Between 24 and 29 October 2016, the International Commission for the Official Dialogue between the Oriental Orthodox Churches and the Anglican Communion held its fifth meeting at the Armenian Orthodox Catholicosate of Cilicia in Antelias – Lebanon.
His Eminence Mor Polycarpus Augin Aydin, Patriarchal Vicar in The Netherlands, and Very Rev. Raban Roger-Youssef Akhrass, Director of the Syriac Studies Department, represented the Syriac Orthodox Church in this meeting.
During the meeting, the members of the commission discussed the second part of the agreement on the Holy Spirit: the work of the Holy Spirit in the Church to make her one, holy, catholic and apostolic.
The agreement was signed by His Eminence Anba Bishoy, Metropolitan of Demiat, Kafr Al-Sheikh and Abbot of the Monastery of Saint Demiana in Al-Barari, representing the Oriental Orthodox Churches family, and His Grace Bishop Gregory Cameron from the Church of Wales, representing the Anglican Communion.
The participants agreed to send the two parts of the agreement to the participating churches for review and the final version of the agreement will be signed in the coming meeting of the Commission in October 23-28, 2017 in Dublin, Ireland.
During the Opening Session on October 25, 2016, His Holiness Catholicose Aram I spoke about his vision for ecumenical work and emphasized the necessity to take into consideration the current moral and social dilemmas which constitute unresolved conflicts between the two families of churches.
The Commission was given the opportunity to visit the “Aram Basikian” Museum of the orphans of the Armenian Genocide in Jbeil.
The meeting was concluded with a prayer and an expression of the firm resolution to continue the dialogue, despite remaining challenges, to reach unity and fellowship among the churches.
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