ECUMENISM
Italy: initiatives of the Orthodox archdioceseThis year marks the 20th anniversary of the election to the Throne of Constantinople of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I (22 October 1991), summit of the Orthodox world, and of the foundation of the Orthodox archdiocese of Italy (5 November 1991) which has its seat in Venice. This year also marks the 15th anniversary of the enthronement (27 October 1996) of Metropolitan Gennadios Zervos, Orthodox Archbishop of Italy and Malta and Exarch for Southern Europe. To mark the occasion the Orthodox Archdiocese of Italy is promoting three initiatives in Venice. First, the 4th Meeting of the Sacred Orthodox Archdiocese of Italy and Malta is to be held in the Orthodox cathedral of San Giorgio dei Greci from 15 to 17 November; attended by over a hundred clerical and lay representatives of the archdiocese, it will be devoted to the theme “Wherever the bishop is, there the whole Church is present”. Second, on 16 November, again at San Giorgio dei Greci, the choir of the Metropolitanate of Attica will give a concert of musical pieces in the Greek language on the life of Christ. Third, an international exhibition of contemporary Byzantine icons will be held in the Palazzo Da Mula, at Murano, from 18 to 27 November, as part of the 4th annual review “Open Palace”. The three events will be presented to the press by Metropolitan Gennadios in the archdiocesan seat on 14 November.Austria: never without women”Without women it’s a nonstarter”, declared the Bishop of Eisenstadt, Mgr. Ägidius Zsifkovics, on 31 October, on the occasion of an ecumenical celebration organized by the “Katholische Frauenbewegung” (KFB – Movement of Catholic Women) and the Evangelische Frauenarbeit (EFA – Evangelical Women’s Charity) and held at Oberpullendorf. Dedicated to the role of women in the Church, the event culminated in an ecumenical service officiated by Bishop Zsifkovics and the Evangelical Superintendent of Burgenland Manfred Koch. Susanne Hackl, chairperson of the EFA, and Helga Kaisersreder of the KFB recalled the history of the two organizations and the efforts they had made to obtain equal opportunities for women within the Churches. The two movements have been active in the ecumenical field since 1984, when the World Day of Women’s Prayer was organized in common. Gabi Zarits, coordinator of the KFB for the diocese of Eisenstadt, expressed the wish that in future “faith would have greater practical effects in the Church and in society” because “we must commit ourselves wherever there are injustices and call things by their name whenever they are wrong”. “Women”, added Zarits, “should get involved even more actively in the Church, naturally within the confines of existing canon law, whose potential has far from having been fully exploited”. Ecumenism too is important for the future: “There are far more things that unite us that those that divide us, and at the grassroots level our links are very strong”, declared Zarits, who expressed her conviction that “by presenting themselves united, Catholic and Evangelical women can change society”.Hungary: meeting on martyrs of the 20th centuryEcumenical meeting with main theme “Our martyrs, our confessors of faith” was organised on 28 October in Budapest, with focus on perseverance of Christian witnesses of the 20th century – prelates, priests and laity. “The meeting commemorates Christians martyred by the regimes of the last century, they were present as servants in national and ecclesiastical communities. These confessors of faith remained Christians despite many challenges and as victims of dictatorships they became the witnesses”, said László Szászfalvi, deputy secretary of the State for the relations with Churches, nationalities and civil society. With title “Bishops about the bishops – confessors of faith and martyrs”, several prelates gave lectures about their predecessors. Atanáz Orosz, bishop of Greek Catholic Exarchate of Miskolc, spoke about the martyrdom of the Greek Catholic bishop of Munkács, Tódor Romzsa; martyrdom of Lajos Ordass was presented by the lutheran bishop Péter Gáncs. Jeno Schönberger, bishop of the diocese of Szatmár, talked about the life of recently beatified bishop János Scheffler. According to László Tokés, the vicepresident of European Parliament, “testimony of the confessors of faith and martyrs represents historical and moral capital”. The event was organised by the Society of Jesus, Hungarian Foundation Mindszenty and Association of Public Utility Demochristian Forum.
