Monks from East and West meet in Malta this week

The seventh encounter of monks from the East and the West - known as EMO, the Spanish acronym for Encuentros de Monjes de Oriente y Ocidente) - will be held in Malta between tomorrow and Sunday.

The event brings together, at the highest level, monastics from the different branches of Christianity including, apart from Roman Catholics, representatives of Greek and Ukrainian Orthodoxy as well as of the Lutheran and Methodist Churches.

Initiated by the Bishopric of Bilbao, Spain, EMO is now coordinated by the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome and the local organisation has been entrusted to the Fondation de Malte.

The President of Fondation de Malte, Salvino Busuttil, explained that about 10 years go, the archdiocese of Bilbao in Spain, through Mgr Martin de Zabala, felt that there would be merit to advance the cause of Christian unity by convening, from time to time, a gathering of monks from the Eastern and Western 'branches' of Christianity. They could pray together and discuss, in a brotherly spirit, religious topics common to the different persuasions of Christian belief and practice.

"Just as much of our culture had its original flourishing in monasteries, from the oasis of the Desert Fathers, to Coptic and Armenian churches, to the glory of Orthodox cathedrals and the medieval splendour of abbeys adorning most European countries, so, Mgr de Zabala reasoned, there could be a reawakening of the monastic ideal in the service of ecumenism. And the vision that he had, of insisting more on sharing liturgy rather than engaging in arcane theological formulations, found support in, among others, the former Prior General of the Camaldoli (one of the great hermitical congregations), the Most Reverend Emanuele Bargelli, and in the Maltese Jesuit Fr Edward Farrugia, Dean of Theology at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome," Prof. Busuttil said.

Two other EMO convocations were held in Malta a few years ago. The present Head of EMO, Bishop Ambrosio Echebarria, and the Bishop of Bilbao, Mgr Ricardo Blazquez, agreed with Fr Farrugia that Malta offered an excellent location welcoming East and West, with its history in which Byzantine tradition fused with Roman Catholicism. It was also felt that Malta, with its natural vocation to promote intercultural dialogue in the Mediterranean, could with greater reason, by dint of its religious character, seek to foster conversation between the several strands of the one Church established by Christ, he added.

Asked what the event aimed to achieve, Prof. Busuttil noted the scope of EMO is not to produce learned "agreed statements", which, as has been the case over the last 30 years or so have not been particularly useful in advancing ecumenism. "Rather, this seventh gathering (and let us hope that the number, so fondly embraced in the Old Testament, will be propitious for the Malta assembly) aspires to accentuate that all the somewhat obtuse interpretations of, for example, the precise nature of the Trinity, or of the validity of the supremacy of the Bishop of Rome, should ultimately pale off in the presence of the Spirit. Indeed, it is by design, of course, that EMO is taking place in the triduum leading to the celebration of the descent of the Holy Spirit."

The participating monks will take part in the celebration of the Pentecost vigil led by Archbishop Mgr Paul Cremona, also attended by the Metropolitan Orthodox Archbishop of Italy and Malta Gennadios Zervos.

Inspired by the search for prayerful commonality, the leaders of EMO have chosen, as a unifying focus of reflection, two great values inherent in St Paul: that is spirituality and evangelisation. Hence, the theme On The Wavelength Of St Paul: Mobility And Stability. Most of the events of EMO VII, whether lectures or visits, will revolve around Pauline sites.

What is the likely outcome of the Malta meeting?

"It is intended to offer Malta as the permanent home of the monastic ecumenical dialogue. And the Fondation de Malte, which is the private entity dedicated, inter alia, to intercultural dialogue, is offering to act as its secretariat. This would also be in line with Malta's avowed wish to host international organisations here," Prof. Busuttil said.