Message on the occasion of the VII Colloquium Syriacum

‘In Europe at Home – In Dialogue with Homelands: Liturgical Ecumenism’

29 June-3 July 2026, Klosterneuburg Abbey

Kurt Cardinal Koch

It is with sincere pleasure that I extend cordial greetings to the esteemed participants attending the seventh Pro Oriente Colloquium Syriacum on the topic “In Europe at Home – In Dialogue with Homelands: Liturgical Ecumenism.”

The chosen theme of this conference is to be welcomed. Indeed, the liturgy is not only the uniting principle of the Churches of the Syriac tradition in their diversity, but also the language through which they express their faith and spirituality, in accordance with the famous adage “lex orandi, lex credendi.” Given the significant population of Syriac Christians now residing in Europe, they also play a crucial role in enabling Western Christians to gain deeper insight into the Syriac tradition, often referred to as the ‘third lung’ of the Church, to continue the metaphor coined by Saint John Paul II.

A further source of satisfaction is the concomitant workshop for young Christians of the Syriac tradition. Young people are particularly called upon to carry out what Orthodox theology refers to as ‘the liturgy after the liturgy,’ offering their baptismal priesthood in the service of what the Western tradition calls the ‘consecratio mundi.’

This Seventh Colloquium Syriacum provides me with the opportunity to express once again the profound gratitude of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity for this initiative, which is truly unique in its kind, offering the only platforms bringing together in an academic way all the Churches of the Syriac tradition.

I extend once again my most sincere appreciation to all members of the Pro Oriente Foundation for their unwavering dedication to fostering this dialogue, in particular to Dr Clemens Koja, President of the Foundation, Professor Dr Dietmar W. Winkler, Director of the Syriac Dialogue, and Dr Viola Raheb, Program Director.

On this occasion, I would like to express my particular gratitude to Mr Bernd Mussinghoff, who, during his eight years of service as Secretary-General of Pro Oriente, carried out his duties with great competence, passion and dedication, and wish him God’s blessing in his new role serving the Archdiocese of Vienna.

Trusting that this Seventh Colloquium Syriacum will mark a further step towards full and visible unity between our Churches, I assure you of my prayerful best wishes for a fruitful fraternal exchange and academic research.