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During the close of the consultation, H.E. Metropolitan Job of Pisidia of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, who is also vice moderator of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission on Faith and Order, underlined that this was an Orthodox consultation that also included non-Orthodox participants. He emphasized that Faith and Order is about “we,” not about “them,” and that this “we” must include younger theologians and emerging scholars alongside experienced academics and church leaders. The work of Faith and Order, he stressed, is not elitist or confined to specialists; rather, it exists for the church as a whole, and therefore the whole church must be involved in its life and mission.
“In this regard, the consultation represented a unique and meaningful event within the context of a faculty of Orthodox theology, where reception and contribution, professors and students, clergy and laity, as well as Orthodox and non-Orthodox voices, were able to engage together in a genuine spirit of dialogue and theological reflection,” said Metropolitan Job. “Such encounters demonstrate that theological work is not merely an academic exercise, but a living ecclesial process nourished by listening, participation, and mutual exchange.”
The goal of visible Christian unity
Rev. Fr Prof. Emeritus Dr Vasile Mihoc, cultural vicar of the Metropolis of Transylvania, reflected on the prophetic vision that has shaped the work of the WCC since its beginnings. Recalling the contribution of Visser 't Hooft, he emphasized that the WCC was founded by people of vision who understood that the search for Christian unity must be rooted in faithfulness to the apostolic tradition and in a common witness to the Gospel. Visser ’t Hooft’s vision of restoring and manifesting the apostolic faith in the life of the churches remains, he noted, a defining inspiration for the ecumenical movement today.
“The goal of visible Christian unity has not changed, even if the historical and ecclesial circumstances of the contemporary world have become increasingly complex,” he said, recalling that the church itself, even in apostolic times, was never without tensions, differences, and challenges.
Referring implicitly to the Apostolic Council described in the Acts of the Apostles, he noted that diversity and disagreement have accompanied the life of the church from the beginning. “Yet these differences were confronted through dialogue, discernment, and fidelity to the work of the Holy Spirit,” he said. “In this context, he underlined that theological discussion must continue to play a central role in the life of the ecumenical movement.”
Authentic dialogue is not secondary to the search for unity, but one of its essential expressions, added Mihoc. The churches, he affirmed, are spiritually and theologically rich, and this richness should become an opportunity for deeper mutual understanding and communion.
“The WCC had and continues to have people of vision, capable of looking beyond immediate difficulties toward the long-term calling of Christian unity,” he said. “For this reason, the WCC must remain an organization of vision: one that courageously works toward the visible unity of the church and encourages the churches to continue walking together.”
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Photo:
Mihnea Păduraru
Received by H.E. Metropolitan Nifon
On 15 May, the leadership, staff, and commissioners of the WCC Commission on Faith and Order continued their programme in Bucharest following the consultation held in Sibiu. The delegation was received at the Patriarchal Palace by H.E. Metropolitan Nifon, who welcomed the participants on behalf of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel.
Metropolitan Nifon underlined the importance of organizing Faith and Order consultations and theological encounters dedicated to contemporary challenges facing the churches. Referring to the recent consultation in Sibiu, he stressed the need for moral and theological discernment in an age marked by rapid technological development, digitalization, and the growing influence of artificial intelligence.
During the meeting, members of the Faith and Order delegation shared reflections on the consultation held in Sibiu and highlighted the Orthodox contribution to the current work of Faith and Order.
Particular attention was also given to the importance of reception: ensuring that the theological documents and studies produced by Faith and Order do not remain confined to academic circles, but are received, studied, and discussed within theological faculties, church communities, and the broader life of the churches.
His Eminence Metropolitan Nifon offered all the present guests, on behalf of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, a 2026 commemorative diploma with medal. On this occasion, the diploma was also conferred upon Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, general secretary of the WCC.
Encountering liturgical art
The programme in Bucharest also included a visit to the National Cathedral, which is home to the largest iconostasis in the Orthodox world. Its monumental mosaics, though still in progress, were blessed last year by His All-Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew together with His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel and members of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church. The visit offered participants an opportunity to encounter a major contemporary expression of Romanian Orthodox liturgical art. Throughout the visit, the delegation was accompanied by Rev. Fr Dr Michael Tița, member of the WCC central committee.
The delegation held a meeting at the Faculty of Orthodox Theology “Justinian the Patriarch,” where faculty members, students, and PhD candidates learned about the history of Faith and Order and its current study processes.
Participants from Bucharest also had the opportunity to ask questions and to deepen their understanding of the Orthodox contribution to the Faith and Order study processes.
The visit to Romania concluded at Pasărea Monastery near Bucharest, which made a special contribution to anchoring the entire programme within Orthodox spirituality.
WCC Faith and Order consultation to convene in Romania (WCC news release, 13 May 2026)
Learn more about the work of the WCC Commission on Faith and Order
