joint committee "Islam in Europe" has been formed.So far, five .,European Ecumenical Encounters" have been held. Forty representatives each of the CCEEand CECwere invited:

Olantilly, April1978

"Beingone that the world may believe"logumkloster, November 1981

"Called to one hope - ecumenical community in prayer, witness and service ".Rivadel GardajTrento, October 1984:"Bearing witness to faith together - source of hope"Erfurt, September/Oktober 1988'Thy kingdom come"Santiago de Compostela, November 1991"By your word" mission und evangelism in Europe today

European Ecumenical Assembly PEACEIN JUS11CEBasel ,15- 21 May 1989

Meeting of the CECcentral committee and of the CCEEgeneral assemblyAssisi, 12- 14 May 1995Second European Ecumenical Assembly RECONCILIATION- GIFT OFGODANO SOURCEOF NEWLIFEGraz, 23- 29June 1997

Declarations of the presidents of the bishops' Conference in Europe

"Verantwortung der Christen fOrdas Europavon heute und morgen",28. September 1980

"Uber die Rirderung des Friedens durch Vertrauen und Wahrheit",8. March 1987

Appealfor peace in Europe"The courage of reconciliation"13. November 1999, Athens

Declaration of the General Assembly of the Council of European Bishops' Conferences (CCEE)On

the dralt Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union22 October 2000, B-Leuven

67


8/10

7. Collaborationwith other organisations

ComECE- Commission of the Bishops' Conferencesof the European CommunityEuropean Forum of National LaycouncilsThe working Community of PriestCouncilsof Europe(CCPE)European Conference of National Associationsof Superiors (UCESM)Caritas, Justitia et Pax, and many EuropeanCatholicorganisations

"Sono, dunque, molteplici le ragioni che consigliano una piu grande unione e collaborazione tra le varieChiese particolari del continente. E' stato precisamente per la crescente consapevolezza con cui i pastorihanno awert ito le esigenze imposte dal la nuova situazione che e nato, negli anni immediatamentesuccessivi al Conci lio Vaticano II, i l Consiol io del le Conferenze Eoiscooal i d 'Europa con 10scopo dicol tivare I 'affet to col legiale e di attuare una piu stret ta comunione e cooperazione tra i membri del lestesse"

"La gravita e I'urgenza dei problemi che incombono sul futuro cristiano dell'Europa, la Iora dimensionesempre piu internazionale, 10stesso mutato contesta sociale nel quale vive la Chiesa, mentre inducono adapprezzare i l lavoro fin qui svolto dai Consigl io , spingono ad incoraoaiarne I 'a tt ivita e ad ausoicarne11ncremento."

Lettera de/ Santo Padre ai Presidenti del/e Conferenze Episcopa/i d'Europa, 2 gennaio 1986

CCEEsecretariat:Gallusstrasse 24, CH- 9000 St. GallenTel: ++41/71 / 22 73 374 Fax: ++41/71 / 22 7 3 375E-mail: ccee@ telenet.ch home page : www.kath.ch/ocee

68

CONFERENCE OF EUROPEAN CHURCHES

The Conference of European Churches is the regional ecumenical organisation which Iinks in fellowshipsome 124 churches and 25 Associated organisat ions in aII the countries on the European continent .Anglicans, Baptists, Lutherans, Methodists, Orthodox, Reformed, Old Catholics and Pentecostals arecommitted to l ive and witness together in a spiri t of ecumenism, sharing, understanding and mutualrespect . This, in spi te of the his toric divides , the many languages and the geographical and economicbarriers which exist on the European continent . Together, the churches work to promote the uni ty ofthe church and to present a common Chris tian witness to the people of Europe. The common desire toIi ve in peace and t o promote jus ti ce and reconci li ati on has enabl ed the churches to maint ain thei rfellowship for the 40 years of the CEC'sexistence.

~

Born in the 1950s in the era of the 'cold war' the CEC emerged into a fragmented and dividedcontinent . Thus i t was that churches of eastern and western Europe fel t one prior ity of their work to bepromoting international understanding - bui lding bridges. This the CECconsis tent ly tried to do over

the years, insisting that no 'iron curtain' existed among the churches. This insistence led to the holdingo f i ts 4 th Assemb ly in 1964 on boa rd a sh ip in th e Bal ti c Sea in order to ove rcome v isa probl ems andensure that aIIchurches enjoyed representation.

The CEC has also tried to bui ld bridges between minority and majority churches, between thegenerations, between women and men, and between Christians of different confessions. Although theRoman Catholic Church is not a member i t has the c10sest relat ionships and a number of ecumenicalencoun ter s h ave t aken p lace in Eu rope joint ly ar ranged by the CEC and the Counc il o f EuropeanBishops ' Conferences (CCEE). The most s ignificant of these events were the European EcumenicalAssemblies; "Peace with Justice", Basel, Switzerland, 1989, and "Reconciliation, Gift of God and Sourceof New Ufe", Graz, Austria, 1997, which the two organisations co-sponsored.

Current concerns

CEC is cal led upon to consider and act on many concerns in contemporary Europe. Principal amongthese, naturally, is ecumenism in Europe. With the opening up of the continent's political barriers after

1989, the issue of common mission has been added to ecclesiology for ongoing study.In a conti nent which has been the sou rce o f two wo rld wars th is cen tu ry, the quest fo r peace and thedefence of human rights is a natural concern. That this should be carried out in the spirit of theHe lsi nk i F inal Ac t and the Conf er ence on Secur ity and Coop era ti on in Europe (CSCE) process ,emphasises the role of Europe in these world concerns.

In order to meet more ful ly the demands of the continent at the level of church and society issues andin order to ref lect the changing situation with regard to the European insti tutions, the l lth Assemblyapproved the integration of the CECand the European Ecumenical Commission on Church and Society,with offices in Brussels and Strasbourg. This will become fully effective from 1999.When CECbegan Europe was a broken, fragmented and devastated continent . I t was in the midst ofthis that the concept of inter-church aid took root. Europe's post second world war refugee problemand thousands of peop le seek ing asylum were two o ther concerns wh ich engaged the churc hes'a ttention. Today, s imilar act ivit ies continue in the context of yet fur ther crises, including those on thenew poverty, asylum seeking, migration and the uprooted people in Europe.

69


9/10

Encyclical of theEcumenical Patriarchate, 1920

"Vota the Churches of Christ Everywhere"

"Love nne annther earnestly rrom the hear!."I Peler 1:22

Dur own church holds that rapprochement2 between the various Christian Churches and fellowshipl between them is not excluded by the doctrinal differences whichexist between them. In OUl' opinion such a rapprochementl is highly desirable and

necessary. It would be useful in many ways for the real interest of each particularchurch and of the whole Christian body, and also for the preparat ion and advancement

of that blessed union which will be completed in the future in accordance with the willof God. We therefore consider that the present time is most favourable for bringingforward this important question and studying it together.

Even if in this case, owing to antiquated prejudices, practices01'

pretensions, thedifficulties which have so often jeopardized allempts at reunion in the past may arise 01'

be brought up, nevertheless, in OUl' view, since we are concerned at this initial stageonly with contacts3 and rapprochement 2 these difficulties are of less importance Il'

10 ORTHODOX VISIONS OF ECUM ENISM ENcYCLlCAL OF THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE 1920 II


10/10

10 ORTHODOX VISIONS OF ECUM ENISM,are 'Caused by other Christians and great hatred and enmity are aroused, with suchins ignif icant resul ts , by this tendency of some to prosely tize and ent ice the foI lowersof other Christian confessions.

After this essential re-establishment of sincerity and confidence between thechurches, we consider,

Secondly, that above aII, love should be r ekindled and strengt hened among t hechurches, so that they should no more consider one another as strangers and foreigners, butas relat ives , and as being a par t of the household of Christ and "fe llow heirs , members ofthe same body and par takers ofthe promise ofGod inChr is t" (Eph. 3:6).

For if the diff erent churches are i nspired by l ove, and pl ace it before everythingelse in their judgment of others and their relat ionships with them, ins tead of increas ingand widening the exis ting dissens ions , they should be enabled to reduce and diminish

them. By stirring up a right brotherly interest in the condition, the weIl-being andstabi lit y of the other churches; by readi ness t o take an i nt er est in what is happening i nthose churches and t o obt ai n a better knowl edge of t hem, and by willi ngness to offermutual aid and help, many good things will be achieved for the gl ory and the benefitboth of themselves and of the Christian body. In our opinion, such a friendship andkindly dispos it ion towards each other can be shown and demonstrated par ticularly inthe foIlowing ways:

a) By the accept ance of a uniform calendar for the celebrat ion of the great Chri stian

feasts at t he same time by aII t he churches.b) By the exchange of brotherly letters on the occasion of the great feasts of the

churches ' year as is cus tomary, and on other except ional occasions.

c) By close relationships bet ween the representat ives of aI I churches wherever theymay be.

d) By relat ionships between the theological schools and the professors of theology; bythe exchange of theological and ecclesias tic reviews, and of other works publ ishedin each church.

e) By exchanging s tudents for fur ther t ra in ing between the seminar ies of the differentchurches.

f) By convoking pan- Chr istian4 conferences i n order to examine questions of common interes t to a li the churches.

g) By impartial and deeper historical study of doctrinal differences both by theseminaries and in books .

h) By mutual r espect for the customs and pract ices i n d ifferent churches.i) By allowing each other the use of chapels and cemeteries for the funerals and

burials of bel ievers of other confessions dying in foreign lands.j) By the settl ement of the question of mixed marri ages between t he confessions.k) Last ly, by whole-hear ted mutual ass is tance for the churches in their endeavours for

rel ig ious advancement, char ity and so onoSuch a sincere and close cont act between the churches will be aII the more useful

and profitable for the whole body of the Church, because mani fol d dangers threatennot only part icul ar churches, but ali of them. These dangers at tack the very founda

t ions of the Christ ian fai th and the essence of Christ ian l ife and socie ty. For the ter ribleworld war which has j ust fi ni shed brought to li ght many unheal thy sympt oms i n thelife of the Christian peoples, and of ten revealed great lack of respect even for theelementary princip les of jus tice and chari ty. Thus i t worsened already exist ing woundsand opened other new ones of a more material ki nd, whi ch demand the att ent ion and

care of ali the churches. A1coholism, which is increasing daily; the increase of

ENcYCLlCAL OF THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE. 1920 II

\ ~unnecessary luxury under the pre text of bet tering l ife and enjoying i t; the voluptuousness and Ius t hardly covered by the cloak of f reedom and emancipat ion of the f lesh; theprevailing unchecked licentiousness and indecency in literature, painting, the theatre,and in music, under the respectable name of the development of good taste andcult ivat ion of fine ar t; the deifi cati on of weal th and the contempt of higher ideals: al Ithese and the like, as they threaten the very essence of Chrislian socielies are alsot imely topics requiring and indeed necess ilal ing common study and cooperat ion by theChristian churches.

FinaIly, it i s the duty of lhe churches which bear the sacred name of Chri st n'ot 10forget or negl ect any longer hi s new and great commandment of love. Nor should l heycont inue to fal i pi teously behind the poli tica l authori ties , who, t ruly applying the spi ri tof the Gospel and of the teaching of Chr ist, have under happy auspices al ready set-upthe so-cal led League2 of Nations in order t o defend justi ce and cul tivate charit y andagreement between the nations.

For a li these reasons , being ourse lves convinced of the necess ity for establi sh ing acontact3 and l eague (fellowshipl) between t he chur ches and bel ievi ng thal the otherchurches share our conviction as stated above, al least as beginning we r equest eachone of them to send us in reply a statement of its own judgment and opinion on thismat ter so that common agreement or resolut ion having been reached, we may proceedtogether to its realization, and thus "speaking the t rut h in love, may grow up into Hi m

in ali things, which is the head, even Christ ; from whom t he whole body fitl y joinedtogether and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effec tualworking in the measurc of evcry part. maketh increase of t he body unt o the edi fyi ng ofi tsel f in love" (Eph. 4:15.16) .

In the Patriarchate of Constantinoplein lhe month of January in the year of grace 1920

NOTES

I The same historic word Kmvwv(a (Koinonia) is used in these four places. In the firsl sentence of the

message the co nte nt shows that il is use d in th e New Testamen t meaning of pa rtnership or fellowship an dnot in the sen se of "le ague" (societe in F rench) which is the prima ry mcan in g in mo dem Greek. But in theIaSI paragraph bUl one of the document the Leaguc (Koinonial of Nations is used as an example for the

r el ati on sh ip w hi ch th c c hu rc hc s s ho ul d h av c a mo ng t hc lll sc lv cs a l1 d i n t hc l as t p ara gr ap h 1\0;"0";0 carncs

therefore bo th lhc Illcaning o f "fcllowship" and of "lcagu c". Thc c ovcring ICllcr sent wilh thc mcssa gcm ak cs I hi s p ui nl C VC I1 m or e c 1c ar ly w hc l1 i l s pc ak s o f t he rorm~lIiun of a "Lcaguc of Chun:hcs" i.lCrording 10t hc e xa mp lc o f th c h ap py c Sla bli sh mc nl o f l hc L ca gu c o f N at io l1 s. A rc hb is ho p G cn na no s o fl cn r ef er rc d tot he m es sa ge a s p ro po sin g a " Lc ag ue o f Ch ur ch cs ".

2 llQOOEYYIOL~(Proseggisis).

3 O1JVa

Charta Oecumenica (2001)

Documents

Transcript of Charta Oecumenica (2001)