The 12th international meeting onPeople and Religions

THE 12TH INTERNATIONAL MEETING ON PEOPLE AND RELIGIONS

The 12th international meeting on People and Religions took place from August 30 to September 2, 1998, in Bucharest. It was organized the Catholic Community of St. Egidius together with the Romanian president Emil Constantinescu and the Holy Authorities of the Romanian Orthodox Church. The Russian Orthodox Church was represented by Metropolitan Pitirim of Volokolamsk and Yuriev and Hieromonk Hilarion (Alfeyev), DECR secretary for inter-Christian relations.

The theme of the meeting was “Peace is the Name of God: God, Humanity and Nations”. It was a highly representative forum as it was attended by eight heads of Local Orthodox Churches, namely, Patriarch Peter VII of Alexandria and All Africa, Patriarch Ignatius IV of Antioch and all the East, Patriarch Maxim of Bulgaria, Patriarch Teoctist of Romania, Archbishop Chrysostom of Cyprus, Archbishop Anastasios of Albania, Metropolitan Dorotej of Prague, Archbishop John of Finland. Besides, there were heads of non-Chalcedonian Churches: Patriarch Paul of Ethiopia and Catholicos Aram of Cilicia. The Roman Catholic Church was represented by leading members of the Curia, including six cardinals: Edward Idris Cassidy, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Achille Silvestrini, prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches, Roger Etchegaray, chairman of the Committee for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, James Stafford, president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, Joseph Glemp, Archbishop of Warsaw, and Frances Arinze, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

President Constantinescu spoke at the opening and closing sessions. He also attended the Divine Liturgy in the beginning of the meeting and the ceremony of lighting candles at its conclusion. During the ceremony the heads of the delegations signed an appeal to peace. The sessions were devoted to various themes, such as the future of Europe, Romania, the Mediterranean, Islam and Christianity, ecumenism, etc.

The delegations of the Russian and Romanian Orthodox Churches held a working meeting. As is known, their relations have been overshadowed by the unsettled issue concerning the future of the so-called “Bessarabian Diocese” established by the Romanian Patriarchate on the canonical territory of the Moscow Patriarchate in the Republic of Moldova.

On September 3, His Beatitude Patriarch Teoctist of Romania visited the Russian Embassy to meet with the delegation of the Russian Church and diplomats.