Ecumenical Reformation Anniversary Organizing Committee Established

Moscow
Representatives of the Protestant community, the Roman Catholic and the Orthodox confession, the International Union of German Culture as well as representatives of the Presidential Administration of Russia and the city government of Moscow were present at the first meeting of the Reformation Anniversary Organizing Committee on January 18. Archbishop Dietrich Brauer opened the session; in his greetings to the participants, he noted that the anniversary of the Reformation would be celebrated extensively in the entire world, including Russia. This anniversary should be not only festive, but also a reason to make sense of the errors of the past and to overcome the contradictions within the Christian church as a whole. “We need to be in dialogue, in touch with one another. That is why we have gathered here, so that this year of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation might become a possibility for us to find new ways to reach out for the greater glory of the Lord. All of us are thinking over our actions within our churches, and again and again we come to the need to repent and bow down before the Lord, the giver of all mercy.” During the meeting, the schedule of events celebrating the anniversary year was coordinated. They will take place in Moscow as well as in the regions of Russia. The first important event of the year will be the jointly-led Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Catholics and Lutherans of Russia decided to revive a former tradition and have events take place in the churches of both confessions during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity from January 18 to 25, 2017, in order to confirm the mutual wish to go from division to full community in Christ. The General Secretary of the Conference of Catholic bishops of Russia, Chancellor of the Curia of the Archdiocese of the Mother of God in Moscow Father Igor Kovalevsky noted in his speech that the Catholic Church is ready to take part in different events of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in order to testify to the values of the Gospel together. He suggested throwing more light on the Catholic-Lutheran dialogue in the world so that parishioners of all confessions could grasp its contents. The main thing is making the Gospel clear, as Father Igor Kovalevsky emphasized. The representatives of the presidential administration and the city government expressed their honest wish to help and support the organizing committee in every way in conducting the events of the Reformation anniversary year. A collective prayer and a blessing by Archbishop Dietrich Brauer closed the meeting.