News & events / page 15

On the afternoon of 3rd June, the first day of our Paris journey, we cross Paris and go to the Avenue de Breteuil where the Conference of Bishops of France is located and visit Emmanuel Gougaud, Director of the National Service for Christian Unity.

Having just arrived at the Gare de Lyon from Lausanne, we began our pilgrimage by visiting the House of Protestantism, rue de Clichy. Attending this meeting were the President of the Protestant Federation of France (FPF), François Clavairoly; Emmanuelle Seybold, President of the United Protestant Church (EPUdF); Anne-Laure Dannet, Head of Ecumenical Relations of the FPF and Claire Sixt-Gateuille, Head of Ecumenical Relations of the EPUdF.

In early June, a JC2033 team to visit various churches and communities in Paris. After five days of intense visits, we are grateful for all these encounters. We dream that this project will become that of the Churches of Paris and all of France. Here are some echoes of the welcome we received.

Invited by Benoît-Dominique de la Sougeole, professor (Dominican) of dogmatic theology at the University of Fribourg, Olivier Fleury was able to present the vision of JC2033 to 26 students.

Boulos Garas is the secretary of the Council of Churches of Egypt. We meet him at the headquarters of the Catholic Coptic Patriarchate, his Church. All smiles, he shares his hope: "I hope that the jubilee of the resurrection will find us united. Even if it is still far away, we must prepare our hearts to become witnesses of the resurrection. If you do not believe in the risen Christ, there is no Christianity. The difference between Christians and non-Christians is the resurrection. It's our treasure!"

Near the main square Tahir we enter the Protestant temple Kasr El Dobara, where Pastor Sameh Mories receives us. This vibrant parish fills its grand temple every Friday and Sunday. Like the Church to which it belongs, it is a combination of a historic Reformed Church and of evangelical spirituality.

At the Catholic Coptic Patriarchate, we meet ANBA THOMAS, one of the bishops of this Eastern Church in communion with Rome. Biblical and involved in pastoral work with young people, he immediately grasps the opportunity represented by a decade of the resurrection.

Received at the papal residence in Cairo on March 25, 2019, Oliver Fleury and I (Martin Hoegger) were able to present to Pope Tawadros the vision of a decade of the resurrection to prepare the jubilee of 2033.

From the 23rd to 30th of March 2019, Olivier Fleury and Martin Hoegger made about twenty visits to church leaders and communities in Egypt. The welcome was warm and sometimes even enthusiastic. Here is the chronicle of this amazing stay written by Martin Hoegger.