Wittenberg, Germany -

One hundred and fifty delegates from all over Europe have gathered here for the third stage of the Third European Ecumenical Assembly (EEA3). The EEA3 is being organised by the Council of European Bishops' Conferences (CCEE) and the Conference of European Churches (CEC) on the theme The light of Christ shines upon all - Hope for renewal and unity in Europe. The Wittenberg encounter is the last stage before the Assembly itself which will take place in Sibiu, Romania, from 4-9 September 2007.

After the opening service in the historical Stadtkirche, participants gathered in the Leucorea University for greetings from church leaders. The CEC President, Rev. Jean-Arnold de Clermont (France), thanked the German churches for "inviting us here in Wittenberg, the city of Luther and the symbol of the permanent reformation which the Church needs to be able to carry out its mission. At the same time, we are reminded that Luther never wanted division, but on the contrary, unity in fidelity to the message of Christ".

The President of CCEE, Cardinal Péter Erdö (Hungary), underlined that "the spiritual and cultural unity of Europe is a great challenge for Christians: in a Europe joining together the Church must be a major factor for spiritual unity and hope".

Bishop Wolfgang Huber, President of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), said that a clear witness from the Churches is expected on a series of issues such as human rights, respect for the environment and strong measures against climate changes, and the fight against poverty.

Bishop Gerhard Feige, representative of the German Bishops' Conference, stressed the importance of spirituality and prayer "in the pilgrimage to the Third European Ecumenical Assembly". In a situation when knowledge of Christian faith can no longer be presumed, the relationship between churches is of particular importance for their credibility.

The Methodist Bishop Walter Klaiber, Chairman of the Fellowship of Christian Churches in Germany (ACK), highlighted the continuity of the EEA3 theme with previous ecumenical events on justice, peace and the integrity of Creation.

The encounter goes on tonight with a plenary session on "Secularisation as a challenge for Europe." The session will be moderated by Metropolitan Gennadios of Sassima (Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople) with inputs from Dr. Grace Davie (Anglican, UK), Archbishop Jeremiasz (Orthodox, Poland), and Mgr. Aldo Giordano, CCEE General Secretary.

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About CEC
The Council of European Bishops' Conferences (CCEE) includes the presidents of the 34 bishops' conferences in Europe. The president is Cardinal Pèter Erdõ, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, Primate of Hungary; the vice-presidents are Cardinal Josip Bozanic, Archbishop of Zagreb and Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard, Archbishop of Bordeaux. CCEE's Secretary General is Mgr. Aldo Giordano. The secretariat is in St. Gallen (Switzerland)

The Conference of European Churches (CEC) is a fellowship of some 125 Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican and Old Catholic Churches from all countries of Europe, plus 40 associated organisations. CEC was founded in 1959. It has offices in Geneva, Brussels and Strasbourg

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