Annual study visit to Rome and the Vatican of the Bossey Ecumenical Institute

26 Jan 2023

A group of 39 students, faculty members and staff from the Bossey Ecumenical Institute, Switzerland, visited Rome and the Vatican from 19 to 26 January 2023. The participants came from 25 countries and represented over 20 different Christian Churches and Ecclesial Communities, including Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and various Protestant traditions, both historic and new, comprising also Evangelicals and Pentecostals.

The programme covered visits to different dicasteries of the Roman Curia, encounters with representatives of religious orders and with Catholic lay movements, visits to theological faculties and guided tours to the main sites of Christian history in Rome. On Sunday the group participated in the Mass celebrated by Pope Francis in Saint Peter’s Basilica on the occasion of the Sunday of the Word of God. On Monday, the students visited the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, where they were received by the Prefect, Cardinal Kurt Koch, and met with some staff members who introduced them to the ecumenical commitment of the Holy See. On Wednesday morning the group had an opportunity to meet with the Holy Father during the general audience, while in the evening they attended the vespers celebrated by the Pope in the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls to conclude the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This annual study visit organized and sponsored by the Dicastery offers a unique opportunity to the students of Bossey to gain a deeper understanding of the Catholic Church.

Founded in 1946, the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey is the international centre for encounter, dialogue and formation of the World Council of Churches. Every year it brings together a group of about thirty five students from diverse churches, cultures and backgrounds for ecumenical learning, academic study and personal exchange.

 

 

 

Photos 1-3 © Servizio Fotografico | Vatican Media