From Graz to Trondheim” “

The 12th Assembly of the Conference of European Churches (CEC/KEK) will open in Trondheim (Norway) on Wednesday 25 June. The assembly is held every six years by the 126 member churches of the CEC to reflect on the work of the Conference, on the ecumenical process on the European context. This year’s assembly is intended to reflect on, discuss and celebrate the theme: “Jesus Christ heals and reconciles: Our witness in Europe”. It will be attended by some 700 participants, of whom 350 official delegates and 350 representatives of the ecumenical bodies, partner organizations, “sympathizers”… The assembly will be inaugurated on Thursday morning, 26 June, by a solemn celebration in Trondheim cathedral, in the presence of king Harald of Norway. The meditation will be given by Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople. Then, he former president of the Republic of Zambia, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda will give the keynote address. “The choice of an African speaker – explains Luca Negro, of the KEK press office – was determined by the wish to avoid an exclusive focus on Europe and gain a more global view of the role and responsibilities of our continent”. The three main plenary sessions will focus on the Charta Oecumenica, Europe and youth. In fact “the context from which the theme of the assembly was born – writes Keith Clements, general secretary of KEK – is the Charta Oecumenica“, because “it embraces the sum of the concerns and fields of activity that mobilise the KEK”. The future of the process of the ecumenical charter will be discussed by the delegates in plenary assembly. It’s also expected that the theme of Europe will be much debated. To the young, present at this assembly in greater numbers than in the past, will be assigned the task of presenting their vision for the future of the ecumenical process and Europe. Says Luca Negro: “the centrality of the presence of the young is something we have learned from the experience of the CCEE-KEK meeting in Strasbourg. From the assembly in Graz, on the other hand, we learnt the importance of ecumenical assemblies as popular events”. The central theme of the assembly will also be developed in depth in fifteen thematic meetings: they will focus on peace and reconciliation in Europe, globalization, sustainable development, witness and common mission of the Churches, bioethics and biotechnologies, dialogue with Islam. The spiritual dimension will characterize all the debates. A prayer vigil will be held in the cathedral of Trondheim on Saturday night. Six intensive years have elapsed since the last assembly held in Graz, in the aftermath of the second European ecumenical assembly in June 1997: the commitment to reconciliation, that sprang from Graz, “has been put to the test and reinforced – writes Keith Clements – both with regard to internal questions and the changes of the European context and especially the conflicts that have broken out during these years”. The work, during these six years, has been developed in KEK’s three main commissions: the Church and Society commission, which is devoted to studying political questions in the broad sense in an ethical and social perspective, monitoring the various European institutions and acting as the mouthpiece of the specific responsibilities of the Churches in the member states of the EU; the Church in Dialogue commission, which has been given the mandate of facilitating meetings between Orthodox and other Churches of the KEK, developing relations with the Catholic Church and relations between the minor and major Churches and launching a network among theological faculties and academies to foster and encourage ecumenical formation; and the Churches in Solidarity commission, to which has been assigned tasks in the fields of migration and refugees, racism and xenophobia, and the campaign against violence on women and children. The delegates will be called to elect a central Committee, composed of 40 members. Only in the autumn, at the first meeting of the Committee, will a new president be elected, as a successor of Metropolitan Jérémie of the ecumenical Patriarchate. The basic document of the assembly, which will end on Wednesday 2 July, its programme and other information are available on the site: www.cec-kek.org.