Online plenary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity

On Wednesday 10th and Thursday 11th November the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity held an online plenary of its members and consultors, presided by His Eminence Cardinal Kurt Koch.

The session on 10th November was dedicated to the issue of the consequences of the COVID‒19 pandemic on ecumenical relations. Taking as its starting point a survey on the theme undertaken among the Bishops’ Conferences and Synods of the Oriental Catholic Churches, the PCPCU prepared a synthesis of the responses, identifying the main ecumenical challenges emerging from the pandemic. On the basis of this document, the members and consultors shared their experiences at the local level.

The session on 11th November was dedicated to the issue of primacy and synodality in the different theological dialogues in which the Catholic Church is involved. Starting from a synthesis prepared by the PCPCU on the 25th anniversary of the encyclical Ut unum sint, the members and consultors discussed the issue in view of a possible contribution of the PCPCU to the current synodal process on the question of synodality. The Cardinal President expressed his gratitude to the participants in the Plenary for their reflections, which will contribute to enriching the abovementioned synthesis.