Listening to the West – Synodality according to Anglicans, Lutherans, Reformed, Methodists and Old Catholics Traditions

Following the two conferences, “Listening to the East”, on synodality in the Orthodox Church and in the Oriental Orthodox Churches, the first conference “Listening to the West,” on synodality according to Anglicans, Lutherans, Reformed, Methodists and Old Catholics, was held at the Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas in Rome. The initiative, organized by the Institute of Ecumenical Studies of the Angelicum, took place under the patronage of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and the General Secretariat of the Synod.

More than fourty theologians and leaders of the different Christian Communions contributed to the event, which took place from 26-28 January in the presence of Catholic and Protestant professors of theology, as well as pastors from different denominations. International leaders included Rev. Najla Kassab, President of the World Communion of Reformed Churches; Rev. Anne Burghardt, General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation; Archbishop Ian Ernest, Personal Representative of the Archbishop of Canterbury to the Holy See; Rev. Matthew Laferty, responsible for the World Methodist Council’s relationship with the Holy See, as well as Bishop Jan Schoon of the International Old Catholic Bishops’ Conference. (program)

On behalf of the DPUC, Cardinal Kurt Koch, Bishop Brian Farrell, Fr. Andrzej Choromanski and Fr. Martin Browne, OSB, as well as the organizers of the event, Fr. Hyacinthe Destivelle, OP, and Msgr. Juan Usma, participated.

A second conference “Listening to the West,” on synodality according to Baptists, Disciples of Christ, Pentecostals and Evangelicals, is planned for the coming months.

^{Photos © Rev. Hoang Vinh Nguyen, OP}