Joint Working Group Plenary in Rome

4 Sep 2025

The Joint Working Group (JWG) between the Catholic Church and the World Council of Churches (WCC) held its plenary meeting in Rome from 1 to 3 September 2025, hosted by the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity (DPCU).

The gathering brought together 22 members from both the WCC and the Catholic Church, representing diverse regions and church traditions. The sessions were guided by the Co-Moderators, Archbishop Vicken Aykazian (Armenian Apostolic Church) and Bishop Thomas Dowd (Catholic Church).

Participants received updates on current initiatives of both partners aimed at strengthening collaboration and advancing the common search for Christian unity. In his address, Cardinal Kurt Koch, Prefect of the Dicastery, reflected on the opportunities and challenges facing the JWG in today’s ecumenical context.

During the three-day meeting, members also deepened their understanding of the mission of the Roman Curia through exchanges with representatives of several Dicasteries. They also met with leaders of Catholic ecumenical institutions in Rome and representatives of other Christian traditions.

The plenary reviewed the progress of its three study groups, which are focusing respectively on: (1) diverse understandings of salvation in a context of religious indifference; (2) processes of reconciliation and peacebuilding; and (3) challenges posed by intolerance and religious persecution.

A highlight of the gathering was the audience with Pope Leo XIV, who encouraged the JWG to persevere in its mission of fostering unity in a world marked by division and conflict.

Established in 1965, the JWG this year marks its 60th anniversary. Over six decades it has served as a vital platform for dialogue and collaboration, building bridges of trust between the Catholic Church and the member churches of the WCC. Today it continues to accompany the churches on their common pilgrimage toward visible unity.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the JWG published a Communiqué.