"Healing of Wounded Memories": Final conference ended with a call for stronger networking and cooperation

Vienna, November 18, 2025 (poi) A major international conference in Vienna ended at the weekend with a call for stronger networking and more intensive local, regional and international cooperation between churches and socio-political actors. The conference, entitled “Healing of Wounded Memories: The Responsibility of Churches to Heal”, also marked the conclusion of the three-year project of the same name launched by PRO ORIENTE. 

A total of 70 participants from 25 countries came to Vienna for the conference, including clergy and lay people as well as academics from various disciplines and fields of work. The majority of these came from South-Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Eastern Europe – the three focus regions of the project, where ecumenical relations between Catholic and Orthodox churches play a special role in social cohesion. In addition, renowned international experts on the conference topic were invited to Vienna. 

Both the connection and the tension between concrete challenges and fundamental theological questions were repeatedly addressed at the conference. The focus was on issues of trauma and spirituality, the relationship between church leadership and the faithful in the parishes, and the involvement of church institutions and personalities in the dissemination of enemy stereotypes. The need to work together on non-violent and respectful language – both within the church and in the media – was also emphasized. Two panel discussions with representatives of different church denominations and ecumenical institutions addressed the question of the current limits and possibilities for dialogue and cooperation between the churches. 

Dialogue not detached from experiences of injustice 

The dialogue between the participants and personal testimonies of experiences of war and oppression from the three regions made it clear that theological and ecclesiastical exchange cannot produce fruitful results if it is detached from these experiences of injustice, whether current or historical. 

PRO ORIENTE President Clemens Koja emphasized at the end of the conference: “Throughout the project, it became increasingly clear that focusing on wounded memories alone is not enough, as new wounds are still being inflicted in the regions today. This realization has shown us how important it is to respond flexibly to current developments and to address the issues identified locally – a task that will continue to accompany us in the future.” 

As part of the conference, a public panel discussion was held at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna in cooperation with the academy. This discussion focused on the question of what constructive contributions religion can make to overcoming and transforming wars and social conflicts. The panel included experts from the three focus regions, who discussed their respective contextual perspectives and experiences both among themselves and with the audience. 

As the conference took place in Vienna, representatives of the Orthodox and Catholic Bishops' Conferences of Austria were invited on the first evening to present insights into ecumenical cooperation at the local level. 

Local initiatives had their say 

The PRO ORIENTE project coordinator, Viola Raheb, who was responsible for the project together with Prof. Regina Elsner from the Steering Committee for Orthodox-Catholic Dialogue of the Foundation, emphasized “that it was important in the conception of the conference to give a voice to functioning, successful local initiatives from the regions that make concrete contributions to overcoming prejudice and violence and to promoting encounter and peace”. 

In conclusion, she expressed her deep gratitude for the trust that the participants had placed in PRO ORIENTE. She underlined the importance of providing a safe space in which this exchange could take place. “This applies above all to those who took a great risk in attending and travelling to Vienna. We owe them all our sincere appreciation and gratitude.” 

A recurring theme throughout the conference was the question of the need for networking, for stronger local, regional and international cooperation, and for the exchange of experiences within churches, between churches, and between churches and socio-political actors. 

Elsner: Learning from people's courage for ecumenism 

The project “Healing of Wounded Memories” was initiated by the PRO ORIENTE Steering Committee for Orthodox-Catholic Dialogue. Following a kick-off conference in Vienna in November 2023, workshops were held between spring 2024 and spring 2025 in the three focus regions of South-Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Eastern Europe, to address key issues and challenges for the churches, which formed the content guidelines for the final conference. 

At the end of the conference, the spokesperson for the commission's working group ‘Healing of Wounded Memories’, Prof. Regina Elsner, emphasized: “This conference – like the entire project – has shown that all ecumenical understanding processes must take into account the realities of the people on the ground so that their results can be effective in this reality.” She pointed out that it is not possible to achieve ecumenical agreements without transforming the concrete structures of injustice, for which the churches are often partly responsible – either actively or through silence. “Church leaders and ecumenical actors can learn a lot from the courage and initiative of participants from acute war zones,” said Elsner. 

At the end of the conference, President Koja thanked all participants for their active involvement and assured them that PRO ORIENTE will continue on the path it had chosen in the coming years. “For us, solidarity is not a project, but a partnership,” said Koja. 

Further information on the “Healing of Wounded Memories” project is available at: https://www.pro-oriente.at/en/projects/healing-of-wounded-memories