The XIII. NAPS International Ecumenical Concert 2017
The 13th International Ecumenical Concert of NAPS was held just couple days before the death anniversary of the first president of modern Slovakia and Honorary Member of NAPS Institute, His Excellency Mr. Michal Kováč. With favor of late president’s family Institute NAPS decided to dedicate the event to honor his memory. „Mr. President Kováč became the Honorary Member of our Institute right in the first year of its existence and the gesture of the symbolic tribute to his memory is not only a great honor for us, but also a matter of our hearts,“ said NAPS founder Peter Solej for the media.
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 hosted the Orthodox Metropolitan Arsenios from Vienna, personal legate of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, and Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. „It is a great honor for us to have the spiritual leader of the Orthodox Christians on support our event and Institute ecumenical endeavor for a decade. At the same time, it is an honor to welcome the closest coworker of the Pope for ecumenical matters to be his first historical visit to Slovakia. I express my gratitude to these world-wide spiritual authorities for having another “Our Activity for Slovakia,“ said Solej. (Note: NAPS translate in Slovak Our Activities for Slovakia)
The concert has presented Christian and Jewish chants in various languages performed by more than 200 artists from Slovakia and Hungary.Popular choirs and groups such as Bratislava Boys Choir or Pressburger Klezmer Band were among the performers. The artists were accompanied by the Sinfonietta Orchestra under the baton of Adrian Kokoš. At the finale of the event, Christian Bishops gave blessings in five different languages and were joined by the prayer of the Jewish Rabbi. The concert has been attended by diplomats and ambassadors from many countries. The Slovak Minister of Agriculture and Regional Development, Mrs. Gabriela Matečná has endorsed this event by her presence, too.
NAPS Ecumenical Concert 2017 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 Mr. Igor Rintel,
President of the Central Union
of the Jewish Religious Communities in Slovakia.
Media Partners:
Radio and Television of Slovakia,
TV TA3,
TV LUX,
Press Agency of the Slovak Republic,
weekly Slovenka,
monthly METROPOLA,
monthly inba,
web-portal vyveska.sk