New President of Pro Oriente: Koja wants to build bridges into orthodoxy

New President of Pro Oriente: Koja wants to build bridges into orthodoxy

The future President of the Pro Oriente Foundation, Ambassador Clemens Koja, emphasized in an interview with Kathpress that the foundation would continue to work intensively on reconciliation between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Churches. Koja, who takes over the office on January 1, 2025, succeeds Alfons M. Kloss, who will resign on the basis of his own decision at the end of 2024. During his tenure, Kloss successfully promoted significant initiatives, such as the ecumenical Middle East youth workshops and the “Healing of Wounded Memories” project. These topics are particularly relevant because they address current geopolitical conflicts and the need for reconciliation in the affected regions, according to Kloss.

Koja, who has an impressive diplomatic career, wants to further promote interreligious dialogue. According to pro-oriente.at , the foundation is understood as a pronounced bridge between the different churches and is committed to cooperation and communication worldwide. With a variety of projects that aim at the cooperation between Eastern and Westkirchen, Pro Oriente wants to contribute to peace formation in crisis regions. The youth in particular are brought into focus to enable future dialogues and agreements.

relationship between church and state

The Pro Oriente Foundation, which was founded on November 4, 1964 during the second Vaticanum, has established itself as a significant voice in the ecumenical dialogue. Their work is aimed at promoting the cooperation and understanding between the Eastern Churches and the western church in order to achieve common peace and reconciliation.