Official inauguration of ecumenical cooperation between Angelicum and International Hellenic University

The ecumenical cooperation between the Institute for Ecumenical Studies of the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) and the Master Programme in Orthodox Ecumenical Theology of the International Hellenic University was officially inaugurated on 9 February 2021 by a webinar dedicated to the Catholic–Orthodox theological dialogue.

On this occasion, Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, sent a message to Professor Petros Vassiliadis, Director of the Master Programme, expressing the hope that this academic cooperation “will promote possibilities in academic research and theological formation, in the conviction that not only a formation in ecumenism is required, but also the inclusion of an ecumenical dimension in all theological disciplines”. Indeed, added the Cardinal, “joint research and formation are essential on our journey towards the fulfillment of Christ’s prayer: ‘that they all may be one!’ ”

An address was also presented by Archbishop Job of Telmessos, Co–Chair of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church and Representative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate at the World Council of Churches (Geneva).

An open public lecture was delivered by Reverend Hyacinthe Destivelle, OP, Director of the Institute for Ecumenical Studies, on “Challenges and Perspectives of the Orthodox–Catholic Theological Dialogue”. The webinar, hosted by the Center of Ecumenical, Missiological and Environmental Studies (CEMES), was moderated by Professor Dimitrios Keramidas (Angelicum), with the participation of Archbishop Job of Telmessos, Professor Petros Vassiliadis, Professor Pantelis Kalaitzidis (Director of the Volos Academy for Theological Studies) and Professor Nikolaos Dimitriadis (Professor of World Religions at the American College of Thessaloniki).

Suorce: christianunity.va/