The liturgy of the East and of the West has been at the centre of an international symposium held in Wien November 17-20. The event, organized by the Institute for science and liturgy of the University of Wien with the ‘Fondazione Pro Oriente’, was attended by different liturgy experts from different confessions, coming from Austria and abroad. The symposium addressed relevant aspects of ecumenism and the Jewish roots of the Christian liturgy in the different Christian confessions. “Liturgical celebrations are at the centre of a life of faith and of the understanding of the different Churches of the East and of the West”, underlined liturgy scholar Hans Jurgen Feulner in his welcoming address. “From Vatican II onwards, in the sector of liturgy and of liturgical science Christian confessions have drawn closer to one another until the liturgical ceremony practice was established”. Mr. Feulner said that studies on liturgical history undertaken in recent years have contributed to this approch. The program of the symposium includes two open conferences: on November 18 by Paul Bradshaw (University of Notre Dame – London) on the contribution of Judaism in the first Christians’ liturgy, and on November 19 by Marcel Metzger on the liturgy as announcement of the word.
