by Carrie Frederick Frost, Vigen Guroian*, Jennifer Haddad Mosher, and Valerie Zahirsky
Ecumenical Patriarchate Press Office
We wish to bring attention to one of the
items not specifically included on the Great and Holy Council’s agenda
or in its preconciliar documents: the restoration of communion between
the Orthodox Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches.
Our group is
comprised of three Orthodox Christians and one Armenian Orthodox
Christian, and we eagerly anticipate the day our churches will once
again be united with each other.
The preconciliar document “Relations of
the Orthodox Church with the Rest of the Christian World” affirms that
theological dialogue is “to reclaim the lost unity of Christians,” but
does not acknowledge the urgency and rightness of unity with the
Oriental Churches, especially in light of the dire situation of these
communities in the Middle East and North Africa. This lack of reference
is in contrast to an earlier version of this document from 1986, which
contained a section directly addressing bilateral talks with the
Oriental Orthodox Churches (Third Pre-Conciliar Pan-Orthodox
Conference).
The current “Relations” document does
not acknowledge the fact that clergy and theologians have been meeting
in dialogue for the past fifty years as the “Joint Commission of the
Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Oriental
Orthodox Churches.” The Oriental Orthodox Churches represented most
recently in this dialogue are the Coptic, Syrian, Armenian Apostolic,
and Malankara Orthodox Syrian Churches. The third official meeting of
the Joint Commission (1990) affirmed that, “Both families have always
loyally maintained the same authentic Orthodox Christological faith, and
the unbroken continuity of the apostolic tradition.” Furthermore, the
Joint Commission has determined that the differences in Christology are
reconcilable and has called for a process toward full communion among
these churches, including the lifting of the anathemas against the
Oriental churches (1990 and 1993).
A Working Group for the Joint Commission
on Dialogue met in November of 2014. Co-Chairman His Eminence
Metropolitan Emmanuel of France affirmed “the very high priority
accorded by the Orthodox Church to the official Theological Dialogue
with the Oriental Orthodox Churches.” We seek for this “very high
priority” to be affirmed and acted upon. The preconciliar document
“Relations of the Orthodox Church with the Rest of the Christian World,”
states that, “The end of an official theological dialogue occurs with
the completion of the relevant work of the Joint Theological Commission.
This then requires the Chairman of the Inter-Orthodox Commission to
submit a report to the Ecumenical Patriarch, who, with the consent of
the Primates of the local Orthodox Churches, declares the conclusion of
the dialogue.” We look for these final steps of reconciliation with the
Oriental Churches to be taken.
Three local churches from the Orthodox
family (Alexandria, Antioch and Romania) and three churches from the
Oriental Orthodox family (Alexandria, Antioch and Malankara-India) have
declared their acceptance of the agreed statements and proposals from
the Joint Commission. Although the 2014 working group acknowledged other
churches have raised issues worthy of further discussion, the decision
on the part of these local churches inspires us to believe the Holy
Spirit is in our midst and restored communion within our reach.
Lest the possibility of restored
communion between Eastern and Oriental brothers and sisters in Christ
flounder, we wish for this issue to remain in the atmosphere of the 2016
Council under the agenda item of “Relations of the Orthodox Church,” in
hope that a future such Council will take dramatic action for the
rightful restoration of communion between the Orthodox Church and the
Oriental Orthodox Churches.
Carrie Frederick Frost, PhD, received
her doctorate in theology from the University of Virginia, and she will
join the faculty of Saint Sophia Seminary in the fall of 2016.
Vigen Guroian*, PhD, (ecumenical
contributor, Armenian Orthodox Church) is Professor of Religious Studies
(Eastern Christianity) at the University of Viginia.
Jennifer Haddad Mosher, ThM, is an independent scholar.
Valerie Zahirsky,M Div, is Chair of the Department of Christian Education of the Orthodox Church in America.