DPCU represented at annual Conference of Secretaries of Christian World Communions

The annual Conference of Secretaries of Christian World Communions (CS/CWCs) took place in Istanbul, Turkey, from 4 to 6 November 2025, hosted by the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The gathering brought together representatives from a wide range of Christian communions to share updates on their activities and reflect on current challenges and opportunities in the service of Christian unity.

The Catholic Church was represented by Archbishop Flavio Pace, Secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, assisted by Monsignor Andrzej Choromański, staff member responsible for multilateral relations within the Dicastery.

The Conference was chaired by Reverend César García, General Secretary of the Mennonite World Conference, with the assistance of Commissioner Jane Paone, The Salvation Army’s Secretary for International Ecumenical Relations, serving as secretary. Each day opened and concluded with a prayer time led by one of the participants according to his or her own tradition, offering a tangible sign of the spiritual diversity and communion that characterize the Christian family.

The participants spoke with appreciation of the hospitality they experienced in Rome during the funerals of Pope Francis and the inauguration of the pontificate of Pope Leo XIV, which provided renewed opportunities for encounter and fraternity among church leaders.

Over three days of deliberations, participants presented reports on the life and mission of their communions and ecumenical organizations. Time was devoted to reflecting on topics of particular relevance for churches today, such as the ongoing reception of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, as well as initiatives connected with the promotion of care for creation.

During their stay, participants were warmly received at the Apostolic Vicariate of Istanbul for a time of prayer and fellowship, followed by a shared meal hosted by Bishop Massimiliano Palinuro, Apostolic Vicar of Istanbul. They also visited the Hagia Sophia, a historic symbol of Christianity and a landmark of Istanbul. Many who remained for the additional programme participated in the Divine Liturgy celebrated by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on 8 November, the Feast of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel and all the Bodiless Powers of Heaven, in the Patriarchal Church of Saint George.

The term Christian World Communions refers to globally organized churches or families of churches that share common theological and historical roots, confessions, or structures. Meeting annually since 1957, the Conference of Secretaries of Christian World Communions is not an organization with programmatic goals but a fraternal forum where secretaries of diverse communions and representatives of global ecumenical bodies exchange information, learn from one another, and nurture mutual relationships.

At present, the Conference gathers representatives of the following communions and ecumenical organizations: the Armenian Apostolic Church (on behalf of the Oriental Orthodox Churches), the Anglican Communion, the Baptist World Alliance, the Disciples of Christ, the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity (on behalf of the Catholic Church), the Ecumenical Patriarchate (Orthodox Church of Constantinople), the Friends World Committee for Consultation, the Seventh-day Adventists, the Union of Utrecht (Old Catholics), the Lutheran World Federation, the Mennonite World Conference, the Moravian Church, the Moscow Patriarchate (not represented in 2025), the Pentecostal World Fellowship, the Salvation Army, the World Convention of Churches of Christ, the World Communion of Reformed Churches, the World Methodist Council, and the ecumenical bodies: the Organization of African Instituted Churches (not represented in 2025), the Global Christian Forum, the World Council of Churches, and the World Evangelical Alliance.