The Oriental Orthodox-Anglican International Commission held its ninth residential meeting from 24th to 29th of October 2022, at The Bethel Centre of the Coptic Orthodox Church, in Braintree, Essex, England, hosted by the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of London. V. Rev. Fr. Hrant Tahanian, Ecumenical Officer of the Catholicosate, continued his participation in the commission on behalf of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, under the blessing of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I.
Following its agreed agenda for the official dialogue, the Commission resumed its work on ‘The Inheritance of Ecumenical Councils in the Church’, which was begun in Cairo, Egypt in 2019. It had not been possible to meet physically in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. The draft agreed statement on ‘The Inheritance of Ecumenical Councils in the Church’ was reviewed and finalized, drawing on existing ecumenical agreements. The Commission also received papers on the topic of the Family of Churches and held a spirited and informative discussion. It further considered its work programme for the year ahead, with the intention of bringing a draft Agreed Statement on ‘Bishops and Synods’ to its next meeting in 2023.
On Thursday, the Commission was received by the Dean of St Alban’s Abbey, and prayed at the shrines of St Alban and St Amphibalus. It continued its pilgrimage with a visit to the Coptic Orthodox Church Centre and Cathedral of St George at Stevenage, where the co-chairs signed the Agreed Statement of the Commission on ‘The Inheritance of Ecumenical Councils in the Church’ in the Cathedral, on behalf of its members.
The Commission is drawn from many different countries and cultures and represents communions which are global in their expression and outreach. As an indication of this richness, the meeting in Cairo was hosted by the Anglican Communion, as guests of the Anglican Diocese of Egypt, and the meeting in England was hosted by the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of London. In this global context, the challenges that face all our Churches are often similar. It was both inspiring and encouraging to share and hear news of our churches and communities around the world, and to hold one another in prayers of thanksgiving and support for all that God calls us to do for His world.
Among the many regions that were specifically remembered and prayed for was the Middle East—commission members shared their experiences of working in the challenging environment of the hyper-inflation in Lebanon, and the ongoing conflicts in Syria and Iraq. The Commission was particularly mindful that since it last met, much had changed in the Caucasus, particularly in the aggression of Azerbaijan supported by Turkey, against the people of Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh, that started at the height of the pandemic in 2020 and continues to this day.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the Commission gave thanks to the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for the mutual understanding, fellowship and friendship that had been experienced and deepened, and looks forward to the future in hope. The next meeting of the Commission will be hosted by the Anglican Communion, in October 2023, in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, in the Episcopal (Anglican) Diocese of Jerusalem.
