Feature story
Students from the Lutheran Campus Ministry, in Nebraska (US) focused on Young People in the Ecumenical Movement.
A group of 48 pilgrims from India enjoyed a dialogue on church and ecumenical relations, while 50 visitors from the Faculty of Canon Law at the Catholic Institute of Paris received an introduction to the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, as well as a discussion of church and ecumenical relations.
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Visit of pilgrims of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church - India
Gregoire de Fombelle/WCC
Prof. Malam Nel from the University of Pretoria discussed the Just Community of Women and Men, as well as the history of the WCC and the WCC Archives.
Nel also participated in a dialogue on the WCC Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation, and Unity, and visited the Reformation Wall.
Nel described the visit to the WCC offices as a blessing. “All we had hoped for was a few minutes to say hello to my previous dean at the Faculty of Theology and Religion, University of Pretoria, Dr Jerry Pillay, the current general secretary of the WCC,” said Nel.
Nel appreciated the detail on the wide range of focuses within the ecumenical body. “We left with a deep appreciation and gratitude for what is being done daily and for all the research going on,” said Nel. “We experience a deep sense of love as it befits a body of this nature and such warm hospitality.”
And, Nel added: “We did get to eat lunch with my previous dean and admire his work on so many levels.”
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Gloria Charles/WCC
Rev. Prof. Dr Benjamin Simon, dean of the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey and director of the WCC Commission on Ecumenical Education and Formation, said that the meeting with the students of canon law from Paris was a very fruitful exchange.
“They were very positively surprised to learn that so many churches with different theological positions and perspectives were members,” said Simon. “Accordingly, we paid particular attention to the consensus methodology. The students of canon law were impressed to learn about this methodology and that we move forward together despite our differences without leaving anyone behind!”
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Visit of Faculty of Canon Law – Catholic Institute of Paris
WCC
