SPIRITUALITY AND CHRISTIAN DOGMA IN THE EAST AND WEST

VATICAN CITY, SEP 3, 2003 (VIS) - Made public today was a Letter from Pope John Paul to Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Unity, asking the cardinal to convey his greetings to participants in a symposium on "The Relationship between Spirituality and Christian Dogma in the East and West," to be held in Ioannina in Epirus, Greece from September 3 to 7.

The Pope notes that the Franciscan Institute of Spirituality at the Antonianum Pontifical Athenaeum in Rome and the Theology Faculty of the Aristotile University of Thessalonica of the Greek Orthodox Church began a series of inter-Christian symposiums in 1992 on such themes as prayer and contemplation, the spirituality of monasticism and the ecclesial dimension of spirituality. He said this 2003 meeting will study the "contribution that spirituality can offer to doctrine, nourishing its development and a deeper study of it."

"Spirituality," added the Holy Father, "creates the suitable psychological context in which to undertake dialogue in an opening and trusting fashion."

He encouraged these joint efforts "aimed at making the convergences emerge between Orthodox and Catholic Christians in adhering to revealed Truth" and said he was pleased at the support offered to such efforts by the pontifical council.

John Paul II closed his Letter, dated August 28, the memory of St. Augustine of Hippo, saying that, while high level meetings are important in the search for communion between the Christian East and West, symposiums such as the one taking place in Epirus are also necessary.

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