JOINT COMMISSION FOR DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
AND THE MALANKARA ORTHODOX SYRIAN CHURCH
REPORT OF THE 2014 MEETING
Kottayam, 4-5 December 2014
The Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church held its meeting at the Spirituality Centre, Manganam, Kottayam, on Thursday 4 and Friday 5 December 2014.
After a moment of prayer, His Grace Archbishop Powathil expressed words of welcome to all the members of the Commission. In a short historic overview, he referred to the meeting 50 years ago of His Holiness Baselios Augen I with His Holiness Pope Paul VI in Bombay on 3 December 1964. He also called to mind the visit of Catholicos Baselios Marthoma Mathews I to Saint Pope John Paul II in Rome in 1983, and their second meeting in Kottayam, in 1986. As a direct result of the meeting in India, the Joint International Commission for Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church was founded. The first meeting of this Commission took place from 22 to 25 October 1989, in Kottayam, 25 years ago.
His Excellency Bishop Brian Farrell, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and Co-Chairman of the Commission, addressed the members in his introductory words, referring to the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Promulgation of the Vatican II Decree ‘Unitatis Redintegratio’. He reflected that while the Church has suffered because of division and rivalries, we now rediscover our deep communion in faith, in the sacraments and in the life of the Church. There is much more that unites us than divides us. While fully respectful of the wonderful diversity of liturgical and theological traditions, we have to listen to the voice of the Lord, who prayed for the unity of his disciples.
His Grace Gabriel Mor Gregorios, Co-Chairman of the Commission, welcomed the members expressing also his gratitude for the 25 years of dialogue. He reflected that the more we learn from each other, the more we learn about our own identity. Dialogues of the past quarter of a century have helped our own self-understanding. The dialogue process has also helped us to build bridges for new exchanges and interactions while making our ecclesial life more mutually transparent. Further to this, His Grace expressed his good hope about the future of the dialogue.
The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church delegation comprised: Metropolitans His Grace Dr. Gabriel Mar Gregorios (Co-Chairman), His Grace Dr. Yakob Mar Irenaios, His Grace Dr. Youhanan Mar Dioscoros, His Grace Dr. Geevarghese Mar Yulius, His Grace Dr. Mathews Mar Thimothios, Fr. Dr. K.M. George, Fr. Dr. Johns Abraham Konat, Fr. Dr. Baby Varghese, Fr. Dr. T. I. Varghese, Fr. Dr. O. Thomas, Fr. Dr. Reji Mathew, Fr. Dr. Jose John and Fr. Abraham Thomas (co-secretary).
The Catholic Church was represented by His Excellency Bishop Brian Farrell (Co-Chairman), His Grace Mar Joseph Powathil, His Grace Mar Mathew Moolakatt, His Grace Mar Thomas Mar Koorilos, His Excellency Bishop Dr. Selvister Ponnumuthan, His Grace Mar Joseph Kallarangatt, Rev. Dr. Mathew Vellanickal, Rev. Dr. Xavier Koodapuzha, Rev. Dr. Jacob Thekkeparampil, Rev. Dr. Augustine Kadeparambil, Rev. Dr. Philip Nelpuraparampil and Msgr. Gabriel Quicke (co-secretary).
Msgr. Gabriel Quicke presented the report of the meeting in 2013, which the Commission approved (with some minor corrections).
Reverend Father Dhanyananda Oozhikattu (MSJ) presented his doctoral thesis on “The Role of the Petrine Ministry in the Ecumenical Relationship between the Malankara Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church” (Sankt Georgen Hochschule, Frankfurt am Main, Germany).
Papers were presented by Fr. Dr. Xavier Koodapuzha and Fr. Dr. T. I. Varghese providing a review of 25 years of dialogue, presenting the dialogue as well as the Agreed Statements. During the discussion the importance was emphasized of collecting together the papers and the Agreed Statements. The approach of the topics or issues should be more inclusive. The heritage of the Saint Thomas Christians is not an isolated reality but is linked with the Church as Community. ‘There is a diversity of Apostles but there is one Church’. In preparing a volume of papers presented in the last 25 years, we could also reflect on the fruits we have actually harvested: a greater degree of reconciliation, more collaboration on the pastoral level, bearing common witness in daily life, re-articulation of the missionary activities in the past and today.
After the presentation of the papers of Fr. Dr. Augustine Kadeparambil entitled Salvation of All through Christ in the Unity of the Holy Spirit and of Fr. Dr. O. Thomas entitled The Work of the Holy Spirit in the Multi-Religious Context of India, the discussion focused on different aspects such as the nature and the mission of the Church, the rediscovery of the Church as the People of God with the Second Vatican Council, and the doctrine of salvation through Christ in the Holy Spirit. A distinction must be made between the work of the Holy Spirit in the Church (sacramental) and outside the Church (cosmic), while affirming that it is the same Spirit. Saint Paul speaks about the spirit of holiness, the charismatic dimension. It would be interesting to study the vision of the Pentecostals on the Holy Spirit.
On Thursday evening the Commission was invited by His Holiness Mor Baselios Paulose II to a commemorative evening and dinner on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of the meeting of Blessed Pope Paul VI and His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Augen I, on 3 December 1964 in Mumbai. In the Jubilee Address His Holiness Mor Baselios Paulose II said that: “When I look through the lives of these two heads of the Churches, I could find several striking similarities, in which both of their Marian devotion is something that needed highlighting. In the notable encyclical Mense Maio dated 30 April 1965, Blessed Pope Paul Sixth wrote: Mary remains ever the path that leads to Christ. Every encounter with her can only result in an encounter with Christ Himself. Catholicos Augen First, a Syriac Scholar himself, composed the Huthomo- poetical concluding prayers for the Eucharistic Service- for one whole year’s liturgical cycle, in Syriac, in which on the Sunday of visitation of blessed Mary ever virgin, he wrote: Lord, help us to know your Mother in the same way you have known her. I consider these two theological ideals forming a full cycle of Marian devotions of our traditions. Both these leaders of our Churches had contributed extensively to the respective ecclesiastical literatures, on which researches should be initiated. Our two Churches had maintained the air of greater fraternal ties ever since the meeting of the Pope and Catholicos in 1964, and this half a century had witnessed visible and progressive advancement in our relations. The Joint International Commission for Dialogue between the Catholic and the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church had given remarkable contributions in this journey of advancement, and I take this opportunity to thank the scholars of both the Churches for their commitments and involvements. It may be true that we did not achieve visible unity and communion but I would like to hold onto the dictum that ‘slow and steady will win the race”.
In his address Bishop Farrell referred to the commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of ‘Unitatis Redintegratio’, recalling the extraordinary progress over this time and the full commitment of the Catholic Church to finding a way of making reconciliation a reality. He referred to the Address of Pope Francis during the Divine Liturgy celebrated in the Patriarchal Church of St. George, Istanbul (on Sunday, 30 November 2014): “In particular, in [Unitatis Redintegratis] the Catholic Church acknowledges that the Orthodox Churches “possess true sacraments, above all – by apostolic succession – the priesthood and the Eucharist, whereby they are still joined to us in closest intimacy” (15). The Decree goes on to state that in order to guard faithfully the fullness of the Christian tradition and to bring to fulfilment the reconciliation of Eastern and Western Christians, it is of the greatest importance to preserve and support the rich patrimony of the Eastern Churches… I believe that it is important to reaffirm respect for this principle as an essential condition, accepted by both, for the restoration of full communion, which does not signify the submission of one to the other, or assimilation. Rather, it means welcoming all the gifts that God has given to each.... I want to assure each one of you here that, to reach the desired goal of full unity, the Catholic Church does not intend to impose any conditions except that of the shared profession of faith”. He also referred to the Common Declaration, signed the same day (Sunday, 30 November 2014): “We express our sincere and firm resolution, in obedience to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, to intensify our efforts to promote the full unity of all Christians, and above all between Catholics and Orthodox”.
The next meeting will be held at the Sophia Centre on 15–16 December 2015. The following issues will be on the agenda:
Firstly: preparation for publication of the papers presented from 2000. A subcommittee (composed of Rev. Fr. Abraham Thomas (co-secretary), Rev. Dr. Philip Nelpuraparampil, Rev. Fr. Dr. Baby Varghese and Rev. Dr. Mathew Vellanickal) will make the necessary preparations.
Secondly: a common paper on The Religious harmony that existed in Kerala in Pre-Colonial and Colonial Times will be prepared by Rev. Fr. Dr. Baby Varghese, Rev. Dr. Xavier Koodapuzha, Bishop Dr. Selvister Ponnumuthan. Fr. Abraham Thomas (co-secretary) will coordinate the preparation of the Paper.
Thirdly: a common paper on Ecclesiological Principles Underlining Pastoral Cooperation will be prepared by a subcommittee (composed of His Grace Gabriel Mar Gregorios (Co-Chairman), His Grace Mar Joseph Powathil, His Grace Mar Joseph Kallarangatt and Fr. Dr. Reji Mathew).
It has been decided that, on behalf of the Joint Commission, a 'Letter of Concern' will have to be sent to the Church Leaders of the Western Asian Regions. The Letter could be jointly undersigned by Archbishop His Eminence Mar Joseph Powathil and Metropolitan His Grace Gabriel Mar Gregorios.