The International Interconfessional Conference devoted to the 2000th anniversary of Christianity opened in Moscow

THE INTERNATIONAL INTERCONFESSIONAL CONFERENCE DEVOTED TO THE 2000TH ANNIVERSARY OF CHRISTIANITY OPENED IN MOSCOW

The International Interconfessional Jubilee Conference devoted to the 2000th anniversary of the Coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ opened on November 23 at the Danilovskaya Hotel, Moscow. The theme of the conference is “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and for ever (Heb. 13:8): Christianity on the Threshold of the Third Millennium”.

The conference has been organized by the Interconfessional Christian Advisory Committee cochaired by Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, Archbishop Taddeusz Kondrusiewicz of Hippon-Zarita, apostolic administrator of the Latin right Catholics in European Russia, and Rev. Peter Konovalchik, chairman of the Union of the Evangelical Christian Baptists in the Russian Federation.

In the course of three-day plenary sessions and discussions, the participants will discuss the themes: “Theology and Mission”, “Christianity and Morality”, “Socio-political Problems and Inter-Christian Cooperation in the Socio-political field” and “Pseudo-religious Phenomena”. During the first day of the work of the Jubilee Conference, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia addressed the delegates and guests with a speech of greetings.

The gathering was also welcomed by Moscow Mayor Yuri M. Luzhkov.

The Conference received messages of greetings from the Russian President Boris Yeltsin, the Government of the Russian Federation, the State Duma of the Russian Federal Assembly, and from John Paul II the Pope of Rome.

Congratulations on the beginning of Conference’s work were extended by Supreme Mufti Talgat Tajuddin, chairman of the Moslem Board for Russian and the CIS European countries, Rabbi Z. Kogan, and Pandido Khambo-lama Damba Ayushev, head of the Traditional Buddhist Sangha in Russia.

Participating in the conference are the following Churches and religious associations in Russia and the CIS and Baltic countries: Armenian Apostolic Church, Byelorussian Orthodox Church, Byelorussian association of the Church of the Christians-Seventh-Day Adventists, Supreme Old Believers Council in Lithuania, Georgian Orthodox Church, Old Orthodox Pomor Church in Latvia, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria in Russia, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lithuania, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Central Asia, Eurasian Federation of the Unions of the Evangelical Christians-Baptists, Transcaucasian association of the Church of the Christians-Seventh-Day Adventists, Western Russian Union of the Church of the Christians-Seventh-Day Adventists, Moldavian Union of the Church of the Christians-Seventh-Day Adventists, Orthodox Church in Latvia, Orthodox Church in Moldova, Orthodox Church in Estonia, Roman Catholic Church, Russian Union of the Christians of the Evangelical Faith-Pentecostals, Council of Old Orthodox Pomor Church in Russia, Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists in Russia, Russian Old Orthodox Church, Russian Orthodox Church, Russian Orthodox Old Believers Church, Union of the Baptists churches in Latvia, Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists in Armenia, Union of the Christians of the Evangelical Faith in Belarus, Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists in Estonia, Union of the Christians of the Evangelical Faith in Belarus, Union of the Christians of the Evangelical Faith in the Russian Federation, Union of the Christians of the Evangelical Faith-Pentecostals in Russia, Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, and the Ukrainian Union of the Church of the Christians-Seventh-Day Adventists.

Participating in the conference devoted to the 2000th of Christianity are also representatives of the Orthodox Church of Alexandria, Orthodox Church of Antioch, Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Orthodox Church in America, World General Conference of the Christians-Seventh-Day Adventists, World Council of Churches, European Baptist Federation, YMCA, Conference of European Churches, Kirche in Not, Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, CEEC, SYNDESMOS, EYCE, as well as representatives of Muslims, Buddhists and Judaists.

This conference is held under the plan of major events developed by the Russian Organizing Committee in preparation for the Millennium celebrations.