CHRISTIAN CHURCHES
Ecumenical patriarchate: towards the Halki summit The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople reiterates its commitment for ecology. From June 18-20 the "Global responsibility and environmental sustainability summit" will take place in the historical Theological School of Halki. The three-day summit will be bring together environmental experts, scientists, journalists, theologians and university professors that will deliver panel lectures on the theme of biodiversity, preservation, energy and climate change, economy and innovation. In a letter for the presentation of the event, Patriarch Bartholomew I pointed out that the Halki summit falls within the framework of the Rio + 20 United Nations Conference on sustainable development, scheduled to take place in Rio de Janeiro June 20-22. The meeting of Halki follows a set of eight international symposiums held in the period 1995 – 2009 in Mediterranean in Black Sea region, in sites bordering on the Danube River and the Amazons, as also in the Artic region and along the Mississippi river". He adds: "Our effort over the past two decades has been to promote world dialogue and cooperation among the representatives of different disciplines and religions to boost global awareness calling for radical changes on the values and behaviours linked to ethical and scientific questions raised by the abuse of man over nature". "We believe the Patriarch said that every true possibility of inverting climate change and the exhaustion of the natural resources of the planet demands a change in values and systems of belief". Patriarch Bartholomew I, known also as the "Green Patriarch" for his ongoing commitment for the primacy of spiritual values in environmental ethics, will chair and open the Halki summit. In 2008, Time magazine mentioned His Holiness as one of the most influential persons on the planet "for having defined environmentalism as a spiritual responsibility". The final session of the Summit will be chaired by Metropolitan bishop Giovanni Zizioulas of Pergamus. Info: http://halkisummit.org/.France: Lutherans and Reformed join forces At the end of a five-year process, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of France and the Reformed Church of France voted in favour of the establishment of the Protestant United Church of France. This decision was taken almost unanimously, states a communiqué, at the end of the common synod held on May 19 in Belfort. 220 delegates from all over the country provided a juridical framework to the United Protestant Church of France, adopting the necessary constitutional documents. During the coming year, parishes and regions will adapt their structures to this new reality. The United Protestant Church of France, continues the communiqué, "wishes to be a Church that proclaims her faith, a church of witnesses". The first national synod of this new Church will be held next year from May 9-12 in Lyon, to the presence of some 1000 people and foreign delegations. Austria: 615 Christian churches attend the "Long night" 615 Churches representing all Christian denominations in Austria Austria, will take part in the initiative "The long night of the Churches" that has become a regular time of encounter for the sixteen Churches gathered within the Ecumenical Council of Austrian Churches (Örkö). It was made known on May 21 by Catholic news agency Kathpress. Discussions, exhibitions, guided tours, concerts, lectures, ecumenical religious celebrations and spiritual encounter: 2600 proposals are on the program of June 1st which this year includes also events for children. "The long night" has been a very successful event: last year, despite the bad weather, it was attended by over 310 000 people, who visited the Churches opened in evening hours for the occasion. The initiative was extended abroad: in the Czech Republic, on June 1st 1200 churches will be open at night hours, 180 of which in Slovakia. On June 2, nine churches will open their doors in Hungary for a set of events, and on June 8, for the first time, the event will take place in Estonia with 13 churches. The Austrian initiative was presented on May 21st in Vienna to the presence of the Catholic Episcopal vicar of the archdiocese Dariusz Schutzki, the Lutheran superintendent Hansjörg Lein and of the Orthodox responsible for military pastoral care Alexander Lapin. The long night of the Churches will be inaugurated in Vienna on June 1st at 06.00 pm in the Greek-Orthodox cathedral, to the presence of Metropolitan archbishop of Austria Arsenios along with representatives of Christian churches of the capital.
