Early November saw a historic step toward Christian unity in Rome, when the renewed ecumenical document Charta Oecumenica was signed. The document unites the Catholic Church with Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican, and Old Catholic churches and serves as a cornerstone of European ecumenical collaboration. Pope Leo has described it as a significant achievement in many respects.
Unseasonably warm November sunshine illuminated the courtyard of the Tre Fontane monastery as cardinals, bishops, representatives of various churches, and leaders of ecumenical councils made their way toward the church.
Within the monastery church—symbolically located on the site of the apostle Paul’s martyrdom—history was made when Archbishop Gintaras Grušas, representing the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE), and Archbishop Nikitas, representing the Conference of European Churches (CEC), signed the renewed Charta Oecumenica. The document deepens the commitment of various church communities to ecumenism, that is, the communion of Christians, dialogue, the search for mutual understanding, and the shared responsibility for Europe’s future.
“Our Church is called to be a sign of unity and hope—not only in words but also in deeds. This Charta equips us to respond together to the wounds of war, forced migration, and the ethical challenges posed by emerging technologies. It reminds us to walk humbly, to face the failures of the past, and to foster healing and reconciliation. It also urges us to listen to the voices of young people and allow them to shape the path ahead. We are stronger when we stand together,” Archbishop Grušas said.
Archbishop Nikitas likewise stressed that updating the shared document is an important preparation for addressing the current challenges faced by the churches and by Europe as a whole.
“In a fragmented and secularised Europe, the Charta urges us to rediscover the strength of our communion and the urgency of our mission. We must proclaim together, safeguard human dignity, and work side by side for justice, peace, and care for creation. This is our ecumenical calling—not merely to speak of unity, but to live it. Charta Oecumenica is a call to conscience and collaboration,” Archbishop Nikitas said.
“Our commitment to one another as churches is not abstract—it is grounded in a shared faith lived amid pain, division, and hope.”
A Changing Europe
Originally signed in 2001, Charta Oecumenica has for over two decades served as a foundational document for ecumenical cooperation across the continent. The renewed version reflects Europe’s evolving social, spiritual, and ecological landscape. It addresses urgent contemporary needs such as the pursuit of peace and reconciliation, the churches’ work with growing numbers of migrants and refugees, deeper relations with Jewish and Muslim communities, and the pressing necessity of caring for creation.
The document also offers Christian reflection on subjects such as the ethical dimensions of artificial intelligence and affirms the role of young people within the Church. A key emphasis is the strengthening of a unified Christian voice in public life—a voice marked by compassion, responsibility, and justice.
The Charta does not shy away from confronting past wounds and institutional failures. It acknowledges that, throughout history, churches have at times been involved in scandalous and sinful actions and have permitted or caused harm. Nevertheless, the Church remains a call and support for healing, accountability, and conversion.
A Long Journey Completed
The renewal of Charta Oecumenica was the result of years of work involving churches, bishops’ conferences, and ecumenical organisations across Europe and beyond. The document itself carries no legal or doctrinal authority, but it binds the churches morally and spiritually while giving them the freedom to implement it in ways appropriate to their own communities.
Churches are encouraged to integrate the Charta into their worship life, theological education, inter-church dialogue, and community practices. It is intended to be a living resource that fosters a culture of ecumenical cooperation and shared mission—from the grassroots to all of Europe.
The Pope’s Blessing
On the day following the signing, 6 November, representatives of the Conference of European Churches and the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences presented the renewed Charta Oecumenica to Pope Leo XIV in a private audience.
The Pope affirmed the spirit of the document and recognised the Charta as a sign of the churches’ commitment. He described it as a testimony to the willingness of Europe’s churches to view our history through the eyes of Christ, and encouraged trust in the Holy Spirit as the guide for the journey ahead.
“One of the significant achievements of the renewed Charta is its shared understanding of the challenges of our time and its common priorities for the future of the continent, while it preserves a firm faith in the power of the Gospel.”
Pope Leo also highlighted the close connection between synodality and ecumenism: “In the Catholic Church, the synodal path is ecumenical, just as the ecumenical path is synodal.”
He reminded listeners that many Christian communities “increasingly feel themselves to be minorities” within European societies marked by diversity and new cultural expressions. He stressed the need for a new openness: “It is an urgent task to promote dialogue, harmony, and fraternity amid the turmoil of violence and war.”
A Practical Tool
Tomi Karttunen, a leading expert of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, shares the Pope’s view of the importance of Charta Oecumenica and sees the document as particularly valuable for practical ecumenism and the churches’ joint advocacy work in Europe.
“Charta Oecumenica is above all a practical articulation of what the search for the visible unity of the Church and inter-church cooperation could mean in Europe today. It also encourages us to take seriously the call to collaborate. Its starting point is always the promotion of visible unity and the crossing of dividing lines,” Karttunen says.
Laura Häkli
The author is Secretary General of the Ecumenical Council of Finland (Visit an external site. The link opens in a new tab.).
Extracts from the Renewed Charta Oecumenica
“Our task today is to bear witness to our faith by engaging in dialogue, including dialogue with people of other religions, and by serving the peoples of Europe from the Atlantic to the Urals, from North Cape to the Mediterranean. In this broad understanding of Europe, the Charta also bears witness to the one universal Church of Christ, manifested in many local churches.”
“We believe and already experience that the proclamation of this Good News (kerygma) is a powerful sign and source of our unity, which is always God’s gift. Yet certain differences remain obstacles to visible unity, including those concerning our understanding of the Church, the sacraments, and ministry. We deeply regret these divisions, knowing that what we share together is deeper and greater than what separates us.”
“We commit ourselves to continue the search for the visible unity of the Church of Jesus Christ in a common faith, in obedience to the Word of God in the Scriptures, and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, toward mutual recognition of baptism, the Eucharist, and the shared witness and service.”
“We commit ourselves to approaching those churches in our society with which we do not yet have relations, to actively and openly seek opportunities for common witness and cooperation, to participate in witness and evangelisation with other churches, and to enter into agreements with them to strengthen mutual trust and to avoid harmful competition and the risk of new divisions.”
“We commit ourselves to resisting forms of nationalism that lead to the oppression of peoples and minorities, to developing non-violent strategies and solutions, and to defending human rights and the rights of minorities.”