wfn.org | ACNS3673 The Anglican Oriental Orthodox International

["Anglican Communion News Service" <acnslist@anglicancommunion.org>]

ACNS 3673     |     ACO     |	  17 NOVEMBER 2003 

The Anglican Oriental Orthodox International Commission

The meeting of the Anglican Oriental Orthodox International Commission,
which was to have taken place at Walsingham from Tuesday 28 October to
Sunday 2 November 2003, has been postponed at the suggestion of the
Heads of the Coptic Orthodox Church (His Holiness Pope Shenouda III),
the Syrian Orthodox Church (His Holiness Patriarch Zakka I) and the
Armenian Orthodox Church, Catholicosate of Cilicia (His Holiness
Catholicos Aram I), who met in Antelias, Lebanon, on 17 and 18 October
2003.

The present time is clearly a moment of uncertainty in the life of the
Anglican Communion, with the consecration of a homosexual person in a
committed, same-sex relationship as a Bishop within the Episcopal Church
(USA). The developments facing the Communion were addressed in the
Statement of the Primates of the Anglican Communion who met together
with the Moderators of the United Churches at Lambeth Palace, London, on
15 and 16 October, to consider their reactions and the way forward for
the Communion. In the light of that meeting, the Archbishop of
Canterbury has set up a Commission which will look at the future
structures of the Communion in the light of decisions taken in the
Episcopal Church (USA) and in the Anglican Church of Canada.

It was felt by the Heads of the Oriental Churches who met in Antelias,
that the on-going dialogue between the Anglicans and the family of
Oriental Churches would be better served by waiting, at present, for the
Anglican Communion to have time to take proper account of, and reflect
upon, the consecration which has taken place. It is very much hoped by
all participants that the work of the Commission will be resumed at a
time convenient to all.

The Commission, which has been in existence since 2002 and which built
on a long-standing history of dialogue and co-operation, has already
produced an Agreed Statement on Christology. The Statement is currently
being considered by the member churches of the Anglican Communion and
the family of Oriental Orthodox Churches. The Commission plans to
undertake work on the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit in its next
round of talks, and asks for prayers for the future of Anglican-Oriental
Orthodox dialogue at this present time.

The members of the Commission are:

Oriental Orthodox 

* His Eminence Metropolitan Bishoy (Co-Chairman), Coptic Orthodox Church

* His Grace Bishop Nareg Alemezian (Co-Secretary), Armenian
Catholicosate of Cilicia 
* His Grace Bishop Angaelos, Coptic Orthodox Church 
* His Eminence Metropolitan Mor Eustathius Matta Roham, Syrian Orthodox
Church of Antioch 
* His Grace Bishop Yeznik Petrossian, Armenian Catholicosate of All
Armenians 
* His Grace Bishop Mikael Ajapahyan, Armenian Catholicosate of All
Armenians 
* His Grace Bishop Kegham Khatcherian, Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia

* His Grace Bishop Geevarghese Mar Coorilos, Malankara Syrian Orthodox
Church 
* The Revd Dr K M George, Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church 
* His Eminence Metropolitan Mor Gregorios Youhanna Ibrahim, Syrian
Orthodox Church 
* The Revd Seife-Sellassie Yohannes, Ethiopian Orthodox Church 
* The Revd Kaleab Ghebreslassie, Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church 

Anglicans

* The Rt Revd Dr Geoffrey Rowell (Co-Chairman), Church of England 
* The Revd Canon Gregory K Cameron (Co-Secretary), Director of
Ecumenical Affairs and Studies, Anglican Communion Office 
* The Most Revd George Clive Handford, Anglican Church of Jerusalem and
the Middle East 
* The Rt Revd Duleep de Chickera, Bishop of Colombo, Sri Lanka 
* The Rt Revd Michael Jackson, Bishop of Clogher, Church of Ireland 
* The Revd Canon Harold J. Nahabedian, Anglican Church of Canada 
* The Revd William Taylor, Church of England 
* The Revd Canon Jonathan Gough, Archbishop of Canterbury's
Representative 
* The Rt Revd John Craig Stewart, Anglican Church in Australia 
* The Revd Canon Professor J. Robert Wright, Episcopal Church, USA 

Administrative Staff

* The Revd Terrie Robinson, Anglican Communion Office

For information please contact:

The Revd Canon Gregory K Cameron (Anglican Co-Secretary)
Anglican Communion Office
157 Waterloo Road
London SE1 8UT, UK

Tel: +44 20 7620 1110
Fax: +44 20 7620 1070
Email: gregory.cameron@anglicancommunion.org

or

His Grace Bishop Nareg Alemezian (Oriental Orthodox Co-Secretary)
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia
P.O. Box 70 317
Antelias
Lebanon

Tel: +961 4 410001 
Fax: +961 4 417971 
E-mail: nareg@inco.com.lb

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