From 9 to 11 September 2026, the annual meeting of the Joint Committee of the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE) and the Conference of European Churches (CEC) will be held in Frankfurt am Main. The proceedings will focus on the Charta Oecumenica and synodality within the Church across the various Christian traditions.
The meeting will open on Wednesday 9 September with a prayer and welcoming remarks from H.E. ArchbishopNIKITAS of Thyateira and Great Britain, President of the CEC, and from H.E. Msgr. Gintaras GRUŠAS, Archbishop of Vilnius and President of the CCEE. This will be followed by a discussion on the main developments and issues relating to the work of the CCEE and the CEC since the last meeting of the Joint Committee, held in Rome in November 2025, with updates from Msgr. Antonio AMMIRATI, General Secretary of the CCEE, and from Rev. Frank-Dieter FISCHBACH, General Secretary of the CEC.
On Thursday 10 September, the first session will be devoted to the Charta Oecumenica, with a reflection on the previous meeting in Rome, the process of implementing the Charta, and the next steps. Dr. Verena HAMMES, of the ACK – Council of Christian Churches in Germany, will present the process of implementing the Charta Oecumenica in Germany. Following this will be reports from the CCEE and the CEC on the process of reception and future steps, presented respectively by Rev. Fr. Charbel BTEICH, Vice General Secretary of the CCEE, and by Rev. Dr. Karin SARJA, Member of the CEC Governing Board.
Considerable attention will be devoted to synodality within the Church across the various Christian traditions. H.Em. Cardinal Jean-Claude HOLLERICH SJ, Archbishop of Luxembourg and Vice-President of the CCEE, will present the process, experience, outcomes and follow-up to the World Synod within the Catholic Church. Bishop Frank KOPANIA, of the Protestant Church in Germany and Vice-President of the CEC, will speak on synodality within the Protestant Churches.
In the afternoon, Archpriest Radu Constantin MIRON, of the Church of Greece, will present the Orthodox Church’s perspective, whilst Bishop Dr. Dagmar WINTER, of the Scottish Episcopal Church, will address the theme of synodality in the Anglican Church. These different perspectives will come together in a joint discussion on synodality as a defining feature of the Church.
The proceedings will conclude on Friday 11 September with a meeting with the leadership of the Protestant Church of Hesse and Nassau, focusing on current issues and synodality within the Church.