Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Women Reflect on Common Ecumenical Journey in Albania

A consultation held on the campus of Saint Vlash in Durres, Albania, from 3 to 7 October 2019, brought together Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox women engaged in the work of the World Council of Churches (WCC) since the 10th WCC Assembly in Busan, Korea, in 2013. The event, titled “Pilgrimage for Justice and Peace: The journey of Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Women Today,” provided a platform for these women to share their ecumenical experiences and discuss the Orthodox women’s agenda leading up to the 11th WCC Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany, in 2021.

Participants included members of WCC governing bodies, commissioners or advisors within WCC programmes, resource persons, and WCC female staff. They attended the Sunday liturgy at the Resurrection of Christ Orthodox Cathedral of Tirana and had an official hearing from His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania. Anastasios shared insights on the role of contemporary women in the church, highlighting the active roles women play in the Orthodox Church of Albania. He described his participation in the ecumenical movement as a “university for life,” offering opportunities for growth, challenge, and contribution.

Ruth Mathen, from the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and the Christian Conference of Asia, reflected on the unique contexts of Orthodox women across different communities. She noted that Orthodox women have developed their own resources and strategies to address challenges. “The consultation offered the space for cross-cultural and cross-continental learning,” Mathen said. “I have heard how Orthodox women are supporting and sheltering refugees in Greece, how they are rehabilitating survivors of domestic violence in Russia, and how they are enabling grassroots-level empowerment for other women in Lebanon. It is reassuring to know that we Orthodox women have access to a global support system that is facilitated by the WCC and united by our common Orthodox ethos.”

Prof. Dimitra Koukoura, representing the Ecumenical Patriarchate and a WCC Central Committee member, expressed appreciation for the opportunity to meet and share experiences. “Meeting each other and sharing experiences from our ecumenical journey is more than important,” she said. “Giving witness to the Orthodox tradition in the context of global challenges is a shared responsibility.”

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