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

May 10, 2024, Cairo, Egypt

On May 10, 2024, the Heads of the Oriental Orthodox Churches in the Middle East: His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark for the Coptic Orthodox Church, and His Holiness Catholicos Aram I of the Great House of Cilicia, held their fourteenth meeting at the Coptic Orthodox Papal Residence in Cairo – Egypt.

The meeting was attended by the members of the standing committee, their Eminences: Mor Clemis Daniel Kourieh, Metropolitan of Beirut, from the Syriac Orthodox Church and Mor Timotheos Matta Al-Khoury, Archbishop of Homs, Hama, Tartous and Environs; Anba Thomas, Bishop of Alqousaya and Meer, Anba Angelos, General bishop of North Shoubra Churches, from the Coptic Orthodox Church; Narek Almezian, Ecumenical Officer, and Archbishop Maqar Ashekryan, from the Armenian Orthodox Church.

Their Holinesses started the meeting with prayer; then, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II gave a welcoming speech, followed by words from their Holinesses Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II and Catholicos Aram I.

During their meeting, their Holinesses discussed several issues of common interest, including the presence of Christianity in the Middle East, the situation of the various churches, the official theological dialogues with other churches, and the work of the subcommittees and signed an official joint statement covering these issues of common interest.