” “”A fully-deserved award and a sign of the substantial contribution given by Viorel Ionita to the ecumenical relations in Europe”: in this way, Colin Williams, secretary general of Kek (Conference of the European Churches, which brings together 125 Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican and Old Catholic Churches, as well as organisations from all over Europe), greeted the awarding of the "Abbot Emmanuel Heufelder” prize to Viorel Ionita, who since 1994 has been secretary for studies at Kek and director of the activity of the "Churches in dialogue" Commission in the same body. The award, reads the statement, is given to Ionita for “his extraordinary contribution, as an Orthodox, to the Charta Oecumenica and to the ‘memory recovery’ process in Eastern Europe”. The award, established in 1992, ten years after the death of Emmanuel Heufelder, who for decades had headed the Benedictine Abbey of Niederaltaich in Bavaria, is given every two-three years to individuals and organisations "that have offered a special contribution to the ecumenical dialogue and the mutual understanding between the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Churches”, will be given for this category to the "Pro-East Foundation" founded in 1964 by cardinal Franz König. The prize-awarding ceremony will take place in the Benedictine Abbey on June 3rd. The laudatio has been entrusted to Gerhard Voss, rector of the ecumenical Institute of the monastery.” “
