Executive Meeting of the Joint Working Group

The Executive Committee of the Joint Working Group (JWG) between the Roman Catholic Church and the World Council of Churches (WCC) held an online meeting on 6 July 2020. Among the topics discussed were the impact of the coronavirus crisis on the life of churches and ecumenical relations, the two studies with recommendations to churches currently in preparation (“Peace is a Treasure for All – An Ecumenical Reflection on Peace Building in Situations of Conflict and Violence” and “Migrants and Refugees – Ecumenical Challenges and Opportunities”), and the final report on its activities as it approaches the end of the current mandate.

The Catholic Church was represented by Most Reverend Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop of Dublin and Co–Moderator of the JWG, Bishop Brian Farrell, Secretary of the PCPCU, Monsignor Juan Usma Gómez and Reverend Andrzej Choromanski. The WCC was represented by Metropolitan Nifon of Târgoviște, member of the WCC Central Committee and Co–Moderator of the JWG, Reverend Professor Dr Ioan Sauca, interim Secretary General of the WCC, Reverend Odair Pedroso Mateus, interim Deputy Secretary General of the WCC and Director of Faith and Order, and Dr  Vasile Octavian Mihoc. A communiqué was issued at the conclusion of the meeting.

The JWG was established in 1965 in order to promote cooperation between the Catholic Church and the Churches and Ecclesial Communities gathered in the WCC. Its tenth mandate began in 2014 and will end with the next Assembly of the WCC initially planned for 2021 and now postponed until 2022 due to the pandemic.