The Central Committee of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) will meet at Londonderry in Northern Ireland for its autumn session from 25 to 31 May. The Committee is composed of 40 members and is chaired by CEC President Jean-Arnold de Clermont. “It’s not without significance – explains the general secretary of the ecumenical organization, the Anglican Colin Williams – that the Central Committee is meeting in Ireland this year. It’s a part of Europe where peace and reconciliation are not abstract concepts to be lightly discussed, but concepts that for decades have been really experienced by the community in a difficult context”. It is in the light of this history that the members of the Committee will visit the ecumenical Community of Corrymeela, involved for decades in the long task of reconciliation among the various sections of the population, and meet the representatives of the Irish Churches. Discussion at the session will also focus on the preparation of the Third European Ecumenical Assembly that is being promoted by all the Christian Churches of Europe and is due to be held in Sibiu (Romania) in September 2007.
