Past conferences

History of the conferences within the framework of the “Reconciliation in Europe” project

Conference “Natives and foreigners in the context of the contemporary migration crisis. Experiences and tasks of the Churches and society” in Kamień Śląski in 2016 (photo: mk)

17–21 June 1998, Warsaw (Poland)

Topic: “Reconciliation in Europe – the task of the Churches in Ukraine, Belarus, Poland and Germany”

The meeting was a milestone in the hitherto endeavours. It was prepared by a working group headed by Archbishop Jeremiah, at the request of the Commission of Relations. The conference was attended by about 50 guests, invited according to regional, religious and substantive criteria, and a representative of the Conference of European Churches (CEC). The program of the conference was based on four main issues:

• the situation of the Churches in the post-Soviet societies of Ukraine and Belarus,
• stereotypes about and perceptions of East and West,
• eastern enlargement of the European Union – risks and opportunities,
• the critical situation of Churches in the area of interfaith relations.

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7–12 May 1999, Minsk and Grodno (Belarus)

Regional conference

The conference was held in the form of meetings and consultations, during which several papers were presented. The members of the Reconciliation Group participated in the services and meetings with the leaders of the Churches in Belarus. During the meeting, papers on secularization, spirituality, European vision of man and inter-confessional dialogue between East and West were delivered. The conference included a visit to Grodno, which took place at the invitation of the local Orthodox and Roman Catholic Church leaders. The guests, according to their religion, took part in the services, and at the end they visited the Roman Catholic seminary. The program of the conference also included meetings with the Orthodox Bishop of Grodno and representatives of the Roman Catholic Church. In Minsk, the Working Group was received by Metropolitan Filaret, who expressed his support for the initiative of Belarusian secular members of the Church and gave the participants of the conference a blessing for further work.

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26–29 April 2001, Kiev (Ukraine)

Topic: “Reconciliation in Europe and the situation in Ukraine”

During the meeting, the issues of cultural and language differences, as well as historical and religious conflicts in Ukraine were discussed. The conference was attended by about 50 priests, laymen, women and men from Ukraine, Poland, Belarus and Germany.

During the first day of the meeting, the socio-ecclesiastical situation in Ukraine was discussed. The next day was devoted to Ukrainian history. The discussion focused on various visions of historical events that affected the self-perception of citizens. The conference was dominated by the following themes:

• the critical social and political situation in Ukraine,
• Ukrainian identity of role of the language,
• attitude of the people to nationalism and European unity,
• the fragmentation of churches and religions in Ukraine,
• how Churches see and interpret history,
• the role of upbringing and education.

The heated and emotional discussions in Kiev clearly showed the need for further and more frequent discussions in the future and, instead of plenary meetings, the need to organise workshops in small groups which promote greater trust. The need for greater involvement of the younger generation in the “Reconciliation” project was also recognised.

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8–11 May 2003, Mikołajki (Poland)

Topic: “Experiencing the boundaries between people, Churches and nations”

The international ecumenical conference was attended by 65 representatives of Churches from Germany, Poland, Belarus and Ukraine. Three papers: from the perspective of the Roman Catholic Church in Poland, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Belarusian Orthodox Church presented the first theme of the conference: “Christian values in the process of European Union enlargement”.

The papers were followed by a panel discussion: “Churches have a role to play in society”. Dr. Joachim Gaertner from the Evangelical Church in Germany, representing the office of the plenipotentiary for relations with the government and parliament in Berlin, addressed the third main topic of the meeting in his lecture: “Neutrality of the state and self-determination of the Churches – tensions and harmony”. The speaker presented the topic on the example of the German law on Churches.

Finally, the representative of the Polish government, Sławomir Wiatr, spoke about the “Impact of Poland’s accession to the EU on its eastern neighbours”, referring to the main tasks of the “Reconciliation” project. The conference ended with a service in the Lutheran Church in Mikołajki.

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15–19 September 2004, Minsk (Belarus)

Topic: “Christian ministry in prisons in Belarus – the problem of AIDS”

The theme of the next international ecumenical conference was to encourage Churches to break the taboo around AIDS. The conference included an international consultation and a visit to a detention centre in Hlubokoye. The visit to the prison revealed to the conference participants that despite the efforts of the prison management, people suffering from AIDS are not provided with sufficient medical care.

It was clear from the course of the conference that combating and preventing HIV/AIDS is an extremely important problem for all Churches in Belarus. A close exchange of contacts between the Churches in the field of education and training was also considered necessary and specific tasks in prison ministry were agreed. The need to improve cooperation with public offices was highlighted. In general, there was also a visible improvement in relations between the Churches, which could have been brought about by, among other things, the focus on social issues.

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14–18 September 2005, Kiev (Ukraine)

Topic: “General and religious education in Ukraine”

The conference was attended by about 40 delegates of the Churches involved in the “Reconciliation” project: Protestant, Roman Catholic, Greek Catholic and Orthodox from Ukraine, Belarus, Poland and Germany. The theme of the conference played a significant role in the public discussions held in Ukraine in 2004–2005, as well as received support from President Viktor Yushchenko, who personally contributed to the introduction of Christian ethics as a school subject.

During the conference, four papers on the topic were presented: “General and religious education in Ukraine – expectations and hopes of Churches in Europe”. The speakers were:

• Bishop Philip, Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate,
• Prof. Boris Gudziak, Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine,
• Alexander Dobroyer, Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine,
• Rev. Peter Sachi, German Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Despite the differentiated approaches to the problems and situations of individual Churches, the papers also showed common interests. The need for the state to recognise the Catholic University in Lviv and other ecclesiastical universities in Ukraine was repeatedly emphasized; Churches want to have the right to co-create and participate in religious education in state schools, while offering their cooperation.

For the first time in the “Reconciliation” project, it was possible to achieve a situation in which the participating Churches not only tolerated and listened to each other, but also, as a result of hard work, came closer to each other and agreed on a common position.

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14–16 September 2006, Białystok (Poland)

Topic: “Migration in Europe – from the experience on the eastern border of Poland”

The conference was attended by more than 50 delegates from the Churches involved in the “Reconciliation” project: from Belarus, Germany, Ukraine and Poland. The main topic was current social and political problems, especially for the new EU member states, including migration on the European continent. During the meeting, a lot of time was devoted to discussing the consequences of economic migration for family life, raising children and maintaining social structures. It was pointed out that along with migration we are dealing with many pathologies, including decomposition of families, difficulties in raising children.

The conference also included a panel discussion on the assimilation of foreigners in Poland. The two-year period after the accession to the European Union and the fact of its enlargement were summarized and evaluated, the opportunities for action and challenges facing the Churches were presented. Participants of the session stressed the necessity to continue the international dialogue on migration, especially in Church circles.

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23–25 September 2009, Odessa (Ukraine)

Topic: “Churches in Ukraine in the face of modern social crises”

The conference was attended by representatives of the Evangelical, Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Greek Catholic Church from Poland, Germany, Ukraine and Belarus, as well as representatives of the city of Odessa and the Institute of Religious Freedom in Ukraine.

Topics raised during the conference:

• “Christian understanding of crisis”, prof. Vladimir Bureha,
• “World crisis – its impact on Ukraine, tasks for Churches”, bishop Uhland Spahlinger,
• “From common interests to community of Spirit. The role of the Churches in overcoming the social crisis”, Rev. prof. Zygfryd Glaeser.

At the end of the conference, a round table discussion was held on the subject: “The anthropological crisis and the anthropology of crisis – a contemporary challenge for the Churches in Ukraine”. In the opinion of the participants, the conference gave the opportunity to exchange opinions, thoughts, present the experiences of various Churches in the face of the crisis, and also contributed to a better understanding of the role of the Church and its mission in the modern world.

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15–18 September 2010, Kamień Śląski (Poland)

Topic: “Migration in Central and Eastern Europe. The problem of reconciliation and coexistence of cultures”

Among more than 40 participants were representatives of Churches and ecumenical organizations from three Christian traditions – Catholic, Orthodox and Evangelical – from Belarus, Ukraine, Germany and Poland. The conference was also attended by representatives of international and national organizations and offices dealing with migration issues, including the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Migration Policy Department of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, the Polish Humanitarian Action, La Strada.

The subject matter of the conference concerned the policy of the European Union and Poland towards migrants, their integration with host societies, multiculturalism, trafficking in human beings, as well as the role of the Churches and their pastoral ministry among migrants. The aim of the meeting was to establish cooperation between the Churches and governmental and non-governmental institutions in the field of helping migrants and to discuss and plan common, ecumenical activities concerning work with migrants.

The conference on migration in Kamień Śląski was also a regional contribution to the Europe-wide celebration of 2010, announced by the Conference of European Churches as the Year of Migration.

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17–18 November 2011, Minsk (Belarus)

Topic: “Churches in the service of the people in need. Opportunities for cooperation with non-church organizations”

The participants of the conference were representatives of Churches, ecumenical organizations from three Christian traditions – Catholic, Orthodox and Evangelical – from Belarus, Ukraine, Germany and Poland. Representatives of international and national organizations dealing with humanitarian aid issues were also invited, such as the East Foundation from Poland, Caritas Belarus, UN branch in Belarus, the International Organization for Migration, UNAIDS (Joint United Nations Programme to Combat HIV and AIDS), the International Organization for Social Affairs, the Institute of Religious Freedom from Ukraine, the Committee on Religion in Belarus.

During the conference, the social activity of various churches as well as the legal possibilities of cooperation between church and non-church organizations in the field of aid to those in need were presented, with particular emphasis on the situation in Belarus. The issue of conducting business activity by Churches and church organizations was discussed. One of the goals of the conference was also to bring together donors/sponsors and organizations that can implement social projects in Belarus.

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4–6 October 2012, Yalta (Ukraine)

Topic: “The art of Christian coexistence. Lessons from history and the challenges of our time”

The participants of the conference were representatives of Churches, ecumenical organizations from three Christian traditions – Catholic, Orthodox and Evangelical – from Belarus, Ukraine, Germany and Poland.

On the first day of the conference, papers were presented on the history and present situation of the coexistence of Christians on the European continent, with particular emphasis on the contemporary Ukrainian context. The debate was followed by a debate on the subject: “To be a Christian today: in search of a new identity”. The participants discussed the religious situation in Ukraine, opportunities for reconciliation and mutual understanding and respect.

On the second day of the conference, practical examples of cooperation between Christians of different denominations in Ukraine, Belarus, Poland and Germany were presented. The presentation of the projects was followed by a discussion. The conference ended with a common prayer in a Greek Catholic chapel in Yalta.

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4–6 October 2013, Warsaw (Poland)

Topic: “Reconciliation in Central and Eastern Europe. New challenges”

The next meeting of the participants of the “Reconciliation” project took place in the Centre for Orthodox Culture in Warsaw. The aim of the conference was not only to develop ideas and actions to promote reconciliation, but also to get acquainted with existing initiatives in this area.

The content, context and perspectives of the “Common Message to the Nations of Poland and Russia” was presented by Rev. prof. Zygfryd Glaeser. The “Polish-Ukrainian Declaration on Reconciliation” was discussed by Bishop Wojciech Polak from the Polish and Roman Catholic perspective, and by Rev. dr Stefan Batruch from the Ukrainian and Greek Catholic perspective.

The second day of the conference began with a historical overview of Polish-Ukrainian reconciliation in the context of the Volhynia crime. Prof. Grzegorz Motyka from Poland and Prof. Ihor Ilyushin from Ukraine presented their positions. Greek Catholics, Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians from Poland and Ukraine discussed the Volhynia crime and Polish-Ukrainian relations in a panel discussion. On the last day of the conference, examples of good practices in Polish-Ukrainian reconciliation were presented.

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13–14 November 2014, Minsk (Belarus)

Topic: “The death penalty in Belarus”

The conference on the death penalty was co-organized by the Inter-Church Mission “Christian Social Service”. The meeting was attended by representatives of governmental and social institutions, Penal Reform International and the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights in Belarus, representatives of the prosecutor’s office, academia, lawyers and representatives of various denominations and Churches. Members of the “Reconciliation” Working Group were also present.

The subject matter of the meeting concerned the penal system in Belarus – a country where the death penalty is still practiced today. The meeting looked for methods and mechanisms that would facilitate its abolition, especially in the context of solutions adopted by other countries.

Representatives of the Working Group took part in a panel discussion on “The right to life: values and pluralism of opinion in the position of the Church in relation to the death penalty”. During the panel, positions on the death penalty were presented from the perspective of various Churches from Poland, Belarus and Ukraine:

• Rev. Prof. Zygfryd Glaeser, who, referring to the statements of representatives of various Churches (all agreed on the biblical argumentation and were against the use of the death penalty), appealed to the Churches in Belarus to speak with “one voice”. He pointed out that the common voice of the Churches on the death penalty will probably be more audible and effective;
• Dr. Wsiewołod Konach presented information on the death penalty and the Christian understanding of punishment, love and mercy from the perspective of an Orthodox Bible scholar; in his speech he drew attention to the existence and possibilities of using various penitentiary mechanisms.

During the stay in Minsk, a meeting of the “Reconciliation” Working Group was also held, during which the organizational details of the next planned conference were discussed. During their stay in Minsk, the representatives of the Working Group met with Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, Metropolitan of Minsk-Mohylevsk. They discussed the situation of the Churches in Belarus and the involvement of the Roman Catholic Church in the activities undertaken within the framework of the “Reconciliation” project.

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11–13 November 2015, Kharkiv/Kiev (Ukraine)

Topic: “The way to the future through reconciliation”

The conference was attended by representatives of various denominations, Churches and organizations from four countries involved in the project. Main speakers, who covered different aspects of the reconciliation process:

• Andriej Yurash, Ministry of Culture of Ukraine,
• Rev. Prof. Zygfryd Glaeser (historical aspect),
• Prof. Miroslav Marinovitsh, Vice-Rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv (anthropological aspect),
• Rev. Sergei Movsiesian, Vice-Rector for Scientific Affairs of the Institute of Theology of the Belarusian University in Minsk (ecclesiastical aspect),
• Oleksandr Filonenko from the Vasyl Karazin National University in Kharkiv (theological aspect).

During the meeting, social projects coordinated by various church and secular organizations in Ukraine were also presented. The recipients of the projects are mainly people who have been particularly affected by the warfare in Ukraine. The conference also included a meeting with Bishop Stanislav Shyrokoraduk, Ordinary of the Kharkivsko-Zaporos Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine. The conference participants took part in an ecumenical prayer at the Cemetery of Victims of Totalitarianism in Kharkiv.

As part of their stay in Ukraine, the members of the “Reconciliation” group held meetings in Kiev with representatives of the Orthodox Church: Luhansk Metropolitan Mitrofan and Rev. Nikolai Danilevich, as well as with representatives of the Greek Catholic Church, Bishop Mgr. Bogdan Dziurach. The talks focused on the current situation in Ukraine and the challenges facing the churches in the face of conflict in that country, as well as the possibility of ways of reconciliation and cooperation between Ukrainian churches. The participants visited Pechersk Lavra and Majdan in Kiev.

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7–9 December 2016 r., Kamień Śląski (Poland)

Topic: “Natives and foreigners in the context of the contemporary migration crisis. Experiences and tasks of the Churches and society”

Representatives of Churches of various faiths from Belarus, Germany, Poland and Ukraine took part in the conference. Refugees and migrations were discussed in the theological, ecclesiastical, social and cultural context.

Bishop Krzysztof Zadarko spoke about attitudes towards the migration crisis from the point of view of the Roman Catholic Church and Rev. dr Grzegorz Giemza from the point of view of the Polish Ecumenical Council. Rev. Prof. Zygfryd Glaeser delivered a paper on the subject of “natives and foreigners” from the perspective of Christian doctrine. Professor Wojciech Świątkiewicz spoke about the categories of “natives and foreigners” from the sociological perspective. Subsequent speeches dealt with migration in the context of Belarus, Germany, Poland and Ukraine, as well as the activities of the World Lutheran Federation.

Conference materials in Polish, German and Russian were published as a book in 2017. You can download it here.

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28–30 November 2017, Belarus

Topic: “Churches and the objectives of the sustainable development agenda”

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17–19 October 2018, Kiev (Ukraine)

Topic: “Reconciliation strategies. The Role of Churches in Ukraine”

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15–18 May 2019, Minsk (Belarus)

Topic: “Churches and social initiatives in the face of social challenges”

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26th May 2021, Zoom (internet communication platform)

Topic: “Youth in the processes of reconciliation in Europe – role and tasks”