The Roman Catholic- Oriental Orthodox joint commission calls for stronger ties

PAMPAKUDA, February 1: The Eleventh meeting of the International Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches have called for steps to ensure deep communion and cooperation that existed among the churches in the early centuries.

The five-day meeting of the International Joint Commission was concluded at Samanvaya Ecumenical Study Centre in Pampakuda*, Kerala, India on February 1.

“The relationship between the Churches should not be based on domination, but on mutuality and cooperation”, the meeting observed, while analyzing the nature and communion of the united and undivided Apostolic Church that existed till the fifth century A.D prior to the Chalcedonian schism.

Representatives of the Armenian Apostolic Church (Catholicosate of All Armenians), the Armenian Apostolic Church (Holy See of Cilicia), the Coptic Orthodox Church, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and the Roman Catholic Church are attending in the dialogues sessions. Representatives of the Antiochian Syrian Orthodox Church and the Eritrean Orthodox Church were unable to attend.

Archbishop Nareg Alemezian, Ecumenical Officer of the Holy See of Cilicia, and Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Commission for Christian Unity (PCPCU), co-moderated the plenary sessions. On January 28, the commission members held a separate meeting. The Joint Commission held plenary sessions on January 29, 30, 31 and February 1. On January 29,His Holiness Baselius Mar Thoma Paulose II, Catholicos–Patriarch of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, received the Commission members.

The next meeting of the International Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches will be held at the Vatican in Italy from January 24 to 31, 2015.
*Pampakuda is 38 km South East of Kochi and 49 km north of Kottayam town.
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