Strasbourg: Church and Society Commission of Conference of European Church committed to promote mutual respect and tolerance in Europe (8 aprile 2008)

“Teaching of religious and convictional facts – A tool for acquiring knowledge about religious beliefs in education: a contribution to education for democratic citizenship, human rights and intercultural dialogue” is the topic discussed today at the Council of Europe at the first annual “exchange” on the religious dimension of intercultural dialogue.

The eighty participants at the meeting included experts and representatives from Member States. The delegation of the Church and Society Commission of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) included representatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Russian Orthodox Church, the Romanian Orthodox Church, the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church, the Church of England and the Federation of Protestant Churches in Switzerland, as well as the Church and Society Commission of CEC has a longstanding commitment to cooperation with the Council of Europe in strengthening democracy, human rights and the rule of law throughout Europe. In the meeting the representatives of the
Church and Society Commission emphasised the need to promote and strengthen mutual respect and awareness, tolerance and understanding within European society and recalled the role of churches in this process. “The churches are a resource for the Council of Europe”, said Dr Gary Vachikouras from the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

The exchange, organized by Council of Europe, highlighted the role of the Conference of European Churches as a platform for inter-church and inter-cultural debate on the issues.
Archbishop Yeznik Petrossian, representing the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church, stated: “Within the Conference of European Churches we have to continue discussing the issue of human rights linked to human responsibility.”
Rev. Thomas Wipf, President of the Swiss Protestant Federation and of the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe, expressed support for the aims of the Council of Europe and stressed that “CEC should continue to work towards similar goals between member churches.”
The representatives of the Church and Society Commission of CEC warmly welcomed the Council of Europe’s initiative of the annual exchanges and valued it as a precious contribution to the promotion of an open dialogue in a constructive way.
The Conference of European Churches (CEC) is a fellowship of some 120 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.
The Church and Society Commission of CEC links member churches and associated organisations of CEC with the European Union’s institutions, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, NATO and the UN on European matters). Its task is to help the churches study church and society questions from a theological and social-ethical perspective, especially those with a European dimension, and to represent common positions of the member churches in their relations with political institutions working in Europe.

(Conference of European Churches – Press Release No.08-17/e
Strasbourg, 8 April 2008)

For more information:
Ms Carla Maurer
Commission Eglise et Société
Conférence des Eglises européennes
8 rue du Fossé-des-Treize
FR – 67000 STRASBOURG
T : +33 3 88 15 27 60
F : +33 3 88 15 27 61
E-Mail: carla.maurer@cec-kek.fr
Website: www.cec-kek.org