Izvor: N1 televizija, 31.Maj.2018, 20:11 (ažurirano 02.Apr.2020.)
Conference of European Churches Assembly in Serbia
The Conference of European Churches (CEC) opened its General Assembly in Novi Sad on Thursday, bringing together representatives of 116 member churches.
The General Assembly is the CEC’s highest governing body which meets once every five years. The CEC brings together Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican and Old Catholic churches from across Europe and is part of the World Council of Churches.
The Serbian Orthodox Church was one of the last to join the CEC in 1965 and decided >> Pročitaj celu vest na sajtu N1 televizija << to quit that body in 1997 but the decision was never implemented. CEC President Christopher Hill said that the countries of southern and south-eastern Europe are faced with the huge challenge of an exodus of human beings. “That is why we are asking what the governments of the countries of western and northern Europe are doing to help countries like Serbia,” he said.
Hill said the CEC Assembly shows “the importance of inter-faith gatherings of European churches and religious communities” which he said affirm religious diversity, positive social values and tolerance.
CEC General Secretary Heikki Huttunen said that one of the missions of the churc in Europe is to hear more than one version of a story. “That is what ecumenism represents, hearing the stories of others. I European politics and a European dialogue the West is often the dominant side and stories from eastern and southern Europe are almost ignored,” he said.
The holding of the CEC General Assembly in Novi Sad was welcomed by Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Irinej who said the CEC is a religious body needed by the modern world because it expects to hear a single voice of the church.
