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

PRELIMINARY MEETING OF ORIENTAL ORTHODOX PATRIARCHS OF THE MIDDLE
EAST – LEBANON JUNE 1996
In June 1996 the three Patriarchs of the Oriental Orthodox Churches: Pope Shenouda
III of the Coptic Orthodox Church; Mar Ignatius Zakka I, Patriarch of the Syrian
Orthodox Church; Catholicos Aram I of the Armenian Orthodox Church, met in
Lebanon and issued a 7 point statement.
We, the heads of Oriental Orthodox Churches in the Middle East, Shenouda III, Pope
of Alexandria, Zakka I, Patriarch of Antioch and Aram I, Catholicos of Armenian
(Cilicia), meeting in the Catholicate of Armenia in Lebanon on Friday, 14 th June
1996, thank God who provided this rich opportunity to be together in prayer and
reflection, and to explore ways to enhance our ecumenical work in our age. We
therefore wish to emphasis the following:
1. It is time the Oriental Orthodox Churches, which consist of Coptic, Syrian,
Armenian and Ethiopian, express effectively the unity of faith and their dealings with
each other in all areas and in different ways.
2. We have to follow, with a strong will and faith, and renew our work through the
ecumenical movement frame at an international and regional level and take one
opinion as members of one family especially in the most important issues.
3. Our churches have deep roots in this region of the world; therefore we cannot stand
with our hands tied regarding the issues that are important to this region. We strongly
express our solidarity and support the Just Arabic Issue and agree to its permanent and
comprehensive peace, which will be realised by restoring all the occupied Arabic
territories to their owners. We commit ourselves to the issue of Jerusalem, so we can
keep the rights of the Christians and Muslims together.
4. Our churches have lived along side with the churches of the region through the
generations, side by side with the Muslims in an atmosphere of love and peace. The
living dialogue with the Muslims is an important part of our lives, so we must follow
this pattern through our day-to-day lives.
5. We appeal strongly and necessarily to continuation of the cooperation between all
the churches of the region, especially in this critical time. The churches should be an
example in expressing the Christian unity and in this field should have an influential
and pioneering role for the Middle East Council of Churches, which, through it, can
help to open new horizons for cooperation with each other, to incarnate the unity of
our lives.
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