PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: info@armenianorthodoxchurch.org
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
Armenian version: nian.htm
THE ARMENIAN CHURCH PARTICIPATES IN THE FIFTH MEETING OF THE THEOLOGICAL
DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND THE ORIENTAL ORTHODOX CHURCHES
The fifth meeting of the International Joint Commission for Theological
Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches took
place in St. Ephrem Syrian Orthodox Monastery in Maarrat Saydnaya,
Damascus-Syria, January 27 to February 2, 2008, at the kind invitation of
His Holiness Patriarch Ignatius Zakka I Iwas of the Syrian Orthodox Church
of Antioch and All the East. The meeting was chaired jointly by 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.
Joining delegates from the Catholic Church were representatives of 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-Holy See of Cilicia, and the
Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Representatives of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian
Church and the Eritrean Orthodox Church were unable to attend.
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
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).
The two delegations met separately before the first plenary session, which
took place on January 29. The bulk of the meeting was devoted to the
examination of a draft document produced by the drafting committee, entitled
"Nature, Constitution and Mission of the Church." The drafting committee
will elaborate the document in the light of the discussion at this plenary
session and present a revised text at the next meeting. In addition, two
papers were presented on the goal of our dialogue
On the morning of January 31, on behalf of the Commission, His Holiness the
Syrian Orthodox Patriarch and His Eminence Walter Cardinal Kasper were
received by His Excellency Dr. Bashar Al-Assad, President of the Syrian Arab
Republic. His Eminence Metropolitan Bishoy was unable to attend for health
reasons.
On the evening of January 31, the members of the commission attended a
concert in the patriarchal cathedral. The event was followed by a banquet in
the seminary that was attended by government officials as well as Muslim and
other Christian leaders.
The sixth meeting of the International Commission will be hosted by the
Catholic Church in Rome in January 25-31, 2009.
##
January 27-February 2, 2008, the fifth meeting of the International Joint
Commission for Theological Dialogue Between the Catholic Church and the
Oriental Orthodox Churches took place in Syria. On behalf of the Armenian
Catholicosate of Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan (Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy
in the USA) and Bishop Nareg Alemezian (Ecumenical Officer) participated in
the meeting. Here is the report of the Commission meeting.
REPORT
The Fifth Meeting of the International Joint Commission for Theological
Dialogue
Between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches
Maarrat Saydnaya, Syria, January 27 to February 2, 2008
The fifth meeting of the International Joint Commission for Theological
Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches took
place at St Ephrem Syrian Orthodox Monastery in Maarrat Saydnaya, Syria,
January 27 to February 2, 2008, at the kind invitation of His Holiness
Patriarch Ignatius Zakka I Iwas of the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch and
All the East. The meeting was chaired jointly by 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.
Joining delegates from the Catholic Church were representatives of 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 (Holy See of Cilicia), and the
Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Representatives of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian
Church and the Eritrean Orthodox Church were unable to attend.
The two delegations met separately before the first plenary session, which
took place on January 29. The bulk of the meeting was devoted to the
examination of a draft document produced by the drafting committee, entitled
"Nature, Constitution and Mission of the Church." There was broad agreement
about the main lines of the draft document. The drafting committee will
elaborate the document in the light of the discussion at this plenary
session and present a revised text at the next meeting. The document
mentions points for further study and discussion that will be taken up in
future meetings.
In addition, papers were presented by His Eminence Archbishop Khajag
Barsamian and by Rev. Fr. Frans Bouwen on the goal of our dialogue. Each
day began with a prayer service using material that had been produced for
the 2008 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Special prayers were offered
for the repose of the soul of His Beatitude Archbishop Christodoulos of the
Orthodox Church of Greece, who passed away on January 28.
On the morning of January 30, His Holiness Patriarch Ignatius Zakka I Iwas
invited the two other Patriarchs in Damascus to meet the dialogue members.
These were His Beatitude Ignatius IV Hazim, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of
Antioch and All the East, and His Beatitude Gregory III Laham, Greek
Catholic Melkite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East. His Excellency the
Apostolic Nuncio to Syria, Archbishop Giovanni Battista Morandini, also was
present. During this encounter the Syrian Orthodox Patriarch spoke about
the new ecumenical relationship that has existed between Catholics and
Oriental Orthodox in recent decades, and pointed in particular to the Joint
Statement on Pastoral Issues signed by himself and His Holiness Pope John
Paul II in 1984, noting that the agreement provided for cooperation saying
that "by cooperating in priestly formation, that is, by sharing facilities
in regard to the education of the clergy and having the service of
professors of theology from either church, we hope that we will be able to
understand each other better and that would help to bring us much closer.
Now, with the formation of the official Catholic-Oriental Orthodox Joint
Commission for Theological Dialogue, I believe that the way has been cleared
for better relationships between the Roman Catholic Church and not only my
Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch, but the whole family of the Oriental
Orthodox Churches. And may the prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ, ‘that they
may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in me, and I in Thee, that they
also may be in us,’ (St. John 17:21) be fulfilled in all of us."
On the morning of January 31, His Holiness the Syrian Orthodox Patriarch and
His Eminence Walter Cardinal Kasper were received by His Excellency Dr.
Bashar Al-Assad, President of the Syrian Arab Republic. His Eminence
Metropolitan Bishoy was unable to attend for health reasons. The Patriarch
and Cardinal were kindly received, and the President expressed a lively
interest in promoting good relations between Christians and Muslims, and
fraternal relations and cooperation among the various Christian churches.
The importance of the Christian presence in the Middle East was emphasized.
The Patriarch and the Cardinal expressed their gratitude for Syria’s
reception of many refugees from Iraq, and for promoting conditions in which
Christians can live in religious freedom in this country.
On the evening of January 31, the members of the commission attended a
concert in the patriarchal cathedral. The program was presented by the
Damascus Symphony Orchestra and the combined choirs of St. Ephrem’s Seminary
and the patriarchal church in Damascus. The event was followed by a banquet
in the seminary that was attended by government officials as well as Muslim
and other Christian leaders.
The members of the International Dialogue were most grateful to His Holiness
the Syrian Orthodox Patriarch for his very generous hospitality during the
meeting at St. Ephrem Monastery, and to the members of the monastic
community, the nuns and the patriarch’s staff for doing so much to promote a
cordial atmosphere for the meeting.
The sixth meeting of the International Commission will be hosted by the
Catholic Church in Rome in January 2009. The day of arrival will be January
24 or 25, enabling the members to take part in the Vespers Service at St.
Paul’s Outside the Walls Basilica for the conclusion of the Week of Prayer
for Christian Unity. The two delegations will meet separately on Monday
January 26. January 27, 28, 29 and 30 will be set aside for plenary
sessions, with departures on Saturday January 31. At this session work will
continue on the common statement on ecclesiology, and each side will present
one paper "The Exercise of Communion Among the Churches in the First Five
Centuries" and another paper "Reception of Councils in the First Five
Centuries."
The members of the Commission are:
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: hhhhhH.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, Archbishop 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; H.G. Bishop Daniel of the
Coptic Orthodox Church in Sydney, Australia (observer);
Eritrean Orthodox Church: Rev. Fr. Kaleab Gebreselassie Gebru, Coordinator
for Foreign Affairs (unable to attend);
Ethiopian Orthodox Church: Rev. Fr. Megabe Biluy Seife Selassie Yohannes,
Lique Hiruyan Getachew Guadie (unable to attend);
Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church: H.E. Philipos Mar Eusebios, Metropolitan
of Pathanamthitta (unable to attend), Rev. Dr. John Mathews (co-secretary),
Secretary of the Committee on Inter-Church Relations (unable to attend).
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,
Lebanon (unable to attend);
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.
Maarrat Saydnaya, Syria, February 2, 2008
##
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, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress