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

conscious of its duty of witnessing to Christ, the Church is committed to unite so that it
would proclaim its spiritual message more effectively. Only through communion in the
mystery of the One Christ would it achieve its mission of reconciliation, between God
and man, the spirit and the flesh.
Your Holiness, the friendly relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the Coptic
Orthodox Church have become stronger and more expansive in this generation,
particularly through meetings, visits and messages. Coptic delegates attended the
sessions of the Vatican Council since 1962. Catholic representatives attended the
celebration of the inauguration of St. Mark’s Cathedral in Cairo, June 1968. The
friendly gift of Your Holiness at that time of the relic of St. Mark now laid in his See in
Cairo has met with feelings of deep regard and gratitude on behalf of the Copts.
Later we attended the celebrations of St. Mark in Venice. We shared together in many
conferences, to mention in particular the theological Consultation in Vienna, September
1971, between theologians of the Oriental Orthodox Churches and the Roman Catholic
Church, where a tentative formula of faith about the nature of Christ was achieved and
approved by both sides. This was a positive, successful and hopeful step which proved
that theological discussions with friendly attitudes lead to proper and useful results.
Through this present personal meeting we are driving on to more promotion of this
movement.
May we, through His Providence, the work of the Holy Spirit and for the sake of His
Kingdom, find a proper place for Him in every heart and exert the expansion of love,
goodness, peace and justice in His world.
Your Holiness, as we celebrate the sixteenth Centenary of St. Athanasius the Apostolic,
who played the greatest role in editing the Christian Creed at the Council of Nicaea and
defended the right faith with all power and persistence bestowed upon him by the
Almighty, we remember that St. Athanasius the Copt is Father of both of us at the same
time. He is father of the Church in the East as well as in the West. In him we meet as we
meet at the feet of our Lord. We unite in his dogmas and faith.
In his steps proceeded St. Cyril the Great, the Alexandrian who became a pillar and a
hero of Christian faith. As St. Athanasius had struggled against Arianism, so St. Cyril
did for the defence of faith against Nestorianism and professed the faith of Western and
Eastern Christianity. Like Athanasius, he became a point of agreement not only in his
faith but also in the proper and definite expression of faith, which exemplify clearly the
word of truth precisely and effectively.
The common traditional theology of Athanasius and Cyril stands as solid centre for the
dialogue that we commit to a considerable number of theologians to go through in a spirit
of faithful love. We expect them to agree on proper belief expressed in clear and
uncomplicated language that all minds understand and consciences approve with comfort.
Your Holiness, at this historic moment of this blessed day we lift our hearts to Heavenly
Jerusalem where we all hope to have lodging. Round the Sacred Throne of the One God
gather the angels and human saints as one Family headed by one Lord and Father whom
we all worship, serve and feel happy to watch. We also remember the earthly Jerusalem,
the city of our God in whose streets He strode and taught, where He was crucified, died
and rose back from the dead, and ascended to the Sky. We cannot forget the sufferings of
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