Joint Statement - World Council of Churches and Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue meeting, February 2026

The delegation was formally received by the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay. The meeting aimed to review ongoing cooperation and to plan forthcoming steps in view of the fiftieth anniversary of the shared journey in the field of interreligious dialogue in an ecumenical context (1977–2027).

This cooperation is rooted in the commitment of the Catholic Church and the member churches of the World Council of Churches to fostering respectful understanding of religious plurality and to promoting responsible cooperation among people of diverse religious traditions for the good of humanity and the care of Creation. Interreligious dialogue is acknowledged as a dynamic and relational process that enables communities of different faith traditions to encounter one another in mutual respect. It plays an essential role in strengthening social cohesion and peaceful coexistence by upholding human dignity and promoting respect, solidarity, and shared responsibility among peoples.

The meeting benefited significantly from the setting of the Bossey Institute and from the contributions of representatives of other offices of the World Council of Churches, which reaffirmed the centrality of interreligious dialogue and enriched the deliberations. In their interventions, Rev. Dr Kuzipa Nalwamba, Programme Director for Unity, Mission and Formation, emphasized the central role of interreligious dialogue in the Christian witness of reconciliation in a fractured world. Rev. Fr. Prof. Lawrence Iwuamadi, Bossey Dean, highlighted the ecumenical mission and interreligious engagement of the Bossey Institute. Dr Andrej Jeftić, Director of Faith and Order, pointed to the integration of interreligious perspectives within the work of the Faith and Order Commission and Rev. Fr. Dr Vasile Octavian Mihoc, Programme Executive for Ecumenical Relations and Faith and Order, recalled the Joint Working Group as a key framework for ecumenical cooperation between the Catholic Church and the World Council of Churches.

The meeting was attended, on behalf of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, by Rev. Fr. Paulin Batairwa Kubuya, Under-Secretary of the Dicastery, Monsignor Michael Santiago, and Dr Anna Maria Sclavo. Participants from the World Council of Churches included Prof. Angeliki Ziaka, Programme Executive for Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation, and Mrs Yoleni Rabelais, Project Assistant. The meeting concluded with planning for the forthcoming fiftieth anniversary celebration of this collaboration.

Genève 6.2.2026