The Orthodox
The first meeting was with Father Mykolay Danilevich, Head of External Relations of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The JC2033 team visited him last year in Kiev to introduce JC2033. The meeting took place with Margarita Nelyubova, delegate of the Russian Orthodox Church. It was so nice to meet again, on the last day of the conference we visited Ngorongoro Park together, in the middle of volcanoes.
We also found Katsiryna Pastukhova who worked with Faith and Constitution in Geneva. She currently teaches psychology at the Faculty of Theology in Minsk, Belarus. She sees JC2033 as an opportunity to respond to the challenges of ecumenism in her country and would be happy to collaborate.
Katsiryna Pastukhova, Eric Tosi and a Priest of the Orthodox church in Kenya
Martin had a good meeting with Father Mikhail Gundiaev, head of the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church to the WCC. As we plan to visit Moscow in August, he will contact the Patriarchate on our behalf.
At the end of the workshop on missiological training in theology, we met with Fr. Eric Tosi, secretary of the Orthodox Church in the United States. He was a priest in Las Vegas and accompanied the Hollywood stars with success. "I like this project: people need to know what resurrection means in a culture of death," he said.
A member of the same Church, Fr. Martin Ritsi, Executive Director of the Christian Orthodox Missionary Center spoke with enthusiasm of the dialogue group between the Orthodox Church and the Lausanne Movement and invited us to present the project JC2033.
Such a positive response from Octavian Milhoc, a young professor of systematic theology in Münster, confirmed that JC2033 is a project for the younger generation. Back home, he will share this idea with people of his age.
With Octavian Milhoc
The meeting with Fr. Daniel Buda of the Romanian Orthodox Church was aimed at preparing his contribution at the JC2033 conference in November. Working with Faith and Constitution in Geneva, he was very happy with the theme of the conference "transformed by the resurrection". A theme that is an extension of the Arusha missionary conference: "Transforming discipleship". "To put this theme of transformation in connection with Christ is essential, because his resurrection is the greatest transformation that has taken place in history," he said.
Eastern Orthodox
We were able to share the vision of JC2033 with Archbishop Geevarghese Mor Coorilos, of the Syriac Jacobite Church of India and President of the Commission for Mission and Evangelism of the World Cuncil of Churches. A great actor of this conference! He immediately understood the missiological importance of the vision:
With the Archbishop Geevarghese Mor Coorilos
"In addition to regional celebrations, it will take a big worldwide celebration. This will be very important especially for the Middle East Churches. It will also be necessary to think of the pilgrims who will go to the Holy Land. Hundreds of pilgrims from my church go there every week."
Father Abakir Mounir, delegate of the Coptic Orthodox Church, is in charge of a parish in the Coptic district of Cairo. We met at a Bible study on the Beatitudes. He spoke of the great faith that animates families who have been victims of the attacks. Martin introduced him to JC2033 and he confirmed his faith in the resurrection: "It is our faith in the risen Christ that gives us the strength to forgive. Celebrating his resurrection makes us stand up. Welcome to Egypt !"
Returning from the visit to the parish, Ioan Sauca, director of the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey, invited Martin to sit next to him in the living room of the Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge and presented him Bishop Vicken Askazian, Archbishop of the Armenian Apostolic Church of the USA.
Bishop Vicken Askazian
He is very interested in the process of inviting the churches to a pilgrimage around 2033. Martin explained our visits to Armenia and showed a video of Archbishop Bagrat, Archbishop of Tavush, endorsing the project. "This project is beautiful, I will read your book during the 18 hours of my flight back to Washington. Next week I will meet with the Council of Christian Churches in the USA and I will talk to them about it! "
The next day Martin had the privilege of having an interview with the Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church Ignatius Ephrem II. In the morning he had given the main talk on the theme of the Mission which "embraces the Cross".
Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church Ignatius Ephrem II
After speaking about the martyrdom of Christians in the Middle East, here is his conclusion: "The mission of the Church is not only to testify in words, but also through deeds and blood. Today, the Church faithfully embraces the Cross of Christ and follows it to Calvary, trusting that in death life is given in Him ".
The vision of JC2033's was embraced and we were invited to visit Damascus: "To continue our presence in the turmoil of the Middle East, we need the support of our brothers and sisters from around the world."
March 2018, by Martin Hoegger
