Ecumenism: Graz European Assembly 20 years later. Bustaffa, “People of believers meeting spontaneously”

“In Graz, apart from a meeting of official delegates, the ‘people of believers’ met spontaneously; therefore, the novelty of the meeting was finding out that many people unknown to each other were brothers and sisters sharing the same faith”. Those words were spoken by Paolo Bustaffa, columnist of SIR Europe, during the 20th anniversary of the Second European Ecumenical Assembly of Graz (Austria) from 23 to 29 June 1997, on the subject “Reconciliation – Gift of God and source of new life”. Bustaffa said: “Prayer in common, listening to, and exchange on the Word of God confirm that the ecumenical path is not just a matter of debate or organisation; it is a matter of life. It is no longer possible to limit ecumenism to theology, to the meetings of the ones in charge of chuches, or just to the activities of some outposts. Ecumenism is a path to walk on together; it has to be popular, and part of the ordinary pastoral of communities”. And he said: “Here we can find the thought of Pope Francis about people’s ecumenism: about the ecumenism of those who believe baptism purports the reasons and power of common path, at times, until martyrdom”.