Joint Working Group Plenary held in Bossey
The Joint Working Group (JWG) between the Catholic Church and the World Council of Churches (WCC) held the third plenary meeting of its 11th mandate at the Ecumenical Institute at Château de Bossey, Switzerland, from 1 to 3 September 2026.
Hosted by the WCC, the gathering brought together 19 members from diverse regions and church traditions. Sessions were led by co-moderators Archbishop Vicken Aykazian of the Armenian Apostolic Church in the USA and Bishop Thomas Dowd of the Catholic Church in Canada.
Participants reviewed the progress of three working groups established for the 2023–2030 mandate. Their work addresses: (1) diverse understandings of salvation amid growing religious indifference; (2) reconciliation and peacebuilding processes in different global contexts; and (3) Christian responses to intolerance, religious fanaticism and persecution. The groups are developing theological reflections, pastoral resources and practical tools to support the churches’ common witness and action.
The plenary also received updates on the work and priorities of both partners and heard members’ reflections on the challenges confronting churches in their respective contexts. Morning and evening prayer, shared reflection and fellowship formed an integral part of each day.
The meeting coincided with the 80th anniversary of the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, founded in 1946. Its Dean, Fr Prof. Lawrence Iwuamadi of Nigeria—the first Catholic to hold the position—highlighted Bossey’s distinctive vocation as a place where students from different Christian traditions live, study and pray together. He also recalled the Catholic Church’s contribution to the Institute, which began in 1968 with visiting lecturers. For several decades, a permanent Catholic professor, supported by the DPCU, has served at Bossey. The Catholic Church also provides two scholarships annually for non-Catholic students, further supporting the Institute’s ecumenical mission and the formation of church leaders.
A small chapel on the upper level of the Château de Bossey tower has been set aside for Catholic professors, students and staff, as well as Catholics visiting the Institute for academic and ecclesial events. It provides a space for the celebration of Mass, other liturgical services and private prayer. To mark the anniversary, Archbishop Flavio Pace, Secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, presented Fr Lawrence Iwuamadi with an icon for the chapel depicting the Ascension of Jesus, with Mary and the Apostles present.
The meeting concluded with the publication of a communiqué.
Photos © WCC / DPCU