Inter-Orthodox and Inter-Faith Relations
The Antiochian Archdiocese participates in inter-Orthodox activities and the ecumenical movement in the following areas: 1) The Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in America (SCOBA); 2) the newly-forming Christian Churches Together in the USA (CCT); 3) Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation; 4) Orthodox-Lutheran Theological Consultation.
Orthodox-Catholic Statement Focuses on Plight of Christians in the Middle East
Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation meeting siteNEW YORK —The North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation held its 81st meeting at St Paul’s College in Washington October 27-28. The meeting was chaired by Catholic Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans. The Orthodox co-chairman since 1987, Metropolitan Maximos of Pittsburgh, has retired, and a successor has not yet been named.
During this meeting the members heard reports about major events in the lives of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches and issued a brief statement, “On the Plight of Churches in the Middle East.”
“We are concerned for our fellow Christians who, in the face of daunting challenges, struggle to maintain a necessary witness to Christ in their homelands,” they wrote. “United with them in prayer and solidarity, we ask our fellow Christians living in the West to take time to develop a more realistic appreciation of their predicament. We ask our political leaders to exert more pressure where it can protect these Churches, many of which have survived centuries of hardship but now stand on the verge of disappearing completely.”
Read the complete statement on the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops website.
Orthodox-Catholic Dialogue Lays Out Unity Vision, Shared Pascha/Easter Document
WASHINGTON—Representatives of the Orthodox and Catholic Churches have issued two new documents outlining immediate steps they can take to overcome their thousand-year separation. The North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation finalized these agreed statements when it met at Georgetown University in Washington, September 30 to October 2. The Consultation is co-chaired by Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond of New Orleans and Metropolitan Maximos of Pittsburgh.
The first statement, “Steps Towards a Reunited Church: A Sketch of an Orthodox-Catholic Vision for the Future,” is an unprecedented effort to begin to visualize the shape of a reunited Catholic and Orthodox Church that would result from the reestablishment of full communion. The text acknowledges that the role of the Bishop of Rome in the Church is a central point of disagreement and outlines the history of this divergence between East and West. It goes on to summarize the many elements of the Christian faith and ecclesial life that the two churches share, and emphasizes the urgency of overcoming our divisions.
Read the rest of the SCOBA-issued report here.
Department of Inter-Orthodox and Inter-Faith Relations Presentation Audio Available
Click here to listen to Department Chair V. Rev. Olof Scott's presentation at the general assembly of the 2009 Archdiocese Convention.
More audio from the 2009 Convention is available from Ancient Faith Radio.
