Dialogue between Orthodox Churches and Oriental Churches resumes after 31 years

On the 16th and 17th September, Egypt hosted a meeting of the Official Theological Dialogue Committee between the Oriental Orthodox Churches and the Eastern Orthodox Church.

At the conclusion of the meeting all participants "...expressed the wish, that all Christians may become ambassadors (cf. II Cor 5:20) of Christ’s message to the modern society, to transfigure the world with the light of truth and wisdom." (from Orthodox Times article below)

The meeting, which was held at the “Logos” Conference Center at the Monastery of St. Bishoy (Paisios the Great) in Wadi El Natrun, Egypt, aimed to resume and re-evaluate the official theological dialogue after a 30-year hiatus.

Above and right: Participants gather in Egypt to resume dialogue between Orthodox and Oriental Churches.   Image credit: OCP News Service

The OCP News Service  article:

The meeting was opened with the blessing of His Holiness Pope Tawadros, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, who welcomed the attendees, followed by the speech of His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew (officially read by the Patriarch’s representative, Metropolitan Emmanuel).

During the meeting, the moral, pastoral, and doctrinal issues facing the two church families were discussed with the aim of reaching a unified position.

This significant meeting is a crucial step towards renewing dialogue and strengthening unity between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches, reviving talks that have been suspended for three decades.

The Eastern Orthodox delegation includes representatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Patriarchates of Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, Russia, Romania, and Bulgaria, as well as the churches of Cyprus, Greece, Poland, and Albania. 

The Oriental Orthodox delegation also includes representatives of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria (the host church), the Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East for the Syrian Orthodox, the Catholicosate of Etchmiadzin and Antelias for the Armenian Orthodox, the Orthodox Ethiopians, and the Orthodox Eritreans.

Source: OCP News Service | A New Era of Dialogue Begins for Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox Churches at Cairo | Gerges Mounir Hanna – OCP News Service – 17 September 2024

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