Some 50 Orthodox Christians of various ages, traditions and regions gathered in Rhodes, Greece, for an inter-orthodox meeting in preparation for the ninth assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC), on January 11, 2004. The weeklong meeting, set to end on January 16, intends to look for ways the Special Commission on Orthodox Participation in the WCC can bring insights and specific recommendations to the Council’s upcoming ninth assembly.

The gathering began with a prayer service led by H.E. Metropolitan Kyrillos of Rhodes, who is hosting the meeting on behalf of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, at the Cathdral of the Annunciation.

Kyrillos reminded the orthodox theologians, leaders and students of the ninth assembly’s theme, "God in your grace, transform the world," and encouraged the participants to reflect on the meaning on the theme in regards to Orthodox theology.

Meanwhile, according to the WCC news service, thoughts of the tsunami disaster "were present in the minds of all speakers."

"Christians today need to re-discover an awareness of the presence of God and to realise that we are not masters of our own destiny. The discussion between churches and between faith communities is vital. But a sign of hope is the swift response from so many people all over the world to alleviate suffering," the speakers said, according to the WCC.

The 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches will meet in Porto Alegre, Brazil, 14 - 23 February 2006. Throughout the assembly, whose history traces back to 1948, the participant will pray, celebrate and deliberate together.






Pauline J. Chang
Ecumenical Press