A conference of Italian Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox Christians in Terni, Italy, has seen in the second stage of the Third European Ecumenical Assembly.
The four stages of the Assembly are united under the common theme “The light of Christ shines upon all – Hope for renewal and unity in Europe”.The second stage of the EEA3 will begin a series of national and regional level meetings throughout Europe focussing on a number of themes including unity, spirituality, witness, Europe, religions, migration, justice and peace.
The Italian Christian representatives gathered for the Terni conference under the theme “Christians and Europe – Italian stage of the Third European Ecumenical Assembly (EEA3)”.
The conference focused on an analysis of the Charta Oecumenica – Guidelines for the Growing Cooperation among the Churches in Europe, signed in 2001 by the Presidents of the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE) and the Conference of European Churches (CEC).
Speakers at the conference included General Secretary of the CCEE, Mgr Aldo Giordano, who said, "The Charta Oecumenica is the agenda which accompanies our European ecumenical journey towards Sibiu", said Mgr Giordano.
"The Assembly theme, Jesus as the light shining upon all, shows the main requirement of the Charta, namely to find in the Scripture the starting point for the cooperation among Churches.“The issues we chose for the Sibiu fora - Unity, Spirituality, Witness, Europe, Religions, Migrations, Creation, Justice and Peace - are the contents of the Charta".
Also pressent at the conference was CEC president, the Rev Jean-Arnold de Clermont, who said, "Sibiu takes place at a time in which Europe, both the Europe of the 25 and beyond it, strongly feels the need to find the outburst of a renewed vision”.
Rev de Clermont added that as Christians we are called to give “a common witness to a vision of Europe as a space of peace, reconciliation and cooperation”.
“The churches have to play an active role in fighting against the fears which make our continent retreat into itself. The Gospel message is based on hope, on the strength coming from the presence of Christ at our side."
The delegates agreed at the end of the conference that the Charta Oecumenica is the “parametre for reciprocal relations”.
The latest round of meetings follows on from the launch of stage one of the EEA3 in January when 150 delegates from European Churches, Bishops’ Conferences and ecumenical organisations gathered in Rome.
Stage three of the EEA3 will be launched in Wittenberg, Germany, from 15th to 18th February 2007, with a meeting similar to the Rome gathering.
