Press Release No: 13/24
6 September 2024
Brussels
The Conference of European Churches (CEC) and the Catholic Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE) held an online event on 4 September 2024 to advance the revision of the Charta Oecumenica, focusing on key elements that will shape the updated document.
Charta Oecumenica, a joint document signed by the presidents of CEC and CCEE in 2001, aims to foster dialogue and unity among churches, highlighting their role and understanding of Europe.
The CEC-CCEE Joint Committee has tasked a working group with updating the Charta Oecumenica to reflect the evolving circumstances in European society and among churches today, aiming to keep the document relevant.
The online webinar stimulated the consultation process and invited CEC and CCEE constituencies, as well as a broader ecumenical public to discuss the first draft.
CEC President, H.E. Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain, stressed the importance of language in the new document. “Language is the main tool that can bring us closer together, so we may become what we are called to be—one Christian family,” he said.
“The time has come to show the world and ourselves that Christians can work together. It is possible for Anglicans, Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants to unite,” he added.
H.E. Msgr. Gintaras Grušas, President of CCEE, underscored the significance of the Charta Oecumenica as a historic document, calling it “a point of reference and inspiration for almost all offices working on ecumenism among the faithful.”
“The themes of the original Charta remain unchanged, but there are topics to address, such as migration, new technologies, artificial intelligence, and the safeguarding of creation,” Grušas emphasised, that the new Charta must resonate with Europe’s youth.
Leaders of the Joint Working Group, including Ms Lea Schlenker and H.E. Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś, provided an update on the progress of the revision and the ongoing consultation process.
The event was moderated by CEC General Secretary, Rev. Frank-Dieter Fischbach, with liturgical reflections offered by Sr. Estelle M. Sogbu, a member of the CEC-CCEE Charta working group.
The first draft of the updated Charta Oecumenica, approved by the decision-making bodies of CEC and CCEE, is available to their respective constituencies for consultation. The consultation period, which ends on 31 December 2024, invites feedback and comments on the draft via email to charta@cec-kek.be. The working draft is available online.
More information on the revision of the Charta Oecumenica
For further information or an interview, please contact:
Naveen Qayyum
Communication Officer
Conference of European Churches
Rue Joseph II, 174 B-1000 Brussels
Tel. +32 486 75 82 36
E-mail: naveen@cec-kek.be
Website: www.ceceurope.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ceceurope
Twitter: @ceceurope
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