EPP-ED Group:

Politics and Religion

Orthodox Churches

Second Dialogue between the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Group of the European People's Party and the European Union of Christian Democrats

Brussels, 8 December 1997

The Bureau of the Group of the Europrean People's Party in the European Parliament, the enlarged Presidency of the European Union of Christian Democrats and the Delegation of Nea Dimokratia at the EP will meet with representatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchiate, in the framework of the second dialogue. The event will take place in Thessaloniki (Greece) at the Patriarchal Institute for Patristic Studies from 11 to 13 December 1997.

At the opening session on Thursday at 15.00, the President of the EPP Group Wilfried Martens, the President of the European Union Christian Democrats Wim van Velzen and the President of Nea Dimokratia Kostas Karamanlis will address the gathering.

Under the general theme of "church/state relations in the Europe of the third millenium" the members of the EPP and the EUCD will discuss with representatives of the Orthodox Church the following matters:
a. The collapse of marxian-socialist values: christian values - a way out of the vaccum - the revelance of christian values for modern society.
b. The twentieth century orthodox experience of church-state relations.
c. The twentieth century West-European experience of church-state relations.
d. Twenty-first century application of christian values in government.
e. Third millenium of christianity in Europe.

For further informations please contact Yannis Zografos EPP press service +322-2842226-7 or +32-75-598189.

Press facilities will be available in Thessaloniki, tel: +3031- 202301 fax +3030-203620