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World Unitarian leaders come in pilgrimage to Michael Servetus Birth House

The president of the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists (ICUU), Rev. Gordon Oliver, and the president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, Rev. William Sinkford, will lead a group of more that 70 Unitarian leaders from around the world in their visit to the house where the Spanish heretical theologian and scientist Michael Servetus was born, in the village of Villanueva de Sijena (Aragón-Spain), next November 6, 2005. Unitarians see Servetus as the pioneer and first martyr of their religion.

Rev. Gordon Oliver was mayor of Cape Town and director of the 1999 Parliament of World’s Religions, before being ordained for the ministry of the Unitarian Church of South Africa. Rev. William Sinkford is considered one of the most influential African-American leaders in the USA, along with Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, according to the most prestigious website on religion, Beliefnet.com.

The Unitarian leaders will hold their biannual world summit at a hotel and convention center next to the Abbey of Montserrat (Barcelona) under the auspices of the ICUU and the Unitarian Universalist Religious Society of Spain (SUUE).

Aware of this historical event, the Michael Servetus Institute, which is in charge of the maintenance and preservation of the Servetus Birth House, will unveil a plaque commemorating the visit and organize a series of activities to welcome the Unitarian delegates. The event will end with a solemn procession and offering of candles at the feet of the statue of Servetus at the main square of the village.

The Michael Servetus Institute and the Unitarian Universalist Religious Society of Spain would like to invite all those wanting to join us for this event.

The event will start at 12 a.m., on November 6th, 2005, in the Birth House of Michael Servetus, Ramón J. Sender no. 21, Villanueva de Sijena (Aragón-Spain).