JOINT COMMISSION FOR DIALOGUE BETWEEN
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND THE MALANKARA (JACOBITE) SYRIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
REPORT OF THE 1992 MEETING
Kottayam, 14-15 December 1992
December 14-15, 1992, the Dialogue Commission of the Catholic Church and the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church met at the Spirituality Centre of the Syro-Malabar Church in Kottayam, Kerala, India. The members of the commission attending were as follows:
For the Catholic Church:
Bishop Pierre Duprey, Secretary of the Pontifica! Council for Promoting Christian Unity; Mar Joseph Powathil, Archbishop of Changanacherry, co-president of the commission; Mar Kuriakose Kunnacherry, Bishop of Kottayam; Mar Cyril Baselios Malancharuvil, Bishop of Sultans Battery; Fr Mathew Vellanickal; Fr Xavier Koodapuzha; Fr Geevarghese Chediath; and the co-secretary, Fr Bernard Dubasque.
For the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church:
Bishop Thomas Mor Thimotheos; Bishop Thomas Mor Athanasius, co-president; Joseph Cor-Episcopa Pulickaparampil; Fr Cherian Poothicote; Fr Adai Jacob; Fr Kuriakose Moolayil, co-secretary; Fr Shibu Cherian.
The Dialogue Commission's first meeting took place in December 1991; this second meeting was devoted to the final draft of an agreement on "mixed marriages"completed last year. Some changes had been made in the text based on suggestions from authorities of the two churches to whom the draft was submitted. The new draft will now be studied by the same authorities with a view to its definitive approval and joint publication in Kerala.
The meeting also included a review of pastoral guidelines for Catholics and Orthodox in order to explain within each church the true meaning of the agreement which has been reached so as to assure continuity of spirit with the pastoral! cooperation that made it possible.
Finally, the Commission organized the work to be entrusted to subcommittees for the next meeting, which will take place at the Malankara Syrian Orthodox seminary in Mutanthuruthy, November 19-20, 1993.
[Information Service 83 (1993/II) 91]