Background
“In our fragmented world, Roman Catholic universities have a particular obligation to educate students to work towards greater understanding of the religious heritage we share with other Christians, particularly our Orthodox brothers and sisters. We need to study our history as well as meet those who also dream with us of fulfilling the prayer of Jesus “that all may be one.” Together we can work to heal past divisions and to respect present diversity within our common faith as Christians.”
— Fr. Michael E. Engh, S.J., Former Dean
Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts
As a Jesuit institution, Loyola Marymount University seeks to integrate reason with faith. The University places special emphasis on theological scholarship, as well as on ethics and spirituality. LMU educates its students not simply to tolerate but to appreciate and learn from traditions and faiths other than their own.
At a time when religious literacy is needed more than ever, the question of ecumenical relations takes a pressing importance. The urgency of the reestablishment of Christian unity was recognized by the Second Vatican Council under the leadership of Pope John XXIII. The epoch-making meeting between Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I and Pope Paul VI in 1965, and the Catholic-Orthodox Joint Declaration of 1965 have been followed by many similar fraternal encounters. At their meeting in Constantinople on November 30, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI and Patriarch Bartholomew I reaffirmed their commitment to sharing ‘the same sentiments and the same attitudes of fraternity, cooperation and communion in charity and truth.’
At the impetus of significant gifts from Michael Huffington and the Archangel Michael Foundation, Loyola Marymount University has established a unique institute to bring about greater ecumenical dialogue and exchange between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches. It is our hope that the Huffington Ecumenical Institute will encourage greater communication in the search for reconciliation between the Catholic and Orthodox communities, and beyond. LMU welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with Mr. Huffington in developing an institute of national and international prominence to provide a forum for critical discourse and fraternal understanding.