اللقاء الثالث للحوار الرسمي بين الكنائس الأرثوذكسية الشرقية والكنيسة الأنكليكانية
في الفترة الواقعة بين 14-17 تشرين الأول 2014، عقدت اللجنة العالمية للحوار الرسمي بين الكنائس الأرثوذكسية الشرقية والكنيسة الأنكليكانية، اجتماعها الثالث في مركز مار مرقس، القاهرة. مثّل الكنيسة السريانية الأرثوذكسية في هذا اللقاء الربان روجيه-يوسف أخرس نائب مدير كلية مار أفرام السرياني، واعتذر عن عدم تمكّنه من المشاركة نيافة المطران مار اسطاثاوس متى روهم، مطران الجزيرة والفرات.
خلال اللقاء، ناقش المجتمعون الاتفاق الخريستولوجي المقترَح في الاجتماع الأول للّجنة في أتشميازين عام 2002، وقد تبنّت اللجنة كافة التعديلات التي قدّمتها الكنيسة السريانية الأرثوذكسية على النص المقترح. فوقَّع الاتّفاق عن العائلة الأرثوذكسية الشرقية نيافة الأنبا بيشوي مطران دمياط وكفر الشيخ وعن العائلة الأنكليكانية نيافة المطران جوفري روويل.
ووُضِعَت مسوّدة اتّفاق عقيدي حول الروح القدس، سيتمّ مناقشتها في الاجتماع القادم الذي تقرّر عقده من 5-10 تشرين الأول 2015، في وايلز، بريطانيا.
وتجدر الإشارة إلى أنّه يوم الثلاثاء 15 تشرين الأول، لبّى المجتمعون دعوة المطران منير حنا أنيس، المطران المترئّس للكنيسة الأنكليكانية في الشرق الأوسط لزيارة دار المطرانية في القاهرة والمشاركة في صلاة المساء. كما تباركت اللجنة بزيارة الكاتدرائية المرقسية يوم الأربعاء 16 تشرين الأول والمشاركة في صلاة المساء والاستماع إلى تعليم قداسة البابا تواضروس الثاني الذي استقبل بعدئذ أعضاء اللجنة معبّرًا عن فرحه بعملهم وحاثًّا إياهم على المضي قدمًا في عملهم نحو الشركة والوحدة بين الكنائس.
Third Meeting of the Anglican-Oriental Orthodox International Commission
The Anglican-Oriental Orthodox International Commission has held its third meeting, from 13–17 October 2014, at St Mark’s Center, Cairo, Egypt.
The Commission greatly appreciates the hospitality offered by the Coptic Orthodox Church, and is grateful to His Holiness Pope Tawadros II for receiving the Commission in the Cathedral of St Mark and in his residence after its members had attended Vespers and His Holiness’ weekly pastoral Bible study and sermon. The Commission is indebted to The Most Revd Dr Mouneer Anis, President Bishop of the Anglican Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East, for his welcome to the Cathedral of All Saints and to his diocese and for his hospitality.
The Commission completed its work revising the text of the 2002 Holy Etchmiadzin Agreed Statement on Christology in the light of comments received from member Churches. The revised text was signed at the Cairo meeting by His Eminence Metropolitan Bishoy of Damietta on behalf of the Oriental Orthodox Churches, and by The Rt Revd Dr Geoffrey Rowell on behalf of the Anglican Communion. This significant, revised statement will be sent to the responsible authorities of the Oriental Orthodox Churches and the Anglican Communion for their consideration and action.
During the course of its meeting the Commission shared in daily prayer from the various traditions represented, and considered and discussed the themes of authority and primacy in the two families of Churches.
The Commission shared the urgent concerns of members from the Middle East, especially in the critical situations in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and other regions, and heard of the experience of the Church in Egypt from Pope Tawadros and Bishop Mouneer. Messages of solidarity were also sent to the Christians of those regions through the delegates present. Church leaders and members of the Commission reiterated their ongoing prayers and concern for the two kidnapped bishops of Aleppo, Metropolitan Mor Gregorios Youhanna Ibrahim of the Syrian Orthodox Church, and Metropolitan Boulos Yazigi of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch.
The fourth meeting of the Commission will take place in Wales from 5–10 October 2015, hosted by the Anglican Communion, addressing among other issues the theme of the Holy Spirit, on which important preliminary work was done.
At the conclusion of the dialogue the Commission thanked God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, for the unity that they experienced and shared, and look forward to continuing its work.
The Commission also marks this as the last of its meetings co-chaired by Bishop Geoffrey, and thanks him for his faithful service to its work since its inception; and recognises that this will be the last meeting as Co-Secretary for Archbishop Nareg Alemezian (who is succeeded in the role by Fr Housig Mardirossian), and for Canon Alyson Barnett-Cowan on her retirement, thanking them both for their contribution to the Dialogue.
The new Anglican Co-Chair will be Bishop Gregory Cameron, Bishop of St Asaph in the Church in Wales.