|
|
We, Pope
Shenouda III, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St.
Mark, Patriarch Mar Ignatius Zakka I, Patriarch of Antioch and all
the East, and Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenians of the
Great House of Cilicia, give thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ for
granting us, once again, the opportunity to pray and to reflect
together on issues and challenges of common concern, at St. Ephrem
Monastery, in Ma’arat Saydnaya, Damascus, Syria. This is the tenth
time that we meet as Heads of Churches within the framework of the
Fellowship that we have established in 1996. The Standing Committee
that we have appointed has joined us.
In our meeting
here in Ma’arat Saydnaya we reaffirmed our unity of faith that, for
centuries, has been the basis of our common doctrinal position and
theological teachings. Deeply rooted in the Holy Scriptures, the
Apostolic Faith and Tradition, the three Ecumenical Councils (Nicea
325, Constantinople 381, and Ephesus 431) and the teachings of our
Church Fathers, our unity has sustained the life and witness of the
Churches of the Oriental Orthodox Family becoming a living source of
spiritual strength and missionary engagement. For the Oriental
Orthodox Churches the full communion and the visible unity of
churches are based on the unity of faith which is manifested through
Eucharistic communion and other Sacraments of the church.
In our unity of
faith we are not confined to the family of the Oriental Orthodox
Churches; we feel also responsible to strive for the unity of all
churches, both in our region and in different parts of the world. We
consider the visible unity of church a priority. We remain firmly
committed to the ecumenical movement both through the World Council
of Churches, as a global ecumenical fellowship, and the Middle East
Council of Churches, as a regional ecumenical fellowship. We will
continue our active role in the World Council of Churches. We
express our satisfaction for the adoption of the consensus decision
making by the World Council of Churches. The Ninth General Assembly
of the World Council of Churches has already conducted its business
in Porto Allegre, Brazil, according to this procedure. We encourage
the Permanent Committee on Consensus and Collaboration to continue
the mandate of the Special Commission on Orthodox Participation in
the World Council of Churches. We will also continue our active role
in the Middle East Council of Churches, and we look forward with
hope to the next General Assembly of the M.E.C.C. in Cyprus,
November 26-30, 2007.
H.H. Pope
Shenouda III and H.H. Patriarch Ignatius Zakka I extend their deep
gratitude to H.H. Catholicos Aram I for his ecumenical commitment
for so many years and his leadership in the World Council of
Churches, especially as its moderator for the last fourteen years.
In our endeavor for the unity of the church, our Churches are
engaged in a number of bilateral theological dialogues. We believe
that these theological dialogues with the Eastern Orthodox, Roman
Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran and Reformed Churches will further
affirm the orthodoxy of the Christological teachings of the Oriental
Orthodox Churches. Those theologians, who used to call us
monophysite (single nature), have came to realize that we are
miaphysite (one united nature), following the teachings of our
common father St. Cyril of Alexandria. There still exist differences
of doctrinal, ecclesiological, liturgical and ethical nature, which
need more dialogue and discussion with other churches. We should
keep in mind that the reception of the agreements of theological
dialogues by the churches needs time and patience.
Concerning the
Theological Dialogue between the Eastern Orthodox and the Oriental
Orthodox Families, His Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
I has commissioned the new co-president of the Joint Commission of
the dialogue Metropolitan Emmanuel of France to meet Catholicos Aram
I asking his assistance for the reactivation of this theological
dialogue. Subsequently the two co-presidents of the Joint
Commission, Metropolitan Emmanuel and Metropolitan Bishoy met at the
Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia, Antelias, Lebanon, on April 17,
2007 and discussed the future steps.
The
International Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the
Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches held its fourth
meeting from January 28 to February 3, 2007 in Rome. The fifth
meeting of the Commission will take place at St. Ephrem Syrian
Orthodox monastery, Ma’arat Saydnaya, Damascus, Syria, from January
27 to February 2, 2008, by the invitation of Patriarch Ignatius
Zakka I.
The Archbishop
of Canterbury H.G. Rowan Williams recently sent a delegation to
visit us in Lebanon, Egypt and Syria to discuss the possibility of
resuming the work of the Commission of Theological Dialogue between
our Churches and the Anglican Communion. In order to be able to
achieve this goal, we expect that the Archbishop of Canterbury hold
an official meeting with Catholicos Aram I, who is in charge of the
theological dialogues of our Fellowship. The purpose of this meeting
will be to clarify the current situation in the Anglican Communion,
share with the Archbishop the views and concerns of our three
Churches, and discuss practical steps for the resumption of the
dialogue.
We received
through Catholicos Aram I an invitation from the Lutheran World
Federation to strengthen relations with the Oriental Orthodox
Churches and to establish an instrument for regular bilateral
contacts. We welcome this invitation. We will convey this invitation
also to the other Churches of our Family.
We are fully
aware of the events surrounding us in our region. Our churches are
called to work constantly for the just peace in the Middle East. The
Christian-Muslim dialogue has been integral to the history,
civilizations and cultures of the Middle East. Our churches in this
region have been in existential dialogue with Islam. Due to emerging
new situations and new developments taking place especially in Iraq
and Palestine, continuous efforts must be made to deepen mutual
respect and understanding between Muslim and Christian scholars and
community leaders. Everybody has the right to explain and defend his
or her religion without becoming aggressive and offensive towards
the other religion. The same should apply to media which became a
highly sensitive agent affecting the relations between cultures,
religions and nations.
We condemn all
forms and expressions of violence. Religion should be a promoter of
love, hope and reconciliation, peace, justice and human rights.
Religion cannot be exploited for non-religious purposes. We urge all
those who, for one reason or other, use violence to resolve their
problems. The problems must be resolved through dialogue, mutual
understanding and mutual respect.
We focused our
attention on Iraq which is exposed to the destructive activities of
evil forces. This prevailing critical situation obliges a great
numbers of people, both Muslims and Christians, to emigrate from
their homeland. We encourage the United Nations (U.N.) and all the
humanitarian organizations to support the suffering people of Iraq,
wherever they are, till the Lord gives their country security and
stability.
We believe that
the peace process must continue with new impetus, and the
Palestinian people must have its independent state and the right to
return home. Israel must implement all Resolutions of the U.N.
Security Council by withdrawing from the occupied Arab territories,
including the Farms of Shabaa in South of Lebanon, Golan Heights and
Jerusalem. Only full justice will bring about comprehensive, real
and permanent peace in the Middle East.
We pray and
hope that the Lebanese leaders may soon reach, through frank
dialogue, to mutual understanding leading Lebanon to security,
peace, and unity with the participation of all communities.
We noted with satisfaction that the Christians in Iran are
participating in the social, cultural and economic life of the
country and enjoying the freedom of practicing their Christian
faith.
We greet the
President of the Republic of Syria, His Excellency Dr. Bashar
Al-Assad, the heads of all religious communities and the people of
Syria. We noted with joy that the Christians in Syria are engaged in
a renewal process: they are experiencing religious freedom; they are
organizing church activities; they are building new churches and
monasteries; and they are playing an active role in society and
contributing to the progress of the country.
We appeal to
our faithful, in the Middle East and throughout the world, to remain
firmly attached to the Gospel, its values and imperatives, and
participate more actively in the church’s total life and witness. We
are committed to intensify and deepen further our collaboration
within this Fellowship. We are also committed, under the guidance of
the Holy Spirit, to give a renewed efficiency and vitality to the
witness of our Churches particularly in educational, theological,
diaconal, evangelistic and ecumenical spheres.
As we conclude
our Tenth Meeting, we would like to express our thanks to His
Holiness Patriarch Mar Ignatius Zakka I for his warm hospitability.
May the peace
of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all the faithful of our Churches.
Shenouda III
Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark
Mar Ignatius Zakka I
Patrairch of Antioch and All the East
Aram I
Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia
Source: Cathcil
&
Suryoyo-online.org |
|
