Brussels, 30 November 1998

Orthodox Christianity and European Democracy
The Ecumenical Patriarchate and the European People's Party and the European Union of Christian Democrats hold their Third Dialogue
07-08 December 1998 in Brussels

   

Press release 08/12/98

Agenda

The third dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Eupropean People's Party and European Union of Christian Democrats will take place in Brussels from 7th to 8th December, at the Eurpopean parliament. On the initiative of His All Holiness The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the Presidencies of the EPP Group and the EUCD representatives of the Churches and political parties will discuss the theme " The Church, People and Political Paries - their environment in the Europe of the Third Millennium".

The first dialogue took place at the 28 - 29 April 1996 at the headquarters of the Patriarchate in Constantinople, in Turkey on moral values of concern to humanity and the spiritual dimension of Europe. The second dialogue took place 11 - 13 December 1997 at the Patriarchal Institute for Patriartic Studies, in Thessaloniki, in Greece. on the theme of Mankind and his Environment in the Europe of the Third Millennium.

The dialogue is aiming to:

• deepen the knowledge of West European Christian Democrat Leaders of the faith and perception of Eastern Christianity on current issues facing the body politic in uniting the peoples of Europe,
• familiarise the leadership of the centrist and Christian Democrat oriented political movements about these issues,
• introducing the leadership of these parties to constructive dialogue with church leaders,
• provide the orthodox churches with an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the problems of implementing Christian teaching in public life.

The Orthodox Churches and the political parties, taking part in the dialogue, have at heart the well-being of peoples still in the throes of emerging from the spiritual and physical destruction of decades of marxian-socialism.

It is the shared expectation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and of the European Christian Democrat movement that the dialogue will gradually address practical issues affecting society and the workplace. To this end a joint working group will be set-up in order to prepare subsequent meetings.

Participants in the dialogue are expected from the following states outside the European Union: Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine, Albania, Serbia, Poland and Georgia.

The Orthodox Church and the Presidency of the Group of the European Peoples Party and of the European Union of Christian Democracy are convinced that the growing union of the peoples of central and eastern Europe with their neighbours in western Europe is best founded on their shared Christian values.


For further information please contact Yannis Zografos, tel: +32-2-2842227 or +32-75-598189