Meeting of monks and nuns in Selbitz, Germany

The 37th meeting of religious men and women (EIIR), held in Selnitz (Germany) from 4 to 10 July 2018, became a great succes.

Monks and nuns from various parts of Europe (Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Switzerland, Greece, Spain, Italy, Belarus, Romania, Russia, Hungary, Ukraine), as well as monastic communities of various Christian confessions attended the Meeting.

Note that the E.I.I.R. was born at the instigation of the Metropolitan of eternal memory Emilianos Timiadis of Silyvrie and the Reverend Spanish Priest Don Julian Hernando, within the framework of the rapprochement of the bonds between Christians, and that today the presidency is exerted by His Eminence Metropolitan Athenagoras of Belgium.

The vision and origin of the project was, beyond the official theological dialogue between the various Christian denominations, to create an opportunity for encounter and exchange between people consecrated to God, bringing an exchange of common elements and experiences of the various monastic traditions of Christianity.

The 37th Meeting, which is held every two years in various parts of the world, this year took place in Germany, and was hosted by a Lutheran monastic fraternity, Christusbruderschaft, in the Bavarian city of Selbitz. The fraternity was founded in 1949 and today counts 115 members, who devote themselves to and work for the pastoral care of the Church and the missionary aid in the region.

This monastic meeting was greeted by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew with a warm message, by His Eminence Metropolitan Avgoustinos of Germany, responsible for the Diocese that hosted the meeting, by Cardinal Kurt Koch and by representatives of the various denominations.

The theme of the meeting was: “Jesus Christ, our righteousness. The consecrated life as the experience of Grace “, a theme that attracted many conferences that sparked an enriching dialogue. Often the material and spiritual mercy was mentioned, but also the purity of the heart with regard to the approach of the neighbor, a subject which preoccupies the modern world and which also accords with the pastoral diacony of the monasteries. At the same time, participants had the opportunity to visit the region, learn about its history, communicate and share together.

On Sunday, July 8, a Divine Orthodox Liturgy was celebrated by His Excellency Metropolitan Job of Telmessos, who, in the afternoon of the same day, also elaborated in before the plenary assembly on parts of Orthodox monasticism and the role the monastic spirit could play in our present era with its needs.

During the last session, Monday afternoon of July 9, elections were held to nominate new members of the Organizational Committee which includes two Orthodox, two Roman Catholics and two Protestants. On the Orthodox side were elected fr. Philadelphos Kafalis, Archdeacon of the Holy Metropolis of Belgium, as well as Mr. Tarassios Drytmyk, a university professor in Ukraine, while, at the express request of the Plenary Assembly, Metropolitan Athenagoras remains in the presidency, in view of the next meeting to be held in Switzerland, where the 50th anniversary of the creation of the EIIR will be celebrated.