Bishop Pierre Duprey

Father Pierre Duprey, of the Society of Missionaries of Africa, 1964/65
© WCC Archives

Writing to Walter Cardinal Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPU) on 14 May, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia expresses "deep sadness" at the passing away of Bishop Pierre Duprey. Kasper succeeded Duprey as PCPU secretary when the latter retired in 1999 at the age of 75.

With his letter, Kobia encloses a tribute to a figure whose "entire life was consecrated to the service of the unity of the church," and whose "sentiments inspired, guided, supported and enriched the ecumenical movement".

The WCC has many reasons to be particularly grateful to Bishop Duprey, Kobia points out. Not only was the bishop one of the driving forces behind the Joint Working Group between the Roman Catholic Church and the WCC; he was also responsible for the creation of posts sponsored by the PCPU within the secretariats of the WCC’s Commission on World Mission and Evangelism and Bossey Ecumenical Institute, as well as for the official presence of PCPU representatives within the CWME Commission and the WCC’s Commission on Ecumenical Formation.

Highlighting the French bishop’s deep commitment to dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and Orthodox churches, Kobia’s tribute also recalls Duprey’s vital role in the creation of a Roman Catholic Committee for cultural cooperation with the Orthodox churches.

Full text of Kobia’s tribute to Bishop Pierre Duprey

Note: The tribute is available only in the original French.