European Christian councils meet in Switzerland to discuss ecumenism and democracy

European Christian church representatives held significant meetings in Switzerland during late September to address evolving social and political challenges.

In Bern, the annual meeting of the European National Ecumenical Councils (ENCC), convened by the Conference of European Churches (KEK), focused on the ‘Charta Oecumenica’. Originally drafted in 2001 and signed by both the KEK and the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of Europe (CCEE), the document provides guidelines for unity, interreligious dialogue, peace, and migration. Due to global changes, including conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, officials noted the necessity of revising and expanding the text to address new societal and political questions.

Simultaneously, the General Assembly of the Conference of Protestant Churches of Latin European Countries (Cepple) met in Stels, Graubünden. Representing churches from Belgium, Spain, Italy, Portugal, and French-speaking Switzerland, the assembly addressed the theme of ‘Church and Democracy’. The gathering included reflections on the role of churches amidst institutional challenges and explored the historical and multilingual peculiarities of the local Graubünden church.