Participation of Catholic Theologians in the Meeting of the Faith and Order Commission

On 23 October 2025, five Catholic theologians participated in the meeting of the Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches (WCC), held at the Logos Papal Center of St Bishoy Monastery in Wadi El Natrun, Egypt.

Convened on the eve of the Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order on the theme “Where Now for Visible Unity?” (24–28 October 2025), the Commission’s one-day meeting gathered members from around the world for their first in-person session since Tondano, Indonesia (2024).

The meeting reviewed final preparations for the Conference, consolidated the work of the Commission’s three study groups — (1) Being Church on the Way to Visible Unity, (2) Being Human: Discerning Humanity in the Image of God, and (3) Being Church in and for the World — and discerned how their insights would contribute to the work of the conference and post-conference agenda. Participants also discussed ways of communicating the outcomes of the World Conference and strengthening cooperation with churches and ecumenical partners in the coming years.

Although the Catholic Church is not a member of the World Council of Churches as an institution, it has been a full participant in the Faith and Order Commission since 1968, following the Second Vatican Council (Unitatis Redintegratio, 1964). The Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity appoints Catholic theologians to the Commission, whose nominations are confirmed by the WCC Central Committee.

Traditionally, one of the Commission’s Vice-Moderators is a Catholic, propose by the Catholic Members and confirmed by the WCC. During the current mandate (2023–2030), this role is held by Prof. Dr Myriam Wijlens, Universität Erfurt, Germany.

Catholic members have long played an important role in the Commission, contributing to theological dialogue and to convergence texts such as Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry (1982) and The Church: Towards a Common Vision (2013). Another important aspect of this collaboration is the joint preparation of the annual materials for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, produced together by the Dicastery and the Commission since 1968.

The participation of Catholic theologians in Faith and Order remains one of the most enduring and fruitful expressions of the Catholic Church’s commitment to the search for visible Christian unity.

Catholic Members of the Faith and Order Commission (2023-2030)

• Fr Dr Andrzej Choromański – Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity (Vatican), Adviser
• Prof. Dr David G. Kirchhoffer – Australian Catholic University (Australia), Full Member
• Prof. Dr Krzysztof Mielcarek – John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin (Poland), Full Member
• Prof. Dr Johannes Oeldemann – Johann-Adam-Möhler-Institut für Ökumenik (Germany), Full Member
• Prof. Dr Myriam Wijlens – Universität Erfurt (Germany), Full Member, Vice-Moderator

_{© Photos: WCC}