The day after the ecumenical meeting marking the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, a meeting that brought together representatives of all church families in İznik, including Boutros Mansour and Jerry Pillay, general secretaries of the World Evangelical Alliance and the World Council of Churches respectively, the Pope made a passionate appeal for Christian unity, inviting everyone to gather ‘all together’ in Jerusalem in 2033 to celebrate ‘the two thousand years since the death and resurrection of Christ’.
He encouraged them to ‘walk together on the spiritual path that leads to the Jubilee of Redemption,’ with a view to returning to the Upper Room, the site of the Last Supper, the washing of feet and Pentecost, a path towards full unity. (Cf. Vatican News)
This convergence towards the Holy City would be preceded by a ‘spiritual journey’ likely to further strengthen Christian unity over the next seven years.
The next day, on board the Istanbul-Beirut flight, the Pope confirmed to journalists: "We talked about possible future meetings. One of them would take place in 2033, two thousand years after the Redemption. The idea was accepted. There are still years to prepare for it. ‘
Also in Istanbul, a joint declaration was signed with Patriarch Bartholomew, affirming ’the common desire to continue exploring a solution that would allow us to celebrate the Feast of Feasts (Easter) together each year." This is a strong sign on the path to unity. (Read the joint declaration here)
A month earlier, in Seoul, the General Assembly of the World Evangelical Alliance called for witnessing to ‘the Gospel for all by 2033’. Olivier Fleury, founder of JC2033, who was in attendance, rejoiced:
"Not only Evangelicals, but now also Catholics and Orthodox Christians are placing a strong emphasis on 2033. For us at JC2033, who have been working on this perspective for more than a decade, this is a valuable confirmation. We are on the right path towards this exceptional jubilee. The fraternal relations between the great families of the Church are growing stronger than ever before. This convergence augurs well for the celebrations of the 2000th anniversary of the Resurrection, which will be experienced in a more tangible unity, with a powerful impact on Christian witness in the world."
Jerusalem, like Easter 2033, belongs to Christ. May the Holy Spirit light the way to this ‘jubilee of jubilees’ and show us, JC2033, humble leaven in the dough, the contribution to which he calls us! This is why we invite you to an annual walk on the road to Emmaus to give concrete expression to our living connection with the city where Jesus rose from the dead.
Martin Hoegger
