"A new phase of the ecumenical journey has opened up after the significant decisions" taken by the 9th assembly of the World Church Council (Wcc) held in Porto Alegre last February. This was said yesterday by the Orthodox archbishop of Athens and primate of all Greece, Christodoulos, at the end of his visit to WCC in Geneva. The Brazilian meeting, said the Primate, whose words are contained in a release from Wcc published today, "has been an epoch-making event, not only because it has granted some old Orthodox requests, but because it has strengthened the prospects of a revival of the ecumenical journey". The assembly also laid "new foundations that will enable the Orthodox Church to take part in the ecumenical dialogue without reticence and actually to proactively boost it". Christodoulos emphasised the "need of consistency and responsibility in thinking of future actions" by the executive bodies of the Wcc. "The journey towards unity is long and difficult admitted the archbishop – because it demands that the memory of the Church be relieved of all the traumatic experiences that it has gone through over the centuries. The ultimate purpose of the ecumenical movement is the communion of the churches at the Lord’s table". On his part, the secretary general of Wcc, Samuel Kobia, insisted that "without underestimating the difficulties that are in front of us, let’s turn a new page in the cooperation with the Greek Church".
