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Those gathered celebrated 50 years of Jewish–Orthodox Christian dialogue.
His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew offered a keynote address, with Rabbi Richard Marker as a respondent.
The keynote, entitled “The Sacredness of Space and Dialogue,” described the consultation as both a joy and a challenge.
“It constitutes for us, not merely joy, but a heavy responsibility and a spiritual debt, our participation, even through the present message, in this twelfth gathering of the International Academic Consultation between Judaism and Orthodox Christianity,” said the Ecumenical Patriarch. “It is an ontological challenge. It calls us to reflect upon the very foundations of our spiritual identity, to palpate the roots of our existence within the world.”
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The Ecumenical Patriarch reflected that, when we speak of space, we do not refer exclusively to the edifices, the stones and the architecture which we respect and inhabit. “Nor do we limit ourselves to the geometric dimension of the place,” he said. “We shall be found wanting before God if we do not honour one another, respecting sacred spaces as places of sacred dialogue.”
He acknowledged the wounds of history.
“We honour the sacred spaces of the other without seeking to dominate or reshape them,” he said. “We work together for the protection of places, such as Jerusalem and the Holy Lands, which are sacred to us both, as well as for the life of our communities – synagogues, churches, cemeteries, homes, hospitals, and schools.”
In his welcome remarks, Rabbi Mark Dratch saluted “the courage and vision that have sustained Jewish-Orthodox Christian dialogue,” as well as the “patient diplomacy” and “personal warmth” that “have turned institutional commitment into real friendship.”
He said, “Since our earliest encounters, we have walked a path few could have imagined. We have learned from each other, spoken with each other, dreamed with each other.”
His Eminence Elder Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon described the deep purpose of the consultation.
“This is a theological necessity,” he said. “Already since 1976, in his message for Christmas, the late Ecumenical Patriarch Demetrios had called upon all religious and political leaders to cooperate. To what end? For the promotion of religious freedom, of tolerance, for the elimination of fanaticism.”
Participants explored topics including: “What Makes a Space Holy?” “How to Speak About the Other,” and more.
A communique issued from the meeting offers a summary of the proceedings. “Participants concluded the consultation with deep gratitude for the spirit of fellowship and mutual respect that had shaped their days together,” concludes the communique. “Their conversations, shared experiences, and moments of learning created a genuine sense of collaboration and renewed dialogue.”
Read the keynote remarks of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
Communiqué of the 12th Academic Consultation between Judaism and Orthodox Christianity
