Coptic Church & Ecumenical Movement - Saint Mina Coptic ...

ORIENTAL ORTHODOX – REFORMED DIALOGUE
SECOND SESSION
‘Kerk en Wereld’, Driebergen, The Netherlands
Representatives of the Oriental Orthodox Churches and the World Alliance of
Reformed Churches met from 10th to 15 th September 1994 at ‘Kerk en Wereld’,
Driebergen, The Netherlands, for a theological dialogue hosted by the Netherlands
Reformed Church. An earlier meeting at St. Bishoy Monastery, Egypt in May 1993
laid the ground for this meeting. The sessions were opened by His Holiness Pope
Shenouda III (Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark) and Professor
Dr. Milan Opocensky (General Secretary of the World Alliance of Reformed
Churches). The delegates attended a reception held in their honour by the Council of
Churches of the Netherlands.
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III gave an address on Christology. Papers were
presented by seven participants on the following themes:
• The Christological controversies of the fourth and fifth centuries
• Survey of the recent bilateral agreements between the Oriental Orthodox Churches
and the Eastern Orthodox Churches and other Christian communions
• The bilateral agreements between the Oriental Orthodox and the Eastern Orthodox
Church: a reformed response
• Tradition and its role in the Syrian Orthodox Church
• Holy Scripture and Tradition - Reformed perspective
• Holy Scripture: its use and misuse from an Oriental Orthodox perspective
• The use and abuse of the Scriptures in relation to mission, evangelism and
proselytism from a Reformed perspective.
A major achievement at this meeting was the Agreed Statement on Christology,
whereby the two sides delved deeply into the common patristic roots of both
traditions and reached mutual understanding in this area. This statement is to be
offered to the authorities of the Oriental Orthodox Churches and to the Executive
Committee of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches for their consideration and
action. His Holiness Pope Shenouda III has already expressed his satisfaction with
the outcome.
A further important area that received considerable attention was the understanding of
Holy Scripture and Tradition. It was agreed that this subject needs further discussion
in the future meetings.
The proceedings took place in a spirit of Christian love and mutual openness.
Oriental Orthodox delegates were present from the Coptic Orthodox Church (Egypt),
the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch (Syria), the Orthodox Syrian Church of the
East (India), and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. There was no
representative from the Armenian Orthodox Church due to the death of the Armenian
Patriarch, His Holiness Vasken I, Catholicos of all Armenia.
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