Visit to the Vatican of students from the Bossey Ecumenical Institute

A group of 34 students and faculty members from the Bossey Ecumenical Institute, Switzerland, visited Rome and the Vatican from 12 to 19 January 2019. The students came from diverse parts of the world and represented 22 different Christian Churches including Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and various Protestant communities, both historic and new.

The programme included visits to different offices 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 attended the Eucharist in a Catholic Parish.

The students visited the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity where they were received by the President, Cardinal Kurt Koch, and met with some staff members who introduced them to the ecumenical commitment of the Catholic Church. The group also attended the Wednesday audience with the Holy Father.

The culmination of the programme was their participation in the vespers celebrated by Pope Francis to open the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls. This annual visit organized and sponsored by the Pontifical Council offers a unique opportunity to the students of Bossey to get to know better the Catholic Church.