Joint communiqué issued by the Heads of the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church on April, 2008

Joint communiqué issued by the Heads of the Coptic Orthodox Church (COC) and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) on the occasion of the official visit of His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of Saint Mark to Ethiopia from April 11 to 13, 2008.

In the Name Of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, One God.

In this historical moment of the visit of His Holiness Pope Shenouda III. Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of Saint Mark upon the invitation of His Holiness Patriarch Paulos I of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church to Ethiopia, accompanied by a delegation of the Coptic Orthodox Holy Synod members and received by the Ethiopian Orthodox Holy Synod in Addis Ababa, we together thank our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ for the strong and historical relations between our two venerable Churches and for the harmony we are achieving in our mutual visits both in Egypt and Ethiopia.

We are looking forward to reinforcing the historical cooperation between our two Churches in preserving our common Orthodox Faith and Apostolic Tradition, following the teachings of our common Holy Fathers Saint Mark the Evangelist, Saint Athanasius the apostolic, Saint Kyrii the great and Saint Dioscorus the protector of the faith.

We take this opportunity to jointly sign this document together on behalf of our Churches asking all our clergy and people to activate the protocol of fifteen articles approved by our two Holy Synods and signed separately by ourselves in April 1994.

We, solemnly declare that guided by the Holy Spirit and on behalf of our Churches clergy and peoples, subscribe our joint signatures on this document.

May God bless the Coptic Orthodox Church (COC) and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC)