Die Rolle der Ökumene in der Begegnung zwischen Ost und West in einem gemeinsamen Europa
The role of ecumenism for the encounter between East and West in a common Europe

Summary/Abstract: The author of the present article shows that the role of ecumenism plays an important role for the relation between East and West in Europe and is a very often discussed topic, mainly the importance of the Easteuropean Churches in this process.In the 15th century Eastern Europe was considered to be the centre of Europe, since the first book about Europe by Enea Silvio Piccolimini, the later Pope Pius II (1405-1465), started his description of Europe with Hungary, Transsilvania and Walachia. considering this part of Europe to be geographically the middle of the continent. By quoting Schiller´s „Ode to the Friends“ (not the „Ode to the Joy“, which is the anthem of the European Union), the author reminds us: what history and nature has refused to these countries, they „have recieved by art“: the art of living, the specific spiritual treasures, even by suffering during the communist period. In Romania, mainly in Transsilvania, there is an historic ecumenical tradition, since the first laws of tolerance for the different religions existed already in the 16th century (1557, 1564, 1568 by decisons of Parliament in Turda). The role of the Chuches today, expressed by the famous formula „Reconciled diversity“ between religions, ethnicities and cultures, has therefore an outstanding importance in the present challenges of our continent as well as for the future.

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