Utrecht – On the 4th of September 2009, Cardinal Willebrands would have celebrated his 100th birthday. From 2 - 5 September 2009, an international ecumenical conference takes place in Utrecht, the Netherlands. 'Special attention is devoted to the meaning of Cardinal Willebrands' life as a Catholic ecumenist before and after the Second Vatican Council, for his role in the Jewish-Christian dialogue and the dialogue between the Eastern and Western Churches. Furthermore, there is a presentation of the publication of two of his ?diaries,? written before and during the Second Vatican Council as well as an exhibition of his life and work.

Among the orthodox were present: His Eminence Metropolitan John (Zizioulas) of Pergamon, co-president of the international dialogue between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches, accompanied by His Grace Bishop Athenagoras of Sinope, assistant of the Metropolitan of Belgium (Ecumenical Patriarchate). Metropolitan John of Pergamon transmitted a message on behalf of His All-Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who knew well the late Cardinal Willebrands and had a lecture about the contribution of Cardinal Johannes Willebrands in the dialogue between the Orthodox and Roman-Catholic Churches. Other orthodox participants were: His Excellency Archbishop Theophan (hierarch of the Moscow Patriarchate residing in Berlin) and priests from the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Patriarchates of Moscow and Romania. On September 4th, 2009, orthodox matins were sung in Greek by Father Georgios Perris and the chanters of the Utrecht Orthodox Parish, in the Cathedral of the Old-Catholic Church.

Among the many Roman-catholic participants one noted the presence of His Eminence Cardinal Walter Kasper (President of the Pontifical Council for promoting Unity of Christians - Vatican); Cardinal Simonis (former Archbishop of Utrecht); most of the Roman-catholic bishops of the Netherlands; Mgr Johan Bonny, Bishop of Antwerp, Belgium; Archbishop Joris Vercammen of the Old Catholic Church; Dom Michel Van Parys from the Abbaye of Chevetogne; Sister Minke of Grandchamp and many others.

The Conference was organized by Rev. Prof. Dr. Adelbert Denaux (Dean of the Theological Faculty of Utrecht-Tilburg, The Netherlands), Prof. Dr. Peter De Mey (Theological Faculty of the Catholic University of Leuven) and Dr. Maria Tersteeg (Cardinal Willebrands Archives).



Biography of Johannes Cardinal Willebrands

Johannes Gerardus Maria Willebrands (1909-2006) was one of the most important Roman Catholic promoters of ecumenism of the 20th century, having a decisive influence on the course of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) in this regard. After his theological studies in the diocese of Haarlem, the Netherlands and advanced philosophical studies at the Angelicum in Rome, in 1934, he was ordained a priest. Three years later, he wrote his doctoral dissertation on the thought of John Henry Cardinal Newman. In 1958, the Dutch Episcopate unanimously appointed him the national delegate for ecumenical affairs. In 1960, Pope John XXIII appointed him the first Secretary of the newly created Secretariat (later Council) for Christian Unity. In 1969, he became its second President and, in the same year, was made a Cardinal. From 1975 – 1983, he was the Archbishop of Utrecht. On the 12th of December, 1989, Cardinal Willebrands resigned his functions in Rome. He died on the 2nd of August 2006 in Denekamp (the Netherlands).