Relations with Ecumenical Groups
Oomoto keeps friendly relations not only with other religions, but with international ecumenical groups such as the Temple of Understanding (TOU), Dean Morton’s Interfaith Center of New York, the World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP), and many others. Among these, one of the most active links in recent times is with the Community of St. Egidio.
The Community of St. Egidio
The Community of St. Egidio was founded in 1968 by a group of high school students in Rome. Centered around the small Church of St. Egidio, the Community, made up mostly of lay Catholics, supports numerous humanitarian projects around the world. Today the Community has grown to nearly 5000 members, who contribute work on their own time as unpaid volunteers.
Since 1986 the Community of St. Egidio has sponsored a yearly “World Day of Prayer for Peace”, gathering religious leaders from around the world for a day of joint prayer and discussion. The first of these, held at Assisi, Italy on October 27, 1986, was hosted by Pope John Paul II.
Aizenkai President Yasumi Hirose has led Oomoto delegations to four of the St. Egidio gatherings, starting with Warsaw (1989), and most recently in Rome on October 10, 1996. Dr. Agostino Giovagnoli of the Community of St. Egidio has reciprocated by visiting Oomoto in August 1995 and 1996.
