31st edition of "Day of Interconfessional Relations and Interreligious Dialogue" in Madrid

The 31st edition of “Jornadas de Relaciones Interconfesionales y Dialogo Interreligioso” was held in Madrid from 21-23 February, organized by the relevant Sub‒Commission of the Episcopal Conference of Spain, with the participation of Archbishop Francisco Javier Martínez, responsible for the sector, together with other member bishops, diocesan ecumenical officers, priests and lay people involved in the work of Christian unity. Among the speakers, Bishop Brian Farrell, PCPCU Secretary, presented an overview of the current situation of ecumenical dialogues, while Reverend Rafael Vàsquez Jimenez, Director of the Sub‒Commission, spoke of the Faith and Order document entitled “The Church: Towards a Common Vision” and its Catholic response. Bishop Dimitrios Salachas, Emeritus Exarch for Byzantine Rite Catholics in Greece, reflected on the theme of the Church in Catholic‒Orthodox dialogue; Professor Carlos Martinez Oliveras outlined the concept of the Church in Catholic‒Anglican dialogue; Professor Dirk G. Lange, responsible for ecumenical relations in the Lutheran World Federation, spoke of the same issue in Catholic‒Lutheran dialogue. As well as the intense work of the plenary sessions, the participants were able to take part in moments of prayer and convivial sharing, and also visited the new cathedral of the Romanian Orthodox community. Bishop Farrell expressed sincere gratitude to the organizers and participants, about sixty people from all of Spain, for the high level of presentations and the admirable ecumenical commitment of the Church in Spain.