JOINT COMMISSION FOR DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH 
AND THE MALANKARA ORTHODOX SYRIAN CHURCH

REPORT OF THE 2000 MEETING

Kottayam, 26-30 September 2000

The Joint Commission of the Roman Catholic and the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church held its 12th meeting, from 26-30 September, 2000, at the Spirituality Centre, Kottayam.  As in the previous meetings, the papers presented and discussed regarded three major topics: doctrine, history and common witness.

The sub-commission on Theology prepared two papers on the unity of the Church as expressed in the Syrian liturgical tradition: “Ecclesial Unity: an East Syrian Perspective” by Sr. Dr. Prasanna Vazheeparampil and “Some Reflections on Ecclesial Unity in the light of the Syrian Liturgical Tradition” by Fr. John Panicker.  The liturgical sources of the Syrian tradition comprise, indeed, many explicit and implicit references to the Church and its unity.  Several metaphors are used to express both the Church’s unity and the diversity in its unity.   The unity of the priesthood, as phrased and expressed during the rite of ordination, is of high relevance in this respect.

Subsequent to its former historical investigations, the sub-commission on History prepared an evaluation of the various local traditions, both oral and written, relating to the Coonen Cross Oath.  Papers were presented from three different ecclesial points of view, respectively by  Fr. T.I. Varghese (Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church), Fr. J. Perumthottam (Syro-Malabar Church) and Fr. F. Pereparambil (Latin Church).   Discussion brought to light that there still is hardly any common reading of the many archive sources on this historical period, sources that are mainly conserved in various archives of the Catholic Church.  As a result of this conclusion, it was decided to examine the possibility of a common diplomatic publication of the main archive documents, related to the period of the Synod of Diamper (1599) and Coonan Cross (1653).

The sub-commission on Common Witness reported on some concrete initiatives that were organised during the last year, among others in the field of communication and family counselling.  The main pastoral question on the agenda, however, was the repeated request for a provision on Inter-Church Marriages.   Since former proposals were not accepted by the competent authorities of the Syro-Malabar Church and of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, a new proposal was made. The commission accepted it as a statement respectfully combining the basic principles and main concerns of both the Catholic and the Orthodox tradition, and it will be transmitted again to the competent authorities of the Churches concerned.

The participants from the Malankara Orthodox Church in this meeting were: H.E. Metropolitan Philipos Mar Eusebios (co-chairman), H.E. Metropolitan Mathews Mar Severios, Very Revd. Ramban Theophoros, Fr. Mathai Nooranal, Fr. Jacob Kurien, Fr. John Mathews (co-secretary), Fr. John Panicker, Fr. T.I. Varghese,  Shri P.C. Abraham, Shri A.K. Thomas;   Fr. K.M. George could not attend the meeting.  The participants from the Roman Catholic Church were: H.E. Bishop Walter Kasper (co-chairman), H.E. Archbishop Cyril Mar Baselios;  H.E. Bishop Patrick D’Souza,  Fr. Geevarghese Chediath, Fr. Xavier Koodapuzha, Fr. Mathew Vellanickal, Fr. Johan Bonny (co-secretary);   Fr. Francis Pereparambil attended the meeting for the first time, as a representative of the local Latin Church;   H.E. Archbishop Mar Joseph Powathil and H.E. Bishop Kuriakose Mar Kunnacherry could not attend the meeting.

The next meeting is scheduled for 16-20 October 2001, at the Sophia Centre, Kottayam. Two major topics will be on the agenda.  The sub-commission on History will investigate on the ecclesial developments in Kerala during the 17th century, after the Coonan Cross Oath; it will also reflect on the possibility of preparing a common publication of archive sources.   The sub-commission for Theology will study the concept of  ‘hierarchical communion’, according to the canonical sources of the Syrian tradition, during the pre-Portugese and pre-Diamper period.

[Information Service 105 (2000/IV) 192-193]