Sixth Colloquium Syriacum held in Vienna

The sixth Colloquium Syriacum of the Pro Oriente Foundation was held in Vienna from 25–28 November 2019 on the topic “With Hope Towards the Future. Living Together and Common Witness of the Syriac Tradition”.

After a “harvesting the fruits” reviewing the pastoral agreements already existing, the 2019 conference reflected on case studies of pastoral practice in the Middle East, in India and in Europe, and then discussed common challenges and opportunities in Syria, India and North America.

On this occasion, which marked the 25th anniversary of the Forum Syriacum, Cardinal Kurt Koch sent a message to Dr Kloss, President of the Foundation, expressing his gratitude for this initiative bringing together at the unofficial level all the Churches of the Syriac tradition and promoting ecumenical dialogue and academic exchange on liturgy, theology, history, culture and language.

The Colloquium gathered representatives of nine Churches of Syriac tradition: the Assyrian Church of the East, the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch, the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, the Chaldean Catholic Church, the Maronite Church, the Syrian Catholic Church, the Syro Malabar Church, the Syro–Malankara Church and the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church. Among participants were also experts and scholars from various universities and the Middle East Council of Churches.

Reverend Father Hyacinthe Destivelle, Official of the Oriental Section, represented the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity as an observer at the Colloquium.