Inaugural lecture at the Ecumenical Centre in Madrid

On 9 October, Monsignor Juan Usma Gómez, head of the Western Section of the DPCU, delivered the opening lecture for the 2026–2027 biblical-ecumenical course at the Julián García Hernando Ecumenical Centre of the Archdiocese of Madrid. The talk, entitled “One, Some, All – Primacy, Synodality, Ecumenism”, which was streamed online, outlined the ecumenical interpretations of the Synod on Synodality, as well as some of its further developments and future prospects in this regard. 

The event, presided over by Fr José Luis Díaz Vicario, from the Episcopal Vicariate II, was attended by local leaders from the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Romanian Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, the German-speaking Lutheran Church, the Baptist Congregation, the Presbyterian Congregation and the Evangelical Congregation, as well as Fr Ángel Camino of Episcopal Vicariate VIII.

The event was coordinated by the archdiocesan delegate for ecumenism, Fr Aitor de la Morena, and by Christing Monsalve, director of the Misioneras de la Unidad, who are in charge of the Centre. Fr Julián García Hernando, founder of the Centre, headed the Commission for Interfaith Relations of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference for three decades and was one of the pioneers of ecumenism in Spain.