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  • ANTELIAS: The Armenian Church participates in theological dialogue h

    Press Release
    Catholicosate of Cilicia
    Communication and Information Department
    Contact: V.Rev.Father Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
    Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
    Fax: (04) 419724
    E-mail: [email protected]
    Web: http://www.cathcil.org/

    PO Box 70 317
    Antelias-Lebanon

    Armenian version: http://www.cathcil.org/v04/doc/Armenian.htm

    THE ARMENIAN CHURCH PARTICIPATES IN THE THEOLOGICAL DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE
    CATHOLIC CHURCH
    AND THE ORIENTAL ORTHODOX CHURCHES


    The fourth meeting of the International Joint Commission for Theological
    Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches took
    place in Rome, at the new offices of the Pontifical Council for Promoting
    Christian Unity, from January 28 to February 3, 2007.

    Joining the delegates from the Catholic Church were representatives of the
    following Oriental Orthodox Churches: Coptic Orthodox Church, Syrian
    Orthodox Church, Armenian Apostolic Church-Catholicosate of All Armenians,
    Armenian Apostolic Church-Holy See of Cilicia, Malankara Orthodox Syrian
    Church, Ethiopian Orthodox Church, and Eritrean Orthodox Church.

    The Catholicosate of All Armenians was represented by Archbishop Mesrob
    Krikorian, (Primate of Vienna and Patriarchal Delegate for Central Europe
    and Scandinavia) and Archbishop Khajag Barsamian (Primate of the Eastern
    Diocese of the USA). On behalf of the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia
    Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan (Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy in the USA) and
    Bishop Nareg Alemezian (Ecumenical Officer) participated in the meeting.

    The members of the international commission were received in audience by
    His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI on February 1. His Eminence Anba Bishoy
    (Co-chair) greeted His Holiness the Pope on behalf of the members of the
    dialogue and thanked him for his efforts to promote dialogue with the
    Oriental Orthodox. Addressing the group, Pope Benedict said, "Your meeting
    concerning the constitution and mission of the Church is of great importance
    for our common journey towards the restoration of full communion. The
    Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches share an ecclesial
    patrimony stemming from apostolic times and the first centuries of
    Christianity." The Pope also expressed his concern for the situation of
    Christians in the Middle East, calling upon them to be "courageous and
    steadfast in the power of the Spirit of Christ."

    Following the plan for the dialogue that was adopted at the Preparatory
    Meeting in 2003, the following items were discussed during the course of the
    meeting: "Mission, Witness, Service and the Problem of Proselytism," "The
    Salvation of Non-Believers" and "Mixed Marriages with Non-Christians."

    The fifth meeting of the International Commission will take place January
    27 to February 2, 2008, at Saint Ephrem Syrian Orthodox Monastery in Maarrat
    Saydnaya near Damascus, Syria, at the invitation of His Holiness Patriarch
    Ignatius Zakka I.

    Read the report of the meeting below:



    REPORT
    The Fourth Meeting of the International Joint Commission for Theological
    Dialogue
    Between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches

    Rome, Italy, January 28 to February 3, 2007

    The International Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue
    between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches was initiated
    at the preparatory meeting in 2003. The fourth meeting of this official
    commission took place in Rome, at the new offices of the Pontifical Council
    for Promoting Christian Unity, from January 28 to February 3, 2007. Below is
    the report of the last meeting.


    The fourth meeting of the International Joint Commission for Theological
    Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches took
    place in Rome from January 28 to February 3, 2007, under the co-chairmanship
    of His Eminence Cardinal Walter Kasper, President of the Pontifical Council
    for Promoting Christian Unity and His Eminence Metropolitan Bishoy of
    Damiette, General Secretary of the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church.

    The meeting was originally scheduled to take place in Lebanon at the kind
    invitation of His Beatitude Patriarch Nasrallah Pierre Sfeir of the Maronite
    Church. Regrettably, the political situation in that country did not allow
    the members to meet there at this time. Instead, the meeting was held in
    Rome at the new offices of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian
    Unity. The members were hosted at the Domus Romana Sacerdotalis. Joining
    the delegates from the Catholic Church were representatives of the following
    Oriental Orthodox Churches: Coptic Orthodox Church, Syrian Orthodox Church,
    Armenian Apostolic Church (Catholicosate of All Armenians), Armenian
    Apostolic Church (Holy See of Cilicia), Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church,
    Ethiopian Orthodox Church, and Eritrean Orthodox Church.

    The Oriental Orthodox delegation met separately on January 29 and 30 in
    order to discuss themes in ecclesiology. During the course of these
    meetings, they produced a draft report that was later given to the Catholic
    members. The Catholic delegation met separately on January 30. The full
    International Joint Commission met on three consecutive days, on January 31,
    February 1 and 2. Each day began with a brief prayer service using material
    that had been produced for this year's Prayer for Christian Unity.

    The members of the international commission were received in audience by
    His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI on February 1. His Eminence Anba Bishoy
    greeted His Holiness the Pope on behalf of the members of the dialogue and
    thanked him for his efforts to promote dialogue with the Oriental Orthodox.
    He also presented him with an icon hand painted by Coptic Orthodox nuns in
    Egypt. Addressing the group, Pope Benedict said, "Your meeting concerning
    the constitution and mission of the Church is of great importance for our
    common journey towards the restoration of full communion. The Catholic
    Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches share an ecclesial patrimony
    stemming from apostolic times and the first centuries of Christianity. This
    'heritage of experience' should shape our future 'guiding our common path
    towards the re-establishment of full communion' (cf. Ut Unum Sint, 56)."
    The Pope also expressed his concern for the situation of Christians in the
    Middle East, calling upon them to be "courageous and steadfast in the power
    of the Spirit of Christ."

    Following the plan for the dialogue that was adopted at the Preparatory
    Meeting in 2003, the following papers were presented during the course of
    the meeting: "Mission, Witness, Service and the Problem of Proselytism," by
    Archbishop Khajag Barsamian; "The Mission of the Church," by Bishop
    Paul-Werner Scheele; "The Salvation of Non-Believers in the Patristic
    Period," by Rev. Mark Sheridan, OSB; "The Church and the Salvation of
    Non-Christians in the Second Vatican Council and Afterwards," by Msgr. Johan
    Bonny; "The Salvation of Non-Believers," by Metropolitan Bishoy, "Marriage
    Between Catholics and Muslims: A Catholic Perspective," by Archbishop Peter
    Marayati, and "Mixed Marriages With Non-Christians," by Metropolitan Bishoy.

    Because of technical difficulties, the drafting committee that had been
    named at the third meeting of the dialogue in Etchmiadzin, Armenia, was not
    able to meet. Its membership was modified, and is now composed of Catholic
    members Fr. Frans Bouwen, Fr. Mark Sheridan, Msgr. Johan Bonny, and Prof.
    Dietmar Winkler, and Oriental Orthodox members Metropolitan Bishoy,
    Metropolitan Theophilus George Saliba, Archbishop Mesrob Krikorian, and
    Bishop Nareg Alemezian. The drafting committee will meet in Rome on May 29
    and 30, 2007.

    On the evening of January 30, the members of the commission attended a
    Vespers service at the Church of the Transfiguration, a Catholic parish in
    Rome that also hosts a Coptic Orthodox community. The commission members
    later met with the parishioners and attended a festive meal provided by the
    parish. On the evening of February 1, His Eminence Cardinal Kasper hosted a
    meal at the Domus Sanctae Marthae in the Vatican to welcome the members to
    Rome. They were joined by a number of officials of the Pontifical Council
    for Promoting Christian Unity and other dicasteries of the Roman Curia.
    Metropolitan Bishoy thanked Cardinal Kasper and the staff of the Pontifical
    Council for Promoting Christian Unity for hosting the meeting.

    The fifth meeting of the International Commission will take place at Saint
    Ephrem Syrian Orthodox Monastery in Maarrat Saydnaya near Damascus, Syria,
    at the invitation of His Holiness Patriarch Ignatius Zakka I Iwas of the
    Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch. The Oriental Orthodox delegation will
    plan to arrive on January 27, and the Catholics on January 28, 2008. The
    two delegations will meet separately, and have full joint sessions on
    January 30, 31, and February 1, with departure on February 2. At this
    meeting the text prepared by the drafting committee will be considered, and
    one paper from each side will be presented on the goal of the ecumenical
    dialogue.

    The members of the Commission were:

    Representatives of the Oriental Orthodox Churches (in alphabetical order)

    Antiochian Syrian Orthodox Church: H.E. Mor Theophilus George Saliba,
    Archbishop of Mount Lebanon, Secretary of the Holy Synod of the Syrian
    Orthodox Church; H.E. Kuriakose Theophilose, Metropolitan of the Malankara
    Syrian Orthodox Theological Seminary, Kerala, India;

    Armenian Apostolic Church: Catholicosate of all Armenians: H.E. Mesrob K.
    Krikorian, Archbishop of Vienna and Patriarchal Delegate for Central Europe
    and Scandinavia; H.E. Khajag Barsamian, Archbishop of the Eastern Diocese of
    the USA;

    Armenian Apostolic Church: Holy See of Cilicia: H.E. Archbishop Oshagan
    Choloyan, Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy in the U.S.A.; H.G. Bishop Nareg
    Alemezian, Ecumenical Officer of the Holy See of Cilicia;

    Coptic Orthodox Church: H.E. Anba Bishoy (co-chair), Metropolitan of
    Damiette, General Secretary of the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church;
    Rev. Fr. Shenouda Maher Ishak, West Henrietta, NY;

    Eritrean Orthodox Church: Rev. Fr. Kaleab Gebreselassie Gebru, Coordinator
    for Foreign Affairs;

    Ethiopian Orthodox Church: Rev. Fr. Megabe Biluy Seife Selassie Yohannes,
    Lique Hiruyan Getachew Guadie (prevented);

    Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church: H.E. Philipos Mar Eusebios, Metropolitan
    of Pathanamthitta, Rev. Dr. John Mathews (co-secretary), Secretary of the
    Committee on Inter-Church Relations (prevented; substituted by Rev. Fr.
    Abraham Thomas, London).


    Representatives of the Catholic Church

    His Eminence Cardinal Walter Kasper (co-chair), President of the
    Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity;

    Most Reverend Paul-Werner Scheele, Bishop Emeritus of Würzburg (Germany);

    Most Reverend Amba Kyrillos William, Coptic Catholic Bishop of Assiut,
    President of the Ecumenical Commission of the Catholic Church in Egypt;

    Most Reverend Jules Mikhael Al-Jamil, Procurator of the Syrian Catholic
    Patriarchate to the Holy See and Apostolic Visitator in Europe;

    Most Reverend Peter Marayati, Armenian Catholic Archbishop of Aleppo,
    President of the Ecumenical Commission of the Catholic Church in Syria;

    Most Reverend Woldetensae Ghebreghiorghis, Apostolic Vicar of Harar
    (Ethiopia), President of the Ecumenical Commission of the Catholic Church in
    Ethiopia and Eritrea;

    Rev. Fr. Frans Bouwen M.Afr., Consultant to the Pontifical Council for
    Promoting Christian Unity; Jerusalem;

    Rev. Fr. Philippe Luisier SJ, Pontifical Oriental Institute, Rome;

    Rev. Fr. Ronald Roberson, CSP, Associate Director of the Secretariat for
    Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, US Conference of Catholic Bishops,
    Washington, DC;

    Rev. Fr. Paul Rouhana, OLM, Université Saint-Esprit, Kaslik, Jounieh,
    Liban;

    Rev. Fr. Mark Sheridan, OSB, Rector, Pontificio Ateneo S. Anselmo, Rome;

    Rev. Fr. Mathew Vellanickal, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of
    Changanacherry (India);

    Rev. Fr. Boghos Levon Zekiyan, Pontifical Oriental Institute, Rome;

    Prof. Dietmar W. Winkler, Paris Lodron Universität, Salzburg, Austria;

    Secretariat: Msgr. Johan Bonny (co-secretary), staff-member of the
    Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.


    Rome, February 2, 2007

    ##
    The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
    the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
    activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
    the Catholicosate, http://www.cathcil.org/ The Cilician Catholicosate, the
    administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.

    --Boundary_(ID_3cIe15CzhGj5Wk2y5S6NFA)--
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