Poland: WCC Roman Catholic Joint Working Group meets in Warsaw

Episkopat News

The Executive Committee of the Joint Working Group (JWG) between the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Roman Catholic Church, which met in Warsaw, Poland, from 6-8 May, released a communique.

In addition to learning about the ecclesial and ecumenical situation in Poland, the group also shared about recent activities and ongoing cooperation between the Roman Catholic Church and the WCC.

"The group also evaluated the progress of its work during the current mandate, especially regarding study documents on Peace Building in Situations of Violence, and on Migrants and Refugees as an Ecumenical Challenge and Opportunity," the communique reads. "The Executive prepared the agenda of the forthcoming Plenary of the JWG in September 2019 in Lyon, France."

The next WCC Assembly, scheduled for September 2021 in Karlsruhe, Germany, will mark the end of the current Joint Working Group mandate. "The motto of the recent visit of Pope Francis to the WCC and its Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, 'Walking, Praying and Working Together' was adopted as the title of the Final Report," the communique states. "It captures very well the spirit of growing cooperation and trust between the WCC and the Catholic Church."

The group also met with representatives of the Polish Ecumenical Council and the Catholic Church in Poland for a reflection on the ecumenical situation in the country. "Attention was given to mutual recognition of baptism, the successful completion of an ecumenical translation of the Bible, and the joint Message from the Churches in Poland concerning refugees," the communique reads.

See the full Communique of the Joint Working Group:
www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/jwg-executive-6-8-may-2019-warsaw-poland-communique