The road to Sibiu 2007″ “

Not one great event, but a “pilgrimage” lasting two years, punctuated with national meetings and with the participation of as large a number of people as possible: that is how the Third European Ecumenical Assembly, due to be held in Sibiu (Romania) from 4 to 8 September 2007, was described by the general secretaries of the two organizations that are promoting the event, i.e. Monsignor ALDO GIORDANO of the CCEE (Council of the European Bishops’ Conferences) and the Rev. COLIN WILLIAMS of the CEC (Conference of European Churches). Giordano and Williams were addressing the 150 delegates of the Churches and Episcopal Conferences of Europe who recently met in Rome to discuss the process of preparation for the Assembly in Sibiu. It will be they in fact – said the Anglican Williams – who will be “the messengers and ambassadors” of the event within their Churches and communities once they return home and hence the front-line promoters of the national meetings that, according to regional contexts, will take place between the period of Pentecost 2006 and the Prayer Week for Christian Unity in 2007. TOWARDS THE SECOND STAGE. The national and regional meetings – explained Colin Williams – are key stages in the whole process that will lead us to Sibiu. It is in these events that the people of Europe will feel they form part of the whole process and we know that already some churches are preparing meetings at these levels”. The “hope” of the CCEE and the CEC is that it will be possible to involve as many people and as inclusive a presence as possible in these meetings: from Christian congregations to the representatives of monastic communities, and members of local Church groups. Moreover, following the recommendations made in the work document on Sibiu (the “Study Guide”, accessible on the website www.eea3.org), each meeting ought to find original ways to “reflect with creativity” on the theme of Sibiu: “The light of Christ shines upon all. Hope for renewal and unity in Europe”. The themes on the agenda of these meetings are those indicated in the Charta Oecumenica, the ecumenical document signed by the Churches of Europe in Strasbourg in 2001, i.e. unity in the faith, relations with Islam and interfaith dialogue, strengthening relations with Judaism, safeguard of the Creation, contribution of the Churches to the process of European integration, migration and globalization. The hope is also that these meetings will take place in “contexts of prayer and biblical reflection” and “not be self-enclosed but be able to identity fields of common commitment that may encourage the churches to work more effectively together”. THE THREE OBJECTIVES. Vanquishing the three “enemies of ecumenism”: “suspicion, apathy, impatience”: that’s the objective of the ecumenical pilgrimage described by the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal CORMAC MURPHY O’CONNOR, who spoke during the session dedicated to the themes and objectives of the Assembly in Sibiu. “It seems to me – said the archbishop – that the aims and objectives of our assembly are to diminish and eliminate the suspicions we have of each other; to share what we can do in our countries, in our contexts; to promote and develop our ecumenical effort, and lastly to foster an atmosphere of hope and perseverance for our ecumenical pilgrimage in Europe”. So, the first objective is to “overcome suspicion”, which – O’Connor said – only diminishes “once we’ve got to know each other better, respect each other and pray together”. Then there’s “a second enemy to defeat” and that is “apathy”. “Ecumenism – said the cardinal – does not necessarily regard the great events; it concerns instead little things, at home, in the parish, in our towns and cities”. Another enemy of ecumenism is “impatience”: “there is at the present time in Europe a certain disheartenment, because some of the hopes of the ecumenical movement, already expressed 50 years ago, have failed to materialise”. That’s why the objective of the Ecumenical Assembly is to “generate hope and enthusiasm for the ecumenical process”. TWINNINGS OF BROTHERHOOD. The Roman meeting was also an occasion for an exchange of ecumenical experiences. These experiences – says the programme – are “Signs of the light of Christ in Europe”: discussion thus focused on the martyrs of the 20th century, and the meeting “Together for Europe” promoted by the Focolare Movement in Stuttgart. Frère Alois, prior of the Taizé Community and successor of Frère Roger, told of his experiences at Milan at the beginning of the year, with the European Youth Meeting, while Father VINCENZO SOLASSI and Father GIORGIO PAOLINI, directors of two diocesan offices for ecumenism in Italy, together with the Anglican priest CAVE BERQUIST, made a proposal to all the Christian parishes of the old continent, “even geographically far apart”: help promote the birth of “twinnings of brotherhood” with Catholic, Reformed, Anglican and Orthodox Christians. “If a thousand parishes of every confession in Europe were to give life to paths of brotherhood, that would create a spiritual event capable of re-awakening Christian Europe and creating a spiritual climate favourable for the dialogue of pastors, for the research of theologians, and for the experience of life and prayer of ecumenical monasteries”.