CONFIDENCE BUILDING AMONG THE CHURCHES AND RELIGIOUS CONFESSIONS IN MACEDONIA

Dialogue for Confidence

From 10 to 14 May in Skopje, organized by the MCIC, an international conference on “Confidence Building among the Churches and Religious Confessions in Macedonia through dialogue” took place.

The conference aimed to encourage the confidence and the better understanding among churches and religious confessions as a contribution to the peace in Macedonia and more than 40 international Jewish, Christian and Muslim scientists participated and selected Macedonia the seat for their 24th annual dialogue. The scientists arrived from Jordan, India, Pakistan, Russia, Japan, Israel, Turkey, Serbia, Morocco, Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, England, Canada, the United States of America and other countries. They were joined by fifty religious leaders and scientists from Macedonia.

The introduction was given to the Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia Stefan, reis ul ulema Hafiz Arif Emini from the Islam Community in Macedonia, the catholic bishop Joachim Herbut, the pastor Mihail Cekov from the Evangelist-Methodist church and Mr. Viktor Mizrahi from the Jewish Community.

As part of the international scientists presentations, the participants at the conference took part in the religious services where they could hear the representatives of the five larger churches and religious confessions in Macedonia. Two of the projected sessions took place at the Orthodox Theological Faculty “St. Clement Ohridski” and the Faculty for Islam Science – Skopje. Eventually, participants at the conference adopted a Mutual Appeal for further activities – establishing a Council for inter-religious cooperation, establishing regular meetings and contacts and establishing cooperation between their educational institutions.


D.M.