Ecumenism Archives

One year after order to exile, founder leaves Bose monastery

Jun 10, 2021

Italian lay monk Enzo Binachi, founder of a popular ecumenical monastery who was ordered to leave last year as a result of internal tensions within the community, has finally moved out and is now living on the outskirts of Turin.

By Elise Ann Allen

Germany’s ecumenical church assembly goes virtual

May 5, 2021

Instead of comfortable footwear, participants in Germany’s third ecumenical convention, or kirchentag, will need stable internet connections. Organizers had hoped to attract more than 100,000 visitors to the approximately 2,000 public events May 13-16. With the COVID-19 pandemic, that has changed.

By Catholic News Service

Exiled ecumenical founder says he’ll leave ‘as soon as possible’

Mar 30, 2021

Enzo Bianchi, the founder of a popular monastic community who was exiled last year but has yet to leave, said he intends to go as soon as possible.

By Elise Ann Allen

Top Vatican officials talk China, intercommunion, and al-Sistani

Mar 27, 2021

Two prominent Vatican prelates waded into hot-button issues in the areas of ecumenical and interfaith dialogue, voicing a desire to increase dialogue with China and outlining the Catholic Church’s rules for intercommunion.

By Elise Ann Allen

You are not alone, pope tells troubled ecumenical monastery

Mar 18, 2021

In a letter to members of the ecumenical Bose Monastery, plagued by a months-long internal conflict, Pope Francis told the community not to be discouraged and urged members to stay faithful to their vocation.

By Elise Ann Allen

Founder, ecumenical monk strikes back in tug-of-war with Vatican

Mar 13, 2021

Italian lay monk Enzo Bianchi has broken his silence amid an ongoing showdown with the Vatican, defending himself against what he said were lies that misconstrued the facts of his side of events.

By Elise Ann Allen

Pope intervenes to ask ecumenical founder to pack his bags

Mar 6, 2021

On Friday the stakes of an ongoing showdown between the Vatican and an Italian layman refusing an order to leave the monastery he founded were raised when Pope Francis directly intervened, asking for the founder’s compliance.

By Elise Ann Allen

Famed monastery to reopen property after founder refuses second order to exile

Feb 18, 2021

After closing one of their locations and setting it aside for the exclusive use of their founder, Italy’s Bose Monastery has announced their decision to reopen the property after the refusal of founder Enzo Bianchi to leave after twice being ordered to do so by the Vatican.

By Elise Ann Allen