Eleven churches and Christian communities signed an accord with the State in recent days in Bratislava (Slovak Republic). It regulates their relations and makes them official. The accord says a statement published by the World Lutheran Federation ensures cooperation between the State and the Churches for the common good of citizens, in the fields of culture, education, social work and pastoral care. The accord said Julius Filo, Lutheran bishop and head of the ecumenical Council of the Churches in Slovakia which has followed the negotiations leading to the accord since 2001 is “a sign of the growing ecumenical spirit”. The fact added Filo that 11 churches and Christian communities were able to sign the same text together but as independent juridical subjects “may be appreciated also by Slovak society and by the European Union”. The Catholic Church, which comprises some 5.4 million faithful in Slovakia (some 60% of the population), signed the accord with the State last autumn.
