Inaugural Executive Meeting of the New Joint Working Group between the World Council of Churches and the Roman Catholic Church
The Joint Working Group (JWG) between the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) convened its first executive meeting online on 21 February 2024, marking the initiation of its 11th mandate (2023-2030).
The meeting commenced with prayer, followed by personal introductions from participants who shared insights into their roles within their respective churches, pastoral ministries, and ecumenical activities.
In the subsequent segment, participants were briefed on the outcomes of the leadership meeting held in Rome in May 2023, which aimed to assess the ongoing collaboration between the Catholic Church and the World Council of Churches and propose avenues for future cooperation. One significant outcome of this meeting was the development of the "Terms of Reference" for the JWG's work during the 2023-2030 mandate. These terms were deliberated upon during the executive meeting and ratified as the guiding document for future collaboration. It was recommended that the "Terms of Reference" be shared with all JWG members for feedback and suggestions in preparation for the first plenary meeting scheduled for September 2-6, 2024, in Bossey-Geneva, Switzerland, hosted by the WCC.
The meeting reaffirmed the commitment of both the WCC and the RCC to pursue shared objectives through collaborative efforts within the framework of the Joint Working Group, emphasizing their dedication to fostering unity among Christians worldwide.
Attendees of the meeting included:
For the World Council of Churches:
H.E. Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, Co-Moderator
Prof. Vasile-Octavian Mihoc, Co-Secretary
Prof. Andrej Jeftic (Proxy for Rev. Prof. Kuzipa Nalwamba)
Very Rev. Dr. Yvette Maud Noble Bloomfield
For the Catholic Church:
H.E. Bishop Thomas Edward Dowd, Co-Moderator
Rev. Dr. Andrzej Choromanski, Co-Secretary
H.E. Bishop Brian Farrell
Mons. Juan Usma Gómez