Representatives of various Christian churches and ecclesial communities share their thoughts on the relationship between synodality and ecumenism in the context of the Ecumenical Prayer Vigil that will precede the XVI General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.
Representatives of Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, and Protestant churches and ecclesial communities took part in a press conference presenting the Ecumenical Vigil of Prayer that Pope Francis has proposed will take place ahead of next fall’s General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.
A good step
“The fact that we start this [synod] in an ecumenical way is quite new,” said Frère Alois, the prior of the ecumenical Taizé Community, which is helping to organize the event. Frère Alois, whose intervention at the opening of the Synod on Synodality helped inspire the initiative, noted, too, that “the fact that we start with a prayer vigil is also new in the history of synods.”
He said it is “a good step” that can help people understand that the synod is not intended simply to be a meeting where Church leaders discuss their problems, but is instead, a meeting of Christians coming together.”
Frère Alois was one of several ecumenical leaders who spoke with Vatican Radio about synodality and ecumenism on the sidelines of Monday’s press conference.
The spirit of humility
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, the representative of the Armenian Apostolic Church to the Holy See highlighted the “spirit of humility” that can be seen in the invitation to other churches – such as the Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox churches – “to present their traditions, their experiences.” He added that listening to others and being open to learning from them is already a “wonderful spirit.”
The Archbishop pointed to the Armenian Church’s centuries-long experience of synodality, saying that synodality in his community “is all for the growth of the Church, for the good of the Church.” He praised the Catholic Church for its openness to learning, while noting that Armenian Church can also learn from Catholics: “Learning from each other is a great way of carrying [forward] the mission of Christ,” he said.
The Vatican News
