JOINT COMMISSION FOR DIALOGUE BETWEEN
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND THE MALANKARA (JACOBITE) SYRIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
REPORT OF THE 2006 MEETING
Kottayam, 11 September 2006
The Joint Commission for Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church held its 11th meeting at the Spirituality Centre of Kottayam, on September 11, 2006.
The Joint Commission members first discussed a paper presented by Fr. Philip Nelpuraparampil on “Reception of Agreements between the Catholic Church and the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church”. Among the most important of these agreements are the Common Declaration of Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Ignatius Yacoub III on Christology (1971), the Common Declaration of Pope John Paul II and Patriarch Mar Ignatius Zakka I Iwas on pastoral cooperation (1984) and the Agreement between the Catholic Church and the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church on Inter-Church Marriages (1994). The delegation members agreed that these common agreements need further reception, through an adequate formation of priests, religious and catechism teachers. For this purpose, they made plans for two new publications: an edition of the “Pastoral Guidelines for Inter-Church Marriages” in Malayalam language and an Ecumenical Directory for the Churches in Kerala.
Regarding the issue of Inter-Church Marriages, Fr. Shibu Cherian presented a draft translation in Malayalam of the “Agreement between the Catholic Church and the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church on Inter-Church marriages” (1994). The Joint Commission members amended and completed this draft version. A joint publication of this pastoral document should make the arrangement on Inter-Church marriages better known and further applied at the local level.
The Joint Commission members took note of the report of the third meeting of the International Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches, held in Etchmiadzin (Armenia), from 27-30 January 2006.
The Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church delegation was composed of: Bishop Thomas Mor Themotheos (acting co-chair), Fr. Shibu Cherian (acting co-secretary), Fr. Daniel Thattarayil, Fr. Thomas Abraham and Fr. George M. Vadath. Metropolitan Kuriakose Mar Theophilose and Cor-Episcopa Rev. Adai Jacob could not attend the meeting. The members of the Catholic delegation were: Archbishop Mar Joseph Powathil (acting co-chair), Archbishop Isaac Mar Cleemis (representing Major Archbishop Cyril Mar Baselios), Fr. Xavier Koodapuzha, Fr. Mathew Vellanickal, Fr. Anthony Kakkanatt, Fr. Philip Nelpuraparampil and Msgr. Johan Bonny (co-secretary). Major Archbishop Cyril Mar Baselios, Archbishop Mar Kuriakose Kunnacherry, Bishop Patrick D’Souza, Bishop Brian Farrell and Fr. Francis Pereparambil could not attend the meeting.
The next meeting is to be held at the Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Theological Seminary of Mulanthuruthy (Ernakulam), on October 25-26, 2007. Three topics will be on the agenda: a study on the St. Thomas Christians in India and the patterns of communion in the first millennium, a paper on models of communion and how to promote communion today and a further reflection on the theme of Common Witness.
[Information Service 125 (2007/III) 106]