Second Meeting of the Pro Oriente Steering Committee for Orthodox-Catholic Dialogue

The Pro Oriente Steering Committee for Orthodox-Catholic Dialogue held its second meeting in Vienna from 7–10 November 2019. The aim of the meeting was to update on three projects of the  Steering Committee promoting Orthodox-Catholic rapprochement. The "Healing of Memories" working group, which deals with the particularly sensitive historical issues relating to the relationship of Orthodox and Catholics, will address specific situations in the Middle East, the Balkans and Eastern Europe in three annual steps from 2021 onwards. The "Connecting Dialogues" working group plans to establish a database that will collect in various languages relevant information and documentation on the different dialogues between Catholics and Orthodox. The “Reception and Inspiration” group proposed different projects in order to facilitate reception of the achieved results of dialogue in the church and wider society.  

The third meeting of the Steering Committee will take place in November 2020 in Vienna. In the meantime, the members will continue their undertakings in the working groups. The first outcomes of their efforts are to be incorporated into the celebration of the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, convened in 325 by Emperor Constantine the Great.

The Pro Oriente Steering Committee for Orthodox-Catholic Dialogue is an informal Orthodox-Catholic dialogue of the Pro Oriente Foundation. Founded in 2018, it gathers annually 14 Catholic and Orthodox theologians from different countries with a view to presenting proposals to Pro Oriente to promote Orthodox-Catholic rapprochement.

Reverend Father Hyacinthe Destivelle, OP, Official of the Eastern Section, represented the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.