ecumenism" "
Saturday, 20 October, 40 days after the tragic terrorist attacks on the United States, a divine liturgy to commemorate the victims who lost their lives in New York, Washington and Pittsburgh and who also included Russian citizens was celebrated in the cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow. The commemoration officiated by Metropolitan Sergius of Solnechnogorsk, chancellor of the Patriarchate of Moscow was attended by representatives of the American embassy and relatives of the victims. “Thousands of innocent people said Metropolitan Sergius were killed by the madness of those who want to build the world on fanaticism”. The metropolitan recalled the pre-revolutionary period of Russian history and the terrorist attacks that characterized it, precipitating the country “into Communist slavery for 70 long years”. “Today added the metropolitan the face of terrorism has changed because it does not kill individuals or groups but strikes whole peoples. They do so to spread horror and panic and so achieve their goals”. “Without peace between the major religions, peace in the world is not possible”. So said the President of the German Federal Republic Johannes Rau, on meeting the representatives of the Christian Churches in Europe in Geneva. Visibly concerned by the international situation created following the attacks of 11 September on the United States, the German President urged the religions to “work together to promote a global peace”. The President met the secretary general of the World Council of Churches, pastor Konrad Raiser; the secretary general of the Conference of European Churches, Keith Clements; pastor Ishmael Noko, of the World Lutheran Federation, and pastor Setri Nyomi, of the World Reformed Alliance. The dialogue between the Christian confessions and their role for a world peace policy were the themes at the centre of the conversation. The German President emphasized that “the ecumenical process is a fundamental basis on which to build interreligious dialogue and the cooperation of religions for peace”, and reaffirmed his conviction that “a divided Christian church cannot work effectively to resolve the conflicts in the world”. In this regard, pastor Ishmael Noko, of the Word Lutheran Federation, reminded the President of the Joint Declaration on the doctrine of justification, signed by Lutherans and Catholics at Augsburg on 31 October 1999. The president of the Palestinian Authority, Yasser Arafat, met the Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey, in London in recent days. Building “peace with justice and security for everyone in the Holy Land said Carey is an objective that the whole world ardently desires and needs. It is a goal to which all communities need to work towards and to place trust in”. Especially after the tragic events of 11 September, the question of peace in the Middle East has become central. “As a religious leader Carey said I’m sure that there are many ways for Christians, Jews and Moslem communities in the Holy Land to work together to combat poverty and need, knowing that wherever the seeds of hope are sown, great things may grow. I am ready to do everything I can to help new hope and new development to grow” in the region. The archbishop also had a private meeting with the leaders of the Moslem communities at the Turkish Islamic Cultural Centre in London. “We have much to share commented Carey – we must try to build a shared society both through meetings of dialogue similar to this, and at the level of our local basic communities and in day-to-day life. They are all challenges that call on us to meet each other to celebrate our legitimate diversities and promote the values and aims we have in common”. M.C.B.
