Start of the dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Communion of Protestant Churches in Europe – Press release
From the 19th to the 21st April 2022, the first meeting of a dialogue between the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU) and the Communion of Protestant Churches in Europe (CPCE) took place. The initiation of the dialogue was agreed between the two partners in autumn 2018. The meeting was held at the invitation of the Evangelical Reformed Church of Basel-Stadt in the Bischofshof at Basel Minster. Prof. Dr. Martin Friedrich, the outgoing study secretary of the CPCE, was responsible for the organization, who was bid farewell with thanks.
The aim of the dialogue is the elaboration of a document for which the provisional working title “Auf dem Weg zu einem gemeinsamen Verständnis von Kirche. Vergewisserung, Vertiefung, Ausblick” [“Towards a Common Understanding of Church: Reassurance, Deepening, Outlook”]. The first session served to get to develop relationships, to identify the topics to be treated more precisely and to agree on the next steps. The second meeting will take place in Augsburg at the beginning of November 2022.
Composition of delegations
The delegation of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity consists of:
Bishop Dr. Bertram Meier, Augsburg (Head of Delegation)
Prof. Dr. Barbara Hallensleben, Fribourg
Privatdozent Dr. Liborius Olaf Lumma, Innsbruck
Prof. Dr. Aimable Musoni SDB, Rome
Delegation secretary: Father Dr. Augustinus Sander OSB, Vatican City.
The delegation of the Communion of Protestant Churches in Europe consists of:
Dr. John Bradbury, London, United Reformed Church (Head of Delegation)
Prof. Dr. Fréderic Chavel, Paris, Eglise Protestante Unie de France
Prof. Dr . Paul Nimmo, Aberdeen, Church of Scotland
Prof. Dr. Friederike Nüssel, Munich/ Heidelberg, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria
Delegation secretary: Prof. Dr. Thomas-Andreas Põder, Tallinn/Vienna.
