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

REPORT OF THE 1990 MEETING

Kottayam, 15 December 1990

As part of the official! dialogue between the (Roman) Catholic Church and Jacobite Syrian Or­thodox Church a joint Commission was set up by His Holiness Pope John Paul II and His Holiness Ig­natius Zakka I Iwas. Its fìrst meeting at the local level was held at the Spirituality Centre, Manganam (Kottayam) on Saturday 15th December 1990.

The Catholic Church was represented by the following members:

1.    H.E. Bishop Pierre Duprey, Secretary, Pon­tifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Vatican (Co-Chairman)
2.    His Grace Mar Joseph Powathil, Archbishop of Changanacherry
3.    H.E. Mar Kuriakose Kunnacherry, Bishop of Kottayam
4.    H.E. Bishop Mar Cyril Baselios, Bishop of Bathery
5.    Monsignor Gérard Daucourt, Rome
6.    Revd Fr. Dr Mathew Vellanickal
7.    Revd Fr. Dr Xavier Koodapuzha
8.    Revd Fr. Dr Geevarghese Chediath.

The Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church was represented by the following members:

1.    H.E. Abraham Mar Clemis, Metropolitan
2.    Very Rev. Prof. Joseph Corepiscopa Pulickaparampil
3.    Very Rev. Prof. Elias Thombra
4.    Rev. Dr. Adai Jacob
5.    Very Rev. Thomas Ramban, Muriyankal
6.    Rev. Fr. George. M. Vadath
7.    Rev. Fr. Cherian Poothicote
8.    Fr. Kuriakose Moolayil
9.    Chav. T.P. Philipose.

The Session was presided over by Bishops Pierre Duprey and Metropolitan Abraham Mar Clemis jointly.

It was decided to set up three Sub-Committees to discuss the following issues:

1.    Pastoral Problems
2.    Inter-marriage
3.    Historical background of the division.

Discussions on these subjects will be done by three Sub-Committees which will submit their reports in the next session. The next joint session of the official Commission is decided to be held on the 6th and 7th of December 1991.

[Information Service 77 (1991/II) 68]