Third session of the 2020–2021 “Ut unum sint” Diploma

On 18 and 19 December 2020 the third session was held of the “Ut unum sint” Diploma, a course of ongoing formation in ecumenism organized by the Institute for Ecumenical Studies of the Angelicum in collaboration with the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

This session on “Pastoral Ecumenism” included lessons on “Communicatio in sacris” (Professor Aimable Musoni, SDB, Professor at the Salesianum and Consultor of the PCPCU); on “Common Witness” (Professor Dimitrios Keramidas, Angelicum); and on “Baptism and Mixed Marriages” (Professor Costanzo Adam, OP, Angelicum).

On Friday 18 December, Archbishop Job of Telmessos, Representative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate at the World Council of Churches (Geneva) and Co–President of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, gave a lecture on “Ut unum sint: An Orthodox Reading” within the framework of the Tillard Chair.

On Saturday 19 December, an ecumenical visit was made to the Lutheran Church in Rome, where students were welcomed by Pastor Michael Jonas. The visit was also followed online by some students.

The “Ut unum sint” Diploma is a course of ongoing formation in ecumenism inaugurated in 2019 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the encyclical Ut unum sint. The programme, which is offered both on–campus and online, comprises 16 units, undertaken on Friday–Saturday monthly, for two years. Each thematic unit consists of three lectures, an ecumenical visit and a conference with an ecumenical leader (Tillard Chair). The 2020–2021 group of students comprises about 20 students, many of whom are involved at the diocesan level as delegates for ecumenism.