Pilgrims and Wayfarers to, at and from Ecumenical Gatherings and Encounters

Abstract

This article studies a topic which has not been treated previously. The physical experience of the journey—to the ecumenical encounter, the stay in a particular venue for prayer, dialogue or for joint initiatives, and the journey back home—becomes the epitome and the metaphor of the quest for the Divine and the searching self which seeks to build bridges and discover common ground. Moreover, it becomes a sign and a symbol of the on-going and forward-oriented ecumenical journey which all Christians have learned to undertake, particularly those committed to ecumenical dialogue and brotherhood.