Congress in Athens of the Society for the Law of the Eastern Churches

From 16 to 20 September 2024 the 26th International Congress of the Society for the Law of the Eastern Churches was held in Athens on the theme ‘The Past, Present and Future of Canon Law. An Evolving Church Ministry’.

The congress, which brought together over thirty professors and experts from various Eastern Catholic and Orthodox Churches, was hosted by His Eminence Metropolitan Gregorios of Peristeri, President of the Society. On 17 September, the participants were received in audience by His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece.

The sessions dealt with ‘The nature of canon law’, ‘Who decides in the Church’, ‘Personal and territorial jurisdiction’ and ‘A reintegrated Church’. At this last session, held on 20 September, Metropolitan Job of Pisidia, Co-chair of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church , gave a paper on ‘A reintegrated Church - ecclesiological and canonical aspects’. Revd Hyacinthe Destivelle, Official of the DPUC, made a presentation on ‘Canonical aspects of a primacy at the service of the communio Ecclesiarum. Some reflections based on the document The Bishop of Rome’.

In 2019, the Society for the Law of the Eastern Churches had been received in audience by His Holiness Pope Francis on the occasion of its 50th anniversary.