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Report of Second Meeting of Oriental Orthodox-Catholic Dialogue

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  • Report of Second Meeting of Oriental Orthodox-Catholic Dialogue

    Report of the Second Meeting of the
    International Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue
    Between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches

    Rome, Italy, 26-29 January 2005

    Catholic and Oriental Orthodox representatives, delegated by their
    churches, held their second meeting from 26-29 January 2005, as
    members of the International Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue
    between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches, under
    the co-chairmanship of H.E. Cardinal Walter Kasper, President of the
    Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and
    H.E. Metropolitan Amba Bishoy of Damiette, General Secretary of the
    Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church.

    The meeting was held in Rome at the Domus Internationalis Paulus VI,
    hosted by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
    Delegates were present from the Catholic Church and from the following
    Oriental Orthodox Churches: the Coptic Orthodox Church, the Syrian
    Orthodox Church, the Armenian Apostolic Church (Catholicosate of All
    Armenians), the Armenian Apostolic Church (Catholicosate of Cilicia),
    the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church, the Malankara Orthodox Syrian
    Church and the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahido Church.

    The representatives of the Oriental Orthodox Church held their
    separate preparatory meeting on Tuesday 25 January 2005. Both
    delegations held additional separate meetings during the
    dialogue. Each working day commenced with morning prayers and
    concluded with evening prayers and the meetings were conducted in a
    very cordial atmosphere.

    The delegates were invited to attend the ecumenical vespers
    traditionally celebrated at the conclusion of the Week of Prayer for
    Christian Unity on the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul (25
    January) at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, which were
    presided over by H.E. Cardinal Walter Kasper.

    The members of the Commission were received in audience by H.H. Pope
    John Paul II on Friday 28 January 2005. On behalf of the Commission
    Metropolitan Amba Bishoy addressed the Pope conveying the greetings of
    the Heads of the Oriental Orthodox Churches, and the Pope responded
    with a brief message of welcome and encouragement.

    On Friday 28th January the Commission was invited to share in vespers
    and a meal with the Benedictine Community of Sant* Anselmo.

    As had been agreed upon at the first meeting of the International
    Joint Commission in Cairo in January 2004, the principal themes were:
    a) Understanding of Communion, Constitutive Elements of Communion; b)
    Particular and Universal Communion, Meaning of Sister Churches and of
    Church Families; c) Full Communion and Degrees of Communion, Common
    Ecumenical Goal.

    During the course of the meeting papers were presented from the
    Catholic Church and Oriental Orthodox Churches on these themes: 1)
    *The Church as Communion in Early Christian Thought* (Fr. Mark
    Sheridan); 2) *Communion-Sister Churches-Church Families* (Archbishop
    Mesrob K. Krikorian); 3) *Full Communion and the Degrees of Communion,
    Common Ecumenical Goal* (Fr. Philippe Luisier); 4) *Full Communion and
    Degrees of Communion, Common Ecumenical Goal* (Metropolitan Amba
    Bishoy and Fr. Shenouda Maher); 5) *Particular Church/Universal
    Church, Sister Churches, Ecclesial Families* (Fr. Paul Rouhana); 6)
    *Understanding Communion, Constitutive Elements of Communion*
    (Rev. Megabe Biluy Seife Selassie Yohannes and Lique Hiruyan Getachew
    Guadie).

    Discussion in the plenary sessions on the papers allowed the
    participants to reach the following common affirmations:

    1) The Church by its very nature is a communion, which finds its
    source and model in the communion of the Holy Trinity, the Father,
    the Son and the Holy Spirit. This communion finds its expression in
    conciliarity/collegiality. The question of primacy should be
    further studied.
    2) The constitutive elements of communion include:
    a. the Apostolic faith as lived in the Tradition and as expressed in
    the Holy Scriptures, the first three ecumenical councils, and the
    Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed; we believe in Jesus Christ the
    Incarnate Word of God, the same being true God and true man; we
    venerate the Holy Virgin Mary as Mother of God;
    b. the celebration of the seven sacraments (baptism, confirmation/
    chrismation, eucharist, penance/reconciliation, ordination, matrimony,
    anointing of the sick); we consider baptism as essential for
    salvation; with regard to the Eucharist, we believe that it is the
    true Body and Blood of Jesus Christ;
    c. the ordained ministry in Apostolic succession. However, from a
    Catholic point of view, the question of the mutual recognition of
    baptism must be a point of further discussion,
    3) Thanks to the many shared elements of communion, the Catholic
    Church uses the phrases *real though incomplete communion* and
    *degrees of communion*. However, from the point of view of the
    Oriental Orthodox Churches, these terms require further study.
    4) The Oriental Orthodox Churches, being in full communion with each
    other in faith and sacraments, refer to their unity by the term
    *family of Churches*. However, from the point of view of the
    Catholic Church, this concept requires further study, since it is
    not a part of its tradition.

    The next meeting of the International Joint Commission will be hosted
    by the Catholicosate of All Armenians at Holy Etchmiadzin, Armenia,
    from Wednesday 25 January (day of arrival) till Tuesday 31 January
    2006 (day of departure). Both delegations will have separate meetings
    on Thursday 26 January. Friday 27, Saturday 28 and Monday 30 will be
    full meeting days for the Joint International Commission.

    Three papers from each side will be prepared on the following issues:
    1. Bishops in Apostolic Succession;
    2. Primacy and Synodality/Conciliarity;
    3. Synods, local and ecumenical (their ecclesiological meaning).
    Papers will be sent to the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian
    Unity in the Vatican, by November 15th , 2005, for communication to
    the members of the Commission, not later than December 1st, 2005.

    The members of the International Joint Commission were:

    Representatives of the Oriental Orthodox churches

    Coptic Orthodox Church : H.E. Amba Bishoy (co-chair), Metropolitan of
    Damiette, General Secretary of the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox
    Church; Rev. Fr. Dr. Shenouda Maher Ishak (Rochester, U.S.A) ;
    Syrian Orthodox Church : H.E. Mor Theophilus George Saliba, Archbishop
    of Mount Lebanon, Secretary of the Holy Synod of the Syrian Orthodox
    Church; H.G. Dr. Kuriakose Theophilose, M.S.O.T. Seminary, Vettickal,
    India;
    Armenian Apostolic Church (Catholicosate of all Armenians):
    H.E. Dr. Mesrob K. Krikorian, Archbishop of Vienna; H.E. Khajag
    Barsamian, Archbishop of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of
    America;
    Armenian Apostolic Church (Catholicosate 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 Catholicosate
    of Cilicia;
    Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church: Rev. Megabe Biluy Seife Selassie
    Yohannes, Member of the Scholar Council of the Patriarchate; Lique
    Hiruyan Getachew Guadie; Head of Department of Foreign Relations;
    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;
    Eritrean Orthodox Tewahido Church: Rev. Fr. Kaleab Gebreselassie,
    Co-ordinator for Foreign Affairs; H.G. Bishop Abuna Shenouda Zeamanuel
    (Rome), substitute for Mr. Yoftahe Dimetrios, General Director of the
    Eritrean Orthodox Church (prevented).

    Representatives of the Catholic Church

    H.E. Cardinal Walter Kasper (co-chair), President of the Pontifical
    Council for Promoting Christian Unity;
    H.E. Paul-Werner Scheele, Bishop em. of Würzburg, Germany;
    H.E. Amba Kyrillos William, Coptic Catholic Bishop of Assiut,
    President of the Ecumenical Commission of the Catholic Church in
    Egypt;
    H.E. Mons. Jules Mikhael Al-Jamil, Procurator of the Syrian Catholic
    Patriarchate to the Holy See and Apostolic Visitator in Europe;
    H.E. Mons. Boutros Marayati, Armenian Catholic Archbishop of Aleppo,
    President of the Ecumenical Commission of the Catholic Church in
    Syria;
    H.E. Mons. Woldetensae Ghebreghiorghis, Apostolic Vicar of Harar
    (Ethiopia), President of the Ecumenical Commission of the Catholic
    Church in Ethiopia and Eritrea;
    Rev. Fr. Mathew Vellanickal, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of
    Changanacherry, India;
    Rev. Fr. Ronald Roberson, C.S.P., Secretariat for Ecumenical and
    Interreligious Affairs of the United States Conference of Catholic
    Bishops, Washington, USA;
    Rev. Fr. Frans Bouwen, M.Afr., Consultant to the Pontifical Council
    for Promoting Christian Unity, Jerusalem;
    Rev. Fr. Philippe Luisier, S.J., Pontificio Istituto Orientale, Rome;
    Rev. Fr. Mark Sheridan, O.S.B., Dean of the Faculty of Theology,
    Pontificio Ateneo S. Anselmo, Rome;
    Rev. Fr. Boghos Levon Zekiyan, Pontificio Istituto Orientale, Rome;
    Rev. Fr. Paul Rouhana, O.L.M., Université Saint-Esprit, Kaslik,
    Jounieh, Lebanon;
    Prof. Dietmar W. Winkler, School of Theology, Boston University, USA;
    Msgr. Johan Bonny (co-secretary), staff-member of the Pontifical
    Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

    Metropolitan Bishoy
    Cardinal Walter Kasper

    Rome, 29 January 2005
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