Air of unity” “

“Here we breathe an air of unity. The difficulties are not minimized, but instead of being obstacles, they have become new opportunities for meeting, mutual understanding and brotherhood”, says Monsignor Luigi Stucchi , who represented the Archbishop of Milan Dionigi Tettamanzi in chairing a round table on ecumenical dialogue in Serbia and Bulgaria at the Villa Cagnola di Gazzada (Varese) at the end of August. The meeting was held in the context of the 27th European Week of Religious Studies promoted by the Paul VI Ambrosian Foundation. The focus of attention of the round table was a phrase spoken by Paul VI in 1967,intimating “a new dawn of hope and peace”, despite the different historical context at the time. Ecumenism, “JOURNEY OF A PEOPLE”. The Orthodox bishop of Novi Sad, Irinej Bulovic, opened his address by recalling the life and work of St. Sava and the “period of tolerance, almost anticipatory of ecumenical dialogue, in which our saint lived”. He was one of the “fathers” of Orthodoxy in Serbia-Montenegro. From the Middle Ages to the present day, “we have had many dark moments but also others of revival and openness”. But “if history is of great importance, it must not encumber present-day relations between the two sister churches, Orthodox and Catholic. We – added Bulovic – have concrete responsibilities for our communities and our people; we must not become the victims of history. We need on the contrary to foster relations of mutual trust and openness. We must look to the future”. Dialogue, however, cannot “remain a question just for the hierarchy: it must involve the faithful of the two communities. We need to walk together in daily life”. Bulovic continued by admitting “all this does not mean that difficulties do not exist, especially with some priests and bishops who are hostile to dialogue. So we are called to open ourselves to others, to our brothers, with the help of the Lord and of Mary”. RECONCILIATION AND COMMUNION. The prospect of European integration was indicated, during the discussion, as “possible future horizon for the old continent”, within which “a slow but significant process of religious unity is already taking place”, said Archbishop Stanislav Hocevar, metropolitan of Belgrade, he too a guest of the Paul VI Foundation. He recalled his own personal experience: “I am Slovene; my father was killed by the Communists just after the end of the war. From my mother, who forgave his assassins, I learnt a strong conviction of the need for reconciliation and communion”. “I wish to thank God for this occasion to meet together – continued Hocevar -. Besides, Bishop Bulovic and I are often together. We participate together in religious celebrations among our people: we have almost become a tandem. Thanks to him I am discovering the rich and fascinating world of the Oriental Churches”. According to the Catholic archbishop, “reconciliation between the churches is of the greatest importance” in the Balkans that represent “a bridge between East and West”. “Meeting and dialogue need however to be promoted at various levels: personal, to create mutual trust and understanding; charitable, in support of the needy; and structural, for example through partnership in religious education in schools. Moments of shared prayer and spirituality and cultural occasions are becoming equally important”. “We need each other – concluded Hocevar – and without synergy between us we cannot be true witnesses of Christ in our land”. THE ROLE OF THEOLOGICAL RESEARCH. Serbia-Montenegro has a population of some 10 million inhabitants within current frontiers (deriving from the dismemberment of the former Yugoslavia after the collapse of the Communist regimes and the Balkan wars in the 1990s). Over 60% of the inhabitants are of Serbian nationality; 17% are Albanians. There are also large Hungarian and Montenegrin minorities. From a religious point of view, Orthodox believers represent two thirds of the total population. Muslims account for 20%, and Catholics some 5% of the total. Both Bulovic and Hocevar referred in the course of the debate to “the results of the ecumenical dialogue at the European level”, citing some significant figures in this sense, beginning with Paul VI himself. Vladan Perisic, dean of the Orthodox Theological Faculty in Belgrade, offered his “little experience of collaboration in the field of theological studies. This has never been interrupted, not even in the period of the last war”. Perisic pointed out the “huge presence of Roman Catholic brothers in our study programmes and meetings aimed at deepening knowledge of the Scriptures and faith in Christ”. Also positive – in the view of the Orthodox theologian – is “the common work with Catholic universities in various countries. In this way our students are able to participate in research programmes in universities abroad”.