The Tantur Ecumenical Institute's 50th Anniversary

On a hilltop in Jerusalem within view of Bethlehem sits the Tantur Ecumenical Institute, Notre Dame’s long-standing presence in the Holy

 Land. For 50 years, Tantur has been an oasis of encounter, learning, hospitality, and prayer. In October 2022, Notre Dame celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Tantur Ecumenical Institute and looked ahead to the next chapter of its service to the Church and the world. 

 

“Our location in the Holy Land is at the crossroads of cultures, religions, political forces, and so much more,” said Chuck Lamphier, executive director of Notre Dame’s Office of Mission Engagement and Church Affairs. “It is an extraordinary honor for the University to steward the Tantur Ecumenical Institute in Jerusalem on behalf of the Vatican, and to contribute to the search for peace and unity.”

Tantur was founded as the Catholic Church began to deepen its belief in the importance of ecumenical and interfaith engagement in the Vatican II era. With Christian unity being a recurring theme of the Second Vatican Council, some Protestant observers to the council suggested the creation of an institution that would contribute to Christian dialogue, research, and understanding. In January 1964, Pope Paul VI and Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I of Constantinople had a historic meeting in Jerusalem, the first such meeting in almost a millennium. To commemorate the reunion, and because of Jerusalem’s importance to several faith traditions, the Pope established a center for ecumenical study and prayer, today known as Tantur.

Pope Paul VI invited Rev. Theodore Hesburgh, C.S.C., a trusted friend and then-president of Notre Dame, to lead the center. The invitation underscored the Pope’s wish that the center be infused with a scholarly character and that it be grounded in respect for the wisdom and beauty found in the great religious traditions of the world.

“For 50 years, Tantur has welcomed Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant pilgrims and seekers, and has facilitated their research into the history of salvation,” said Rev. John Paul, S.J., current rector of the Tantur Ecumenical Institute. “Today, in addition to welcoming and educating pilgrims, Tantur pursues its own ‘citizenship in the Holy Land,’ trying to be an oasis where all are welcomed in a spirit of peace.”

In celebrating its 50th anniversary, the institute hosted leaders from the various Christian communities that call the Holy Land home. In expressing his congratulations on the anniversary, Pope Francis prayed that the Tantur Ecumenical Institute “will continue to bear much-needed fruit in today’s world, so afflicted by the effects of inequality, poverty, and war, for it is only by praying and working more closely together that Christians of different traditions will be able to offer a convincing proclamation of the saving, healing, and life-giving message of the Gospel.” The celebrations of the anniversary also included visits to various Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, along with prayer led by the brothers of the Taize community who have a long-standing affiliation with Tantur.

In addition to the work of Tantur Ecumenical Institute in Jerusalem, the University welcomes undergraduate and graduate students to the Holy Land while also facilitating faculty research, teaching, and service throughout the region.