A shared enthusiasm
The project to celebrate the 2000 years of the resurrection of Jesus Christ in 2033 was quickly unanimously decided in the group. The question will be how to do it.
Bishop Job Getcha, representative of Patriarch Bartholomew to the Ecumenical Council, said: "I do like this project since the first time I heard about it. If the resurrection is the center of the Christian faith, this is especially true for the Orthodox. Easter is really at the heart of our life. "
Archdeacon Adele Kelham, delegate of the Anglican Church, emphasizes that the perspective of this anniversary will make us more aware of the greatness of Christ who, through his resurrection, has entered eternity.
Jacques Donzé, member of the leadership of the Salvation Army, reflects: "When I talk about this project, people are initially skeptical because it will be in13 years from now. But time passes quickly and we risk arriving in 2033 without having prepared anything. Now is the time to think about it. "
Jean-Daniel Plüss, a member of the Global Christian Forum, recalls that the Catholic Church prepared the 2000 years of the birth of Jesus over three years. "If we propose a" decade of resurrection "starting in 2023, how can we maintain the churches' commitment? he asks himself.
Regarding the relationship with the Catholic Church, Msgr. Denis Theurillat who links this project with the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity - but prevented from attending this meeting - will soon meet its president, Cardinal Kurt Koch to evaluate the involvement of his church.
Jean-Luc Ziehli, president of the Evangelical Alliance in Switzerland, is convinced that "if this celebration helps to bring us together and to share our sufferings, it will be blessed. The path is as important as the goal.
For reformed pastor Shafique Keshavjee, the three years of Jesus' public ministry are essential. Like John the Baptist, we must prepare the way by a necessary process of repentance and conversion: "We must ask each other for forgiveness before planning projects".
A movement with broad horizons
This meeting was also an opportunity to take stock of the work done by Olivier Fleury, president of "Jesus Celebration 2033", and his team. Since receiving a call in 2007 to unitely prepare for the celebration of the two thousand years of the resurrection, no less than 600 senior leaders in 35 countries have been visited. And of all the major churches!
The group has thought about how to broaden the audience even further: because "at the current rate, it is not in 2033, but in 3033 that we will manage to celebrate together the Risen One", says O. Fleury with a smile!
That's why the next steps are the creation of continental offices and the organization of international conferences. In November, such a conference will be held in Brussels and in autumn 2020 in the Middle East, a key region for this project, according to Martin Robra, who will join the group at the time of his retirement from the World Council of Churches in October. next.
Get support from those responsible
The group supports the idea of asking leaders of larger churches to sign a message encouraging churches to work together to prepare for the great anniversary of the 2000 years of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, "so that the world may believe." The World Council of Churches will also be challenged, especially in view of its 11th Assembly in 2021 in Germany.
If the project of a "Decade of the resurrection, 2023-2033" is approved, such a declaration could be signed at the beginning thereof.
The resurrection as the center of the Christian faith
For the Orthodox, Easter is the foundation and the center of the Christian faith. Patriarch Bartholomew asked Bishop Job to produce a document explaining this, especially to Christians in other churches.
The group also invites each denomination to publish a similar document or to make videos on the various ways to celebrate Easter. This would help to get to know each other better and would be a testimony of different traditions. It should also include experiences of lives transformed by the encounter with the Risen One.
What connection with Jerusalem?
And what’s the connection to Jerusalem, where it all began, the task force asked? Since the 4th century the Holy Sepulcher is the traditional place of the resurrection. Should we then gather the leaders of the churches in 2023 (or in 2033)? But this place is not received by all, especially by some Protestants!
On their side O. Fleury, S. Keshavjee and Mr. Hoegger visited in 2017 about twenty leaders in Jerusalem (see https://www.jc2033.world/en/blog/jerusalem.html)
JC2033 will also offer Christians of all Churches a "Walk on the Road to Emmaus", resurrection path par excellence! The project is to walk there every year until 2033 in connection with the Christians of different Churches of Jerusalem and with the Jews recognizing the messianity of Jesus. (seehttps://www.jc2033.world/en/eventsen/emmaus2020.html
Martin Hoegger, Inter-Church Relations JC2033
Archbishop Job Getcha (Orthodox, Patriarchate of Constantinople), Archdeacon Adèle Kelham (Anglican Church), Jean-Daniel Plüss (Pentecostal, President of the Foundation of the World Christian Forum), Pastor Jean-Luc Ziehli (President of the Swiss Evangelical Alliance), Pastor Joseph Kabongo (Conference of African Churches in Switzerland), Jacques Donzé (Salvation Army), Pastor Shafique Keshavjee (Evangelical Reformed Church), Pastor Pierre Bader (Evangelical Reformed Church)
Members of the Jesus Celebration 2033 office:
Olivier Fleury (President of JC2033), Pastor Martin Hoegger (Head of Inter-Church Relations), Barbara Allan (Head of JC 2033 Office), Ralph Peterschmitt (JC2033 Committee Member)
Not on this picture Mgr Denis Theurillat (Catholic Church)
