How often do you have the chance to sit down with a cardinal, archbishops, bishops, clergy, theologians, and lay leaders, from the Orthodox and Catholic traditions—not across a formal conference table, but in joint prayer or over coffee, meals, and evening conversations with others who deeply care about the unity of the Church?
That spirit has defined the Orientale Lumen conferences for the last three decades, even
continuing virtually through the pandemic. This summer the gathering returns for its thirtieth meeting, in person.
Orientale Lumen XXX will take place July 13–15, 2026, at the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, DC. Since 1997 this event has been where Eastern Orthodox, Eastern Catholic, and Roman Catholic Christians come together not only for theological discussion, but also for genuine friendship and prayer. The Washington Theological Consortium is happy to co-sponsor this year’s conference.
This year’s conference comes at an important moment in ecumenical dialogue. Discussions will focus on recent agreements between Catholics and Orthodox concerning primacy and synodality, and on how these agreements can be lived concretely in the life of the Church.
The theme is “Ecumenical Crossroad: Consensus Achieved – What’s Next?”