DIALOGUE
Poland: Jews, Christian unity and IslamA busy month in the field of dialogue also for Poland, where on January 17 will be celebrated the Day of Judaism, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity from January 18-25 and the Day of Islam on the 26. The Day of Judaism, celebrated this year in Poland for the fifteenth time, “has united ever more people in the belief that we share the same roots and the same goals”, said card. Stanislaw Dziwisz during the prayer meeting of Christians and Jews held on January 12 in the Franciscan basilica of Krakow. Also representatives of the Old-Catholic Church in Poland took part in the common meeting for prayer. The president of the Jewish Community of Krakow Tadeusz Jakubowicz, attending the gathering, said he is proud “of the fact that there are days when we can come together regardless of differences, praying to the one and only God”. The chief Rabbi of Poland Michael Schudrich attended the celebrations for the Day of Judaism that took place in Poznan with the Metropolitan bishop Stanislaw Gadecki. On the eve of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, the president of the Ecumenical Council of the Polish Bishops’ Conference, Msgr. Krzysztof Nitkiewicz, announced the preparation of a joint document by the member Churches of the Polish Ecumenical Council and the Catholic Church on the special importance of Sunday. The president in office of the Polish Ecumenical Council (established in 1946), Orthodox bishop Geremiah, on the eve of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity reiterated the historical role of reconciliation between Poland and Russia. In this perspective, recent progress in the dialogue between the Polish Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church in Russia, in view of a joint document, “bears special significance”. Another significant highlight of the coming months is the visit to Poland of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill, announced to take place the coming August. Ultimately, the Day of Islam will be celebrated at the end of the Week of Prayer, January 26. The Christian-Muslim Dialogue Initiative in Poland, that reached its 12th edition, celebrates over 300 years of common history and the presence of Muslims on Polish land.Italy: the value of prayer and human lifeA busy ecumenical agenda marks Italy’s coming days. Traditional initiatives include prayer vigils, workshops and debates promoted by Christian Churches across the country. Special emphasis is devoted to the theme of the Second Vatican Council, of which this year recurs the 50th anniversary (since the official opening on October 11 1962). The theme of the Week is presented in a joint message by the representatives of the Catholic (Msgr. Mansueto Bianchi representing CEI), Evangelical (pastor Massimo Aquilante for FCEI) and Orthodox Churches (Metropolitan Gennadios. “When Christians acknowledge the value and purpose of common prayer for the unity of all those who believe in Christ, they start being transformed into the object of their prayers”. Also in Italy the Day for Reflection and Development of Jewish-Christian Dialogue – that will address the theme “The sixth word: you shall not kill” takes place before the Week of Prayer, on January 17. “Like never before, today we are witnessing unprecedented violence leading to death and destruction, causing shock and condemnation”, underline the bishop Msgr. Bianchi and Rabbi Richetti. In spite of this, state the religious leaders, the defence and the promotion of the value of human life from the moment of conception to its natural termination can open up a different path.Austria: the Day of Judaism since the year 2000On January 17 Austrian Churches will celebrate the Day of Judaism. The event, introduced in the year 2000 by the Austria’s Ecumenical Church Council (Örkö), has become an occasion to delve into Jewish-Christian relations and discuss the acts of injustice against the Jewish people in history. Meetings, religious celebrations and workshops are among the many initiatives scheduled to take place for the Day across Austria. The most important event is the celebration organised by Örkö in Vienna at the evangelical Resurrection Church, presided over by the Orthodox Rumanian Vicar Nicolae Dura, president of the ecumenical Council. The initiative of dedicating January 17 to the Day of Judaism dates back to the second European Ecumenical Assembly (Aee2) held in Graz in 1997. The Day will be celebrated also in Italy, Poland, and in The Netherlands. In Austria, since 2010 the event is also an occasion for exchange with Jewish leaders. Last year an Örkö delegation met the chief rabbi, Paul Chaim Eisenberg. A similar meeting will also take place this year, as confirmed by the evangelical bishop Michael Bünker, vice-president of the Ecumenical Council, at the Austrian press agency Kathpress.
