b LE PERMANENT INTERNATIONAI, ECUMENICAL CONSULTATION
FOR RELIGIOUS

Report to the USG of the 1998 meeting held in Areuse, Switzerland.

P. Léonard AUDET, CSV

 
A Short History

The Permanent International Ecumenical Consultation for Religious (PIECR) was established in 1977. Fr. Pedro Arrupe, SJ, then president of the USG, and Br. Michael Fisher, Anglican friar and Provincial of the Society of St. Francis, conceived this project as a way of promoting ecumenical dialogue and mutual aid among the Institutes and Religious Orders of the two denominations. In

1980, the ecumenical conference for religious was formally constituted by the USG and UISG, and by the Consultative Council on Religious Life of the

Anglican Church. It was also decided that members of other Christian

communions could participate in this organization if appointed as

representatives from their respective Churches. In 1983, the Consultation agreed to welcome deaconesses from the Lutheran Church. The members are appointed for a term of three years. Usually this tenn is not renewable. Thus, both continuity and continual "new blood" are assured.

The Meeting in Areuse

This year, the meeting of the PIECR was held at Areuse, Switzerland from April 29"' to May 3rd in the Grandchamp Community. The theme of the meeting was: "Leadership in our communities and in our churches." There were delegates from: the Anglican and Episcopal Churches (3); the Lutheran Church (1); the Reformed Church (2); the Roman Catholic Church (6). The three representatives of the USG were Brother Harrie Van Geene, CMM, Fr. Lawrence Terrien, PSS and Fr. Leonard Audet, CSV.

In addition to prayer and common life, the meeting provided moments of exchange on the concrete way of exercising leadership and authority in our communities and our churches. We profited much from the contributions of the many speakers, especially the presentations on Churches of the Reform. We visited the World Council of Churches in Geneva where we were able to dialogue with a representative of the Failh and Order comn?ission as well as with the a representative of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches. We also visited the Ecumenical I7?5lilUte of Bossey and the Or~hodox Center at Chambery.

During these few days, we shared our concrete experiences of religious and ecclesial life. These moments of dialogue, prayer and common life led us to experience our oneness as disciples of Christ. We experienced a deep communion in Jesus Christ based on our common baptism and a common

consecration to the Lord by the vows. We all recognized the authenticity of the different expressions of the same religious life as followers of Jesus. These are clearly the gifts of the Spirit given to the Churches and to the world. It was a wonderful and enriching experience for each participant. So that other superiors general could experience this ecumenical conference, it would be desirable that the USG delegation be renewed more often.

In the name of the USG, I thank Sr. Minke de Vries for having planned and organized this meeting so well. Our participation in the prayer of the Grandchamp Community was an important element in the success of the meeting. This community's witness to the spiritual and religious life constituted an environment which strongly supported the process of our ecumenical group.

The next meeting of the PIECR will take place in New York, in the Community of the Holy Spirit (Episcopal), April 28-May 2, 1999. Its theme will be "As followers of Christ, what is our vision for the future?"