Middle East Council of Churches
Office of International Ecumenical Relations P.O. Box 5376, Beirut, Lebanon

Guirgis Ibrahim Saleh, General Secretary mecc@cyberia.net.lb or
guirgissaleh@cyberia.net.lb

+961-1-353-938
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Friday, May 30, 2008 5:16 AM
ORIENTAL ORTHODOX STANDING COMMITTEE MEETS IN ST MARK – CAIRO

The Standing Committee of the Oriental Orthodox Churches in the Middle East
met in St Mark Coptic Orthodox Conference Centre – Cairo May 7 – 8. On the
9th, the meeting was presided by His Holiness Pope Shenouda of the Coptic
Orthodox Church, and His Holiness Patriarch Zakka Iwas I of the Syrian
Orthodox Church. His Holiness Catholicos Aram I of the Armenian Orthodox
Church was not able to travel from Beirut because of the special situation
in Lebanon. The Committee presented its working papers to the Heads of
Churches. No common declaration was issued until the Heads of Oriental
Orthodox meet again. There were many issues and reports on the agenda of the
meeting, regarding the relations and dialogues between the Oriental Orthodox
churches in the Middle East and the Anglican, Catholic and Lutheran Churches
as well as the World Council of Churches and the Middle East Council of
Churches.