wfn.org | CEC President visits Romanian Church

["Ruth Gill" <rag@cec-kek.org>]

Conference of European Churches - Office of  Communications
Press Release No. 05-39/e	 6 September 2005

ON THE WAY TO SIBIU:
CEC PRESIDENT VISITS ROMANIAN CHURCHES

The Third European Ecumenical Assembly (EEA3), to be held in Sibiu,
Romania, 4-8 September 2007, is fully supported by the Romanian churches.
This is what emerged from the first visit of the President of the
Conference of European Churches (CEC), Rev. Jean-Arnold de Clermont, to
the CEC member churches in Romania.  The visit took place from 28 August
through 2 September 2005. Rev. de Clermont was accompanied by CEC Study
Secretary, Prof. Viorel Ionita, a Romanian citizen and Orthodox priest.

On the occasion of the Feast Day of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist,
Rev. de Clermont and Prof. Ionita took part in the Orthodox Liturgy in the
Cathedral of Bucharest. They attended a luncheon with His Beatitude
Teoctist, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church.  A press conference
followed, during which de Clermont stated the importance of the role
played by Romanian Orthodox representatives within CEC and in the
preparations for the forthcoming European Ecumenical Assembly.	"CEC
rejoices that the EEA3, as His Beatitude Teoctist assured me, enjoys the
full support of the Romanian Orthodox Church."

The same support was expressed by the Lutheran and Reformed Churches
during meetings held in Cluj and Oradea with Bishop Géza Pap of the
Reformed Church in Transylvania, Bishop Laszlo Tökes of the Reformed
Church in Oradea, and Bishop's Counselor Feher Attila of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church.  These meetings, as well as the meeting with Orthodox
Archbishop Bartholomew of Cluj, provided an opportunity for exchange and
dialogue on the life of the churches, ecumenical relations, and preparations for the Sibiu Assembly.

The visit ended in Sibiu, where Rev. de Clermont and Prof. Ionita
represented CEC  and delivered a message of condolence during the funeral
for Metropolitan Antonie of Sibiu who passed away during their visit to
Romania.

The stay in Sibiu was also an opportunity to meet Prof. Hans Klein,
Assistant Bishop of the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in
Romania and other local church representatives to discuss plans for the
EEA3. "At the same time", Rev. de Clermont stated, "it was good to see all
the building and renovations going on in preparation for Sibiu being the
Cultural Capital of Europe in 2007."

* * * *

The Conference of European Churches (CEC) is a fellowship of some 125
Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican and Old Catholic Churches from all
countries of Europe, plus 40 associated organisations. CEC was founded in
1959. It has offices in Geneva, Brussels and Strasbourg.

For information:
Office of Communications
Conference of European Churches
Phone +41 22 791 64 85 or 791 63 25
Fax +41 22 791 62 27
e-mail Luca.Negro@cec-kek.org