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

pastoral activities and exert a more profound influence on their own people and on all
with whom they will work.
Moreover, the Joint Commission is convinced that the programmes it proposes should be
implemented with an eve to concrete situations and to the needs of our people and the
resources at our disposition. To attempt to do everything in one day could lead to failure
and disillusionment. To refuse to take a step because of difficulties which might be
foreseen could be a refusal of the inspirations being given by the Holy Spirit and of the
clear manifestations of the desire the leaders of our Churches have for the development of
that profound unity among us which is Christ’s will for His Church.
It is with these reflections in mind that the Joint Commission recommends the formation
of a Local Joint Committee in Egypt whose function will be to implement the use of
resources for the service of Christ and His Church in Egypt, and to take effective
measures to eliminate activities which obstruct this service.
In consultation with the authorities of our Churches, this committee will determine the
structures useful for carrying out its task. One of these should be a joint subcommittee
for regular contact with church institutions, to plan, promote and guide the use of
personnel and resources towards a wider service of the whole Church and of all the
people in Egypt, in a spirit of mutual respect for each other’s Churches. A second
subcommittee is to be established to examine and take effective measures against those
practices, which create tensions among the Churches or affect the spirit of mutual
confidence between them.
Furthermore, this committee will advise and guide other groups, which may wish to
propose joint programmes of action, according to the spirit mentioned above.
The committee can also arrange studies on practical questions as shall be indicated to it
by this Joint Commission. Included among these are studies of the procedures and
problems arising in the perspective of our Churches’ present endeavour along the road of
unity in Christ that is God’s gift.
In its endeavours the Local Joint Committee will maintain regular contact with local
church authorities and will report to this Joint Commission on its work and on
perspective for future activities, to be guided and supported by the Commission.
As an aid towards dealing with some practical problems which may arise on the local
level, our Joint Commission wishes to recall the words of the Common Declaration of
Pope Paul VI and Pope Shenouda III: "The Divine life is given to us and is nourished in
us through the seven sacraments of Christ in His Church: Baptism, Chrism
(Confirmation), Holy Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Matrimony and Holy
Orders". We wish to emphasise that this passage underlines the common regard and
mutual respect that should be had for each other’s sacraments. We want to see this
reflected in our pastoral practices and in our concern for the conscience of everyone.
This Joint Commission recommends to our Church authorities to encourage through
exhortations, pastoral letters and synodal decisions, the work of the Local Joint
Committee as well as to promote the adoption of the principles enunciated in the common
declarations of our leaders both in the statutes and the activities of our church institutions.
Finally this Joint Commission expresses its conviction that the more it proves in a
practical way its own sincerity and seriousness as it works to implement the mandate
given it, the more our pastors and church leaders will respond to the concrete demands
made upon them to develop and guide our people towards working for full unity in the
spirit of the Gospel of Christ.
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