WCC congratulates Armenian Patriarch-elect of Jerusalem

Geneva, 2013 January 31: Archbishop Nourhan Manougian, newly elected as the 97th Patriarch of the Armenian Church in Jerusalem and Superior of the Brotherhood of Saint James, has received congratulations and an affirmation of support from Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC).

Writing on behalf of the WCC, Tveit expressed confidence “that your spiritual leadership in these critical moments, which the whole region is going through, will contribute to the peace building efforts of Christian churches worldwide.”

He acknowledged the crucial role of the Armenian Orthodox Church in Jerusalem as an active participant in the ecumenical life of the city, the region and the world.

Archbishop Nourhan Manougian, 65, succeeds the late Patriarch Torkom Manougian who died at age 93 in October 2012.

Read WCC general secretary’s letter to Archbishop Manougian:-

Congratulatory message for Armenian Patriarch elect of Jerusalem, Archbishop Nourhan Manougian

Your Beatitude,

On behalf of the fellowship of the member churches of the World Council of Churches, and with gratitude to our Triune God, I congratulate you on your election to the Throne of St James as the 97th Patriarch of the Armenian Church in Jerusalem, and the Superior of the Brotherhood of Saint James.

We are confident that your spiritual leadership in these critical moments, which the whole region is going through, will contribute to the peace building efforts of the Christian Churches worldwide. We believe that the role of the Armenian Church in Jerusalem will remain strong under your guidance; and, your witness to the Lord will bring new breath to the long and honorable history of the Patriarchate and the Brotherhood.

Our long history of cooperation makes us hopeful that, under your leadership, the Armenian Orthodox Church in Jerusalem will continue its active involvement in the ecumenical life in Jerusalem, strengthening the bonds of love and unity among Christians in the land of the Holy One, and also in the life of the World Council of Churches, and the global ecumenical family.

Your Beatitude has been chosen to lead your people in the way of the Crucified and Resurrected One. May He multiply the fruits of love entrusted to you. “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).

In Christ our Lord,

Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit

WCC general secretary

Courtesy: World Council of Churches
Document

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I CONGRATULATES ARCHBISHOP NOURHAN MANOUGIAN THE NEW PATRIARCH OF JERUSALEM

Antelias, Lebanon: On Thursday 24 January 2013, upon receiving the news of the election of Archbishop Nourhan as successor to the late Patriarch Torkom, Catholicos Aram I congratulated the Patriarch personally, and said, “The close relations we have enjoyed with the Patriarchate of Jerusalem should now be strengthened.” The Catholicos then added, “We should strengthen cooperation between the two Catholicosates, Etchmiadzin and Cilicia, with the two Patriarchates, Jerusalem and Constantinople. In this way, our people will also strengthen their cooperation and work together.”

His Holiness Abune Antonios I

His Holiness Abune Antonios, Third Patriarch of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewhado Church

Eritrean Patriarch Antonios was born in 1927 in the town of Hembrti, to the north of Asmara in the province of Hamisien. His father was a priest and at the age of five he entered the monastery of Debre Tsege Abuna Andrewes where he was educated for the service of the church, being ordained a deacon when he was twelve. Professed a monk and ordained priest in 1942, he was elected Abbot in 1955.

When the Eritrean Orthodox Tewhado Church first sought its independence, he was one of the five abbots of monasteries to be sent to Egypt to be ordained a bishop so that the church would have its own Holy Synod. He was ordained as Bishops Antonios of Hamasien-Asmara on 19 June 1994 in St. Mark’s Cathedral, Cairo, at the hands of His Holiness Shenouda III, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria..

Following the death in 2003 of Abune Yacoub, second Patriarch of the Eritrean Church, he was elected Patriarch in popular elections which were unanimously endorsed by the Holy Synod. His ordination and enthronement as Patriarch took place on 23 April in Asmara, at the hands of Pope Shenouda III, assisted by Eritrean and Coptic Orthodox Metropolitans and Bishops.

Concern had been growing about government interference in religious affairs and Patriarch Antonios increasingly resisted government interference, especially instructions emanating from Mr. Yeftehe Dimetros, the government’s official responsible for church matters. In January 2005 the Patriarch’s annual Nativity message was not broadcast or televised and the Eritrean Holy Synod met on 6-7 August 2005 with the main purpose of removing all executive authority from the Patriarch. Among accusations brought against the Patriarch, were his reluctance to excommunicate 3,000 members of the Medhane Alem, an Orthodox Sunday School movement, and his demands that the government should release imprisoned Christians accused of treason. He was allowed to officiate at church services but prohibited from having any administrative rôle in church affairs.

At first the government denied the removal of the Patriarch and pointed to the fact that he was performing certain ceremonial functions but while he was under virtual house arrest at his residence in Asmara a delegation travelled to Egypt on 25 July to seek the support of Pope Shenouda, for his deposition and replacement. His Holiness refused to recognise this as a canonical act and urged the faithful to pray for Patriarch Antonios who “is passing through a great tribulation. We hope that the Lord will rescue him.”

On 13 January 2006 a secret session of the Holy Synod was held in Asmara which formally removed the Patriarch from office and his detention was tightened to ensure he remained incommunicado. On 20 January, 2007, two priests accompanied by three security agents of the government entered the Patriarch’s residence and confiscated his personal pontifical insignia.

On 27 May 2007, in violation of the church’s constitution and canons, the government installed Bishop Dioscoros of Mendefera as anti-Patriarch. The same day, in the early hours of the morning, Abune Antonios, was forcibly removed from his residence and transported to an undisclosed location. The Patriarch suffers from severe diabetes and fears have been expressed for his continued wellbeing.

Catholicos of All Armenians Congratulates Newly Elected Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem

Etchmiadzin: On 29 January 2013, in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, extended His Blessings and Congratulations to His Eminence Archbishop Nourhan Manougian on the occasion of his election as the new Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem.
"… Glory to Almighty God that the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, with her cherished faithful service to the Church, will continue succeeding in her sacred Mission, in this Holy place. The hope from our soul is that with God’s blessings and under your leadership, the Brotherhood of St. James will continue serving God and protecting the sanctuaries of our Holy sites" - the congratulatory letter states in part.
His Holiness expresses his wish that Almighty God supports the newly elected Patriarch, and grants him productive works and on-going success. And that He strengthens the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem for the glory of the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church and the hope of the Armenian faithful.
Information Service of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

ROMAN POPE RECEIVES MEMBERS OF JOINT INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION FOR THEOLOGICAL DIALOGUE

The Members of the commission with the Pope Benedict XVI

Vatican City, 25 January 2013 (VIS) – Today in the Vatican, the Holy Father received the members of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches. The commission was instituted ten years ago as a initiative of the ecclesial authorities of the family of the Oriental Orthodox Churches and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

The commission has dedicated this week to exploring "more fully the communion and communication which existed between the Churches in the first five centuries of Christian history", Benedict XVI said, expressing his hope that "relations between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches will continue to develop in a fraternal spirit of cooperation, particularly through the growth of a theological dialogue capable of helping all the Lord’s followers to grow in communion and to bear witness before the world to the saving truth of the Gospel."

"Many of you," he concluded, "come from areas where Christians, as individuals and communities, face painful trials and difficulties which are a source of deep concern to us all. Through you, I would like to assure all the faithful of the Middle East of my spiritual closeness and my prayer that this land, so important in God’s plan of salvation, may be led, through constructive dialogue and cooperation, to a future of justice and lasting peace. All Christians need to work together in mutual acceptance and trust in serving the cause of peace and justice in fidelity to the Lord’s will. May the example and intercession of the countless martyrs and saints, who throughout the ages have borne courageous witness to Christ in all our Churches, sustain and strengthen all of us in meeting the challenges of the present with confidence and hope in the future which the Lord is opening before us."
VIS

"All Christians need to work together in mutual acceptance and trust"

VATICAN CITY, January 25, 2013 - Here is the text of the address Benedict XVI gave today to members of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches

* * *
ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI TO THE MEMBERS OF THE JOINT INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION FOR THEOLOGICAL DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND THE ORIENTAL ORTHODOX CHURCHES
Hall of the Popes
Friday, 25 January 2013

Your Eminences,

Your Excellencies,

Dear Brothers in Christ,

It is with joy in the Lord that I welcome you, the members of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches. Through you I extend fraternal greetings to the heads of all the Oriental Orthodox Churches. In a particular way I greet His Eminence Anba Bishoy, Co-President of the Commission, and I thank him for his kind words.

Before all else I would like to recall with appreciation the memory of His Holiness Shenouda III, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of Saint Mark, who died recently. I also remember with gratitude His Holiness Abuna Paulos, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Tewahedo Orthodox Church, who last year hosted the Ninth Meeting of the International Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I was saddened, too, to learn of the death of the Most Reverend Jules Mikhael Al-Jamil, Titular Archbishop of Takrit and Procurator of the Syrian Catholic Patriarchate in Rome and a member of your Commission. I join you in prayer for the eternal rest of these dedicated servants of the Lord.

Our meeting today affords us an opportunity to reflect together with gratitude on the work of the International Joint Commission, which began ten years ago, in January 2003, as a initiative of the ecclesial authorities of the family of the Oriental Orthodox Churches and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. In the past decade the Commission has examined from an historical perspective the various ways in which the Churches expressed their communion in the early centuries. During this week devoted to prayer for the unity of all Christ’s followers, you have met to explore more fully the communion and communication which existed between the Churches in the first five centuries of Christian history. In acknowledging the progress which has been made, I express my hope that relations between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches will continue to develop in a fraternal spirit of cooperation, particularly through the growth of a theological dialogue capable of helping all the Lord’s followers to grow in communion and to bear witness before the world to the saving truth of the Gospel.

Many of you come from areas where Christians, as individuals and communities, face painful trials and difficulties which are a source of deep concern to us all. Through you, I would like to assure all the faithful of the Middle East of my spiritual closeness and my prayer that this land, so important in God’s plan of salvation, may be led, through constructive dialogue and cooperation, to a future of justice and lasting peace. All Christians need to work together in mutual acceptance and trust in serving the cause of peace and justice in fidelity to the Lord’s will. May the example and intercession of the countless martyrs and saints who down the ages have borne courageous witness to Christ in all our Churches, sustain and strengthen all of us in meeting the challenges of the present with confidence and hope in the future which the Lord is opening before us. Upon you, and upon all those associated with the work of the Commission, I cordially invoke a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit’s gifts of wisdom, joy and peace. Thank you for your attention.

vatican.va

MORE

Benedict XVI notes hopes for Orthodox-Catholic Commission Zenit.org

Dialogue with Oriental Orthodox Churches Vatican Radio

THE 10TH SESSION OF THE INTERNATIONAL JOINT ROMAN CATHOLIC-ORIENTAL ORTHODOX COMMISSION FOR THEOLOGICAL DIALOGUE

Rome: The 10th session of the International Theological Dialogue Commission was held in Rome from 23 to 27 January 2013.

The representatives of the Oriental Orthodox Churches first met alone to discuss issues related to the family. The members of the joint commission discussed “The role of the Saints in the communion and communication between churches until the middle of the fifth century.”

The meeting ended with a dinner offered by Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity. On 25 January the members of the dialogue commission met with Pope Benedict XVI, and in the evening they attended the Prayers for Christian Unity presided over by the Pope at the St. Peter’s Cathedral.

The eleventh meeting of the Roman Catholic - Oriental Orthodox Theological Commission will be held from 27 January to 4 February 2014 in India.

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II

118th Pope of Alexandria and Patrarch of the See of St. Mark

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II was born Wagih Sobhy Baky Soliman on November 4th, 1952 in Mansoura. His father was an irrigation engineer and his family moved around during his childhood from Mansoura to Sohag and then to Damanhour.

He received his bachelor's degree in pharmacy in 1975 from Alexandria University and earned a fellowship for the World Health Organization from the British International Health Institute in England in 1985. He attended the Coptic Seminary and graduated in 1983. He then worked as a manager in a pharmaceutical company in Damanhour that was owned by the Ministry of Health.

His Holiness's life has always revolved around church since his youth; he wished to live the life of monasticism. He entered the Monastery of St. Pishoy in Wadi Elnatroun on August 20th, 1986 and remained a brother for two years. He was ordained a monk on July 31, 1988 and after a year he was ordained a priest on December 23, 1989. Two months after, H.H. Pope Tawadros started serving with H.E. Metropolitan Pakhomius of Beheira on February 15th, 1990. He was ordained a bishop on June 15th, 1997 by H.H. the Late Pope Shenouda III as a General Bishop assisting H.E. Metropolitan Pakhomius. His Holiness focused on childhood whether it was in the country-wide children's festival as well when he was in charge of the children's committee in the Holy Synod. Before assuming the papacy, H.H. wrote twelve books.

His Holiness was enthroned as the 118th Pope of Alexandria and Pope of the See of St. Mark on November 19th, 2012 at the Cathedral of St. Reweiss in Abbassiya, Cairo. The enthronement was presided by H.E. Metropolitan Pakhomius of Beheira, other metropolitans and bishops of the Coptic church and was attended by many delegates of Christian Churches.