Orientalische Kirchen

Agreement on Inter-Church MarriagesMixed Marriages; Pastoral Guidelines for Catholics and Orthodox; Bishops' Function and Role at Local and Regional Levelshttp://www.prounione.urbe.it/dia-int/oo-rc_syrindia/doc/e_oo-rc_syrindia_1994agr.html19. November 1993Joint Commission between the Catholic Church and the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church (India)This agreement between the Catholic Church and the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church on inter-church marriages has been prepared taking into account the following elements of the Common Declaration of Pope John Paul II and the Syrian Orthodox Patriarch Zakka I Iwas of Antioch, dated 23rd June 1984.

Common Christological Declaration between the Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East

The Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East - its precise name - is one of the most ancient Eastern Churches. Its origins go back to the preaching of St Thomas the Apostle and his disciples Addai and Mari in the first century. With a history marked by great missionary zeal, this Church of the Eastern Syriac language extended from the territories identified with ancient Mesopotamia all the way to India (where it brought Christianity to the Malabar Coast), Tibet, Mongolia and Manchuria.

Common Declaration

In May 1973, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III paid a cordial visit to His Holiness, the late Pope Paul VI in Rome. This was the first meeting between an Alexandrine and Roman Pontiff since the time of the great schism of 451 AD. Both Popes signed a common Declaration, containing, amongst other things, a confession of common Faith in the mystery of the Word Incarnate.

Common Declaration

During the reign of Patriarch Mar Yacoub III an attempt was made to narrow down the differences in explaining Christology between the Syriac Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church. This resulted in a joint declaration issued in Vatican on 27 October, 1971 signed by Patriarch Ya`qub and Pope Paul Vl.

Common Declaration

In their Common Declaration (June 1984), Pope John Paul II and Patriarch Ignatius Zakka I Iwas considered the two churches so close that they even envisaged cooperation in pastoral care, including some sacramental sharing. The historic nature of this declaration goes without saying. It is the first time in modern history that the Catholic Church and a church separated from it have agreed mutually to allow some forms of sacramental sharing. The same declaration also envisages cooperation in the formation and education of clergy.

Common Declaration

The Armenians are considered non-Chalcedonian. The extent of their divergence from orthodox Christology, if any at all, was resolved by the Common Statement of Pope John Paul II and Armenian Catholicos (Patriarch) Karekin I during the latter's visit to Rome in December, 1996.

Common Declaration

At the end of their meeting on Saturday, 25 January, 1997 Pope John Paul II and Catholicos Aram I Keshishian signed a Common Declaration. The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity recalls the urgent need for full communion between Christians, for the sake of carrying out their essential mission which is first and foremost the witness to Christ who died and rose for humanity's salvation, they said in their joint statement, which was written in French.

Common Declaration

Common Report

To the Orthodox, the Church of Christ is One Unique Catholic and Apostolic Church. She is the same everywhere and at all times. The Church of Alexandria is the Church Universal (Catholic) in Alexandria. If the Church be called local, that means that it is one and the same Church Universal with all its qualities and treasures of Christ and the Holy Spirit, as acting in the place, whether it is in a form of one diocese headed by its bishop or a group of dioceses in one or more than one country governed by the Holy Synod with the Patriarch as head.

Common Report

The participants felt it useful to prepare a statement on Christology which would be a definitive presentation of their thought concerning the christological understanding of both Churches. Using material contained in the Common Declaration of Pope Paul VI and Pope Shenouda III and the Commission's report of March 30, 1974, they unanimously agreed to the statement attached to this report.

Common Report

Following upon the previous meetings of this commission, especially that of Vienna, there have been a series of meetings, letters and other communications between representatives of our Churches. From all this, the following emerge as general principles for the relations between our Churches and as practical proposals for furthering these relations.

Common Report

In that meeting in the Monastery of Saint Bishoy, Wadi El Natrun, in Egypt we found ourselves in agreement on many issues of faith. In that meeting also a mixed commission was formed to discuss the issues of difference of doctrine and faith between the two Churches aiming at church unity. Previously in Vienna, September 1971, Pro Oriente arranged a meeting between theologians of the Catholic Church and those of the Oriental Orthodox Churches: the Coptic, the Syrian, the Armenian, the Ethiopian, and the Indian. They achieved an agreement concerning Christology.

Doctrinal Agreement on Christology

Our Lord Jesus Christ is one, perfect in his humanity and perfect in his divinity � at once consubstantial with the Father in his divinity, and consubstantial with us in his humanity. His humanity is one with his divinity � without change, without commingling, without division and without separation. In the Person of the Eternal Logos Incarnate are united and active in a real and perfect way the divine and human natures, with all their properties, faculties and operations.

Fifth Meeting of the Heads of the Oriental Orthodox Churches in the Middle East

St. Ephrem Monastery, Ma'Arat Sadnaya, Damascus, Syria. We have recommitted ourselves to the decisions taken by our Churches in the context of our common witness and service to our faithful in the world and particularly in the Middle East, where the Christian witness was faithfully carried on by our fathers since the apostolic era.

First Meeting of the Heads of the Oriental Orthodox Churches in the Middle East

Monastery of the great Saint bishoy in Wadi El Natroon, Egypt. We have gathered together as Heads of the Oriental Orthodox Churches in the Middle East to re-affirm our unity of faith and our common ministry in the life of our people in the Middle East and all over the world, and explore together the most efficient ways and means to strengthen our common presence and witness in the region.

Fourth Meeting of the Heads of the Oriental Orthodox Churches in the Middle East

St. Mark Center of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Cairo, Egypt. We have come again together as a fellowship of the Oriental Orthodox Churches in the Middle East, to pray together, to re-affirm our unity in faith and our firm attachment to the first three Ecumenical Councils of Nicea (325), Constantinople (381) and Ephesus (431), as well as to the teachings of our church fathers.

Gemeinsame Erkl�rung

Gemeinsame Erkl�rung von Papst Johannes Paul II. und Karekin II., Katholikos aller Armenier, in der Kathedrale des heiligen Etschmiadzin, Republik Armenien aus Anlass des 1700j�hrigen Jubil�ums der Verk�ndigung des Christentums als Religion Armeniens.

Guidelines for Admission to the Eucharist between the Chaldean Church and the Assyrian Church of the East

Given the great distress of many Chaldean and Assyrian faithful, in their motherland and in the diaspora, impeding for many of them a normal sacramental life according to their own tradition, and in the ecumenical context of the bilateral dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East, the request has been made to provide for admission to the Eucharist between the Chaldean Church and the Assyrian Church of the East.

Interim Report on Ecclesial Eucharistic Communion

We give thanks to God for having brought us together again to pray and work for the advancement of unity and for the strengthening of relations between our two churches, on our way to the restoration of Eucharistic communion. We experienced again the presence of the Holy Spirit among us, leading us in Christ to that unity for which He prayed.

Interim Report on Marriage

The Commission in its first meeting held at Sophia Center, Kottayam, from Oct. 22 to 25, 1989 had set up a sub-commission to study the issue of marriages between the members of the Catholic Church and the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. The sub-commission presented its study report to the commission in its second meeting held at Spirituality Center, Manganam, Kottayam from 9th - 12th Dec. 1990.

Joint Communique

Joint Communique of Pope John Paul II and Catholicos Karekin II on the occasion of the Jubilee of the Year 2000 and on the threshold of the 1700th anniversary of the proclamation of Christianity as the state religion of Armenia.

Joint Declaration

For various reasons the Armenian Apostolic Church refused to accept the Council of Calcedonia which decreed the two natures in the person of Jesus Christ. But in the common declaration signed by Pope Paul VI and Vasken I (1967) both Churches recognise the same Christology, although expressed in different terms.

Joint Declaration

For the first time in the history of the Roman Catholic and Armenian Apostolic Churches, a Bishop of Rome visited Armenia. This historical and ground-breaking meeting between the two lungs of Christianity took place on Tuesday when HH Pope John-Paul II started a three-day pilgrimage to Holy Etchmiadzin. Before leaving Armenia, John Paul II went to the cathedral of Etchmiadzin, to participate in a brief farewell-ceremony with Catholicos Karekin II. During the ceremony the Pope and patriarch signed this joint declaration.

Joint Report

According to the mandate given it, the commission is �to guide common study in the fields of church tradition, patristics, liturgy, theology, history and practical problems, so that by cooperation in common we may seek to resolve, in a spirit of mutual respect, the differences existing between our Churches and be able to proclaim together the Gospel in ways which correspond to the authentic message of the Lord and to the needs and hopes of today's world�. During its meetings the Commission considered the progress made up to the present in theological studies with a view to seeing if further steps could be taken regarding our understanding of Christology and to determining points which need further clarification and study.

Pastoral Guidelines on Marriages Between Members of the Catholic Church and of the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church

The two Churches desire to foster marriages within the same ecclesial communion and consider this as the norm. However, accepting the reality that inter-Church marriages do take place at times, the two Churches have decided to facilitate the celebration of the sacrament of matrimony in either Church, allowing the bride/bridegroom the right and freedom to retain her/his own ecclesial communion, by providing necessary information and documents.

Principles and Protocol

The Principles and the Protocol prepared on June 23rd, 1979 by the members of the joint international commission between the Catholic Church and the Coptic Orthodox Church, were submitted to Pope John Paul II and to Pope Shenouda III, who approved and signed both documents.

Report

The work of this meeting of the commission in the Monastery of St. Bishoy (Egypt) was primarily concerned with clarifying each side's understanding of the other's positions. For the Coptic Orthodox Church the Filioque should not be in the Creed or in the Liturgy or in the theological teaching for doctrinal and canonical reasons. The Catholic Church believes that this addition is admissible for both reasons. There was a full discussion of the terminology used by both Churches and the principal official declarations made by the Catholic Church in this matter.

Report of the First Meeting of the International Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churc

In Nasr City (Cairo, Egypt), at the Coptic Orthodox Saint Mark Centre, the representatives of the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthdox Churches convened the first meeting of their official theological dialogue. In their opening address the co-chairmen underscore the importance of the meeting marking the beginning of a new official theological dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches as a family.

Report of the Second Meeting of the International Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue Between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Chur

Catholic and Oriental Orthodox representatives, delegated by their churches, held their second meeting from 26-29 January 2005, as members of the International Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches, under the co-chairmanship of H.E. Cardinal Walter Kasper, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and H.E. Metropolitan Amba Bishoy of Damiette, General Secretary of the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church.

Second Meeting of the Heads of the Oriental Orthodox Churches in the Middle East

St. Ephrem Monastery, Ma'Arat Saydnaya, Damascus, Syria. We have gathered together for the second time as Heads of the Oriental Orthodox Churches in the Middle East to re-affirm our unity of faith and our common ministry in the life of our people in the Middle East and all over the world, explore together the most efficient ways and means to strengthen our common presence and witness in the region. We assessed our work together after our last meeting.