Theological dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East

29 Oct 2025

On 27 and 28 October 2025, the seventeenth plenary session of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East took place at the Domus Sanctae Marthae in the Vatican, hosted by the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity. In line with the theme discussed since 2023, this year's plenary meeting was dedicated to the topic: "Liturgy in the Life of the Church: A Comparative Study of the Latin and Church of the East's Liturgical Traditions", with a particular focus on the liturgy of the hours in both traditions.

As stated in the communiqué, the members presented and discussed papers on: “The Service of Vespertine in the East Syriac Rite,” by Archdeacon William Toma; “The General Instruction on the Liturgy of the Hours,” by Bishop Johan Bonny; “The history of the Roman Liturgy of the Hours,” by Revd Prof. Dominik Jurczac, OP, invited expert; and “The Order and Theology of the Contents of the Sundays and Ferias Morning Service (Sapra)”, by Archdeacon George Toma. Bishop Antoine Audo, SJ, also offered a reflection on the theme from a Chaldean perspective, noting the importance of the link between liturgy and ecclesial identity. During the discussion, the members were pleased to note the fundamental similarities between the two liturgical traditions, even though they had evolved in different historical and cultural settings.

On Tuesday, 28 October, His Holiness Mar Awa III and His Eminence Cardinal Kurt Koch greeted the members of the Commission and took part in the discussion concerning the agenda for the next session.

The study and discussion of the Commission will continue at the next meeting, which will be hosted by the Assyrian Church of the East in Erbil, from 23 until 28 November 2026.

The Assyrian delegation included His Beatitude Mar Meelis Zaia, Metropolitan of Australia, New Zealand and Lebanon (Co-chair); His Beatitude Mar Awgin Kuriakose, Metropolitan of the Archdiocese of India and Southern Gulf; His Grace Mar Abris Youkhanna, Bishop of Duhok and Nineveh; His Grace Mar Elia Isaac, Bishop of Baghdad; Archdeacon George Toma; and Archdeacon William Toma, Under-Secretary of the Synod (Co-Secretary).

The Catholic delegation included the Most Reverend Johan Bonny, Bishop of Antwerp (Co-chair); Most Reverend Antoine Audo, SJ, Bishop of Aleppo for the Chaldeans; Most Reverend Francis Kalabat, Bishop of the Chaldean Eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle, USA; Professor Dr. Theresia Hainthaler, Honorary Professor of Sankt Georgen Graduate School of Philosophy and Theology, Frankfurt, Germany; Reverend Father Željko Paša, SJ, Dean of the Faculty of Eastern Christian Studies at the Pontifical Oriental Institute; Reverend Father Jijimon Puthuveettilkalam, SJ, Gregorian University; and Reverend Father Hyacinthe Destivelle, OP, Official of the DPCU (Co-Secretary).

The meeting of the Commission coincided with the first official visit of His Holiness Mar Awa III to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV.

Established in 1994, the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East has published two significant documents: the first in 2017, entitled Common Statement on the 'Sacramental Life', and the second in 2022, entitled "The Images of the Church in the Syriac and Latin Patristic Traditions."

The Commission's last meeting took place in Rome from 6 to 9 November 2024.