The XII. NAPS International Ecumenical Concert 2016

The 12th NAPS International Ecumenical Concert held on Sunday 18 September at the historical building of the Slovak National Theater in Bratislava was the climax of the cultural summer season in Bratislava. The aim of the concert is to connect people, deepen the dialog and foster tolerance among nations and followers of different religious traditions. For the third time it was the final event of the Cultural Summer and Castle Festivals in Bratislava officially opened by the Mayor of the Slovak Capital City of Bratislava, Mr. Ivo Nesrovnal.

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The event was traditionally held under the auspices of the highest representatives of five biggest Christian Churches and Jewish Religious Community in Slovakia. This year event was organized again by NAPS in cooperation with the Slovak Capital City of Bratislava and Bratislava Cultural and Information Center.

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“When the Pope Francis visited the concentration camp Oswiecim during the Krakow World Youth Day he remained there in silence… Let’s quiet down and together contemplate and submit to God all our joys and wishes as well as pain and suffering. Let’s think about nations living in unrest and wars,“ stated in his speech Peter Solej, NAPS founder. He said for the media that the message of ecumenical concert rests upon tolerance with the common denominator in biblical values of respect and friendship to have originated in the Jewish-Christian tradition of our region.

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For the first time in the history of the concert it has been held under the common patronage of presidents of two countries: the Hungarian President H. E. Mr. János Áder and the Slovak President H. E. Mr. Andrej Kiska. The concert has presented Christian and Jewish chants in various languages performed by artists from Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Russia and Kazakhstan. The guest stars of the evening were the Slovak National Theater Opera soloists Pavol Remenár and Eva Hornyaková. At the finale of the event, Christian hierarchs gave blessings in five different languages and were joined by the prayer of the Jewish Rabbi. The concert has been attended by ambassadors and deputy heads of diplomatic missions from 23 countries. The Slovak Minister of Agriculture and Regional Development, Mrs. Gabriela Matečná has endorsed this event by her presence, too.

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NAPS Ecumenical Concert 2016 Held under the Auspices:

His Excellency Monsignor Stanislav Zvolenský,
Metropolitan Archbishop of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bratislava,
The President of the Catholic Bishops´Conference of Slovakia,

The Reverend Mr. Miloš Klátik,
General Bishop of the Evangelical Church of Augsburg Confession
and President of the Ecumenical Council of Churches in Slovakia,

His Eminence The Most Reverend Ján Babjak, SJ,
Archbishop of Prešov and Metropolitan of Greek Catholic Church in Slovakia,
Member of the Congregation of the Holy See for Oriental Churches in Vatican,

The Very Reverend Mr. László Fazekas,
Bishop of the Reformed Christian Church in Slovakia
and Vice-President of the Ecumenical Council of Churches in Slovakia,

His Beatitude The Most Blessed Rastislav,
Orthodox Archbishop of Prešov
and Metropolitan of Czech Lands and Slovakia,

The Esteemed Prof. Pavel Traubner,
Honorary President of the Central Union
of the Jewish Religious Communities in Slovakia.

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Media Partners:

Radio and Television of Slovakia,
TV TA3,
TV LUX,
Press Agency of the Slovak Republic,
weekly Slovenka,
monthly METROPOLA,
monthly DIMENZIE,
monthly inba,
web-portal vyveska.sk

Photoalbum of the event