Historical Survey on the Theological Dialogue

Between the Orthodox Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches

by Dr. Gary Vachicouras

I    The Four Unofficial Consultations:

A.    Aarhus, Denmark, 11-15 1964, Agreed Statement
B.    Bristol, England, 25-29 July 1967, Agreed Statement
C.    Chambésy/Geneva, Switzerland 16-21 August 1970, Summary of Conclusions
D.    and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 22-23 January 1971, Summary of Conclusions

II    The Official Dialogue   

Meeting of the Interorthodox Commission of Dialogue with the Ancient Oriental Orthodox Churches, Orthodox Center of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Chambésy, Switzerland, 7-11 February 1979

Letter (19 September 1979) of His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Demetrios I addressed to the Heads of the Oriental Orthodox Churches announcing the decision taken at the meeting of the Interorthodox Commission for preparation of dialogue with these Churches held at Chambésy in February 1979.

A.    The First Meeting of the Joint Commission of the Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches
Communiqué of the Joint Commission, Orthodox Center of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Chambésy, Switzerland, 10-15 December 1985

Meeting of the Joint Sub-Committee of the Joint Commission of the Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Oriental Orthodox non-Chalcedonian Churches, Corinth, 23rd-26th September 1987

B.    The Second Meeting of the Joint Commission of the Theological between the Orthodox Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches
(a)    Communiqué of the Joint Commission
(b)    Agreed Statement of the Joint Commission
Anba Bishoy Monastery, Egypt, 20-24 June 1989

Sub-Commission on Pastoral Problems between the Orthodox Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches, Monastery of Anba Bishoy, 31 January to 4th February 1990)

Sub-Commission of the Theological Issues Orthodox Center of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Chambésy September 20-22, 1990

C.    The Third Meeting of the Joint Commission of the Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches
(a)    Introduction of the Joint Commission
(b)    Second Agreed Statement and Recommendations to the Churches of the Joint Commission
(c)    Recommendations on Pastoral Issues of the Joint Commission (I. Relations among our two families of Churches; II. Relations of our Churches with other Christian Churches in the world; III. Our common service to the world of suffering, need, injustice and conflicts; IV. Our co-operation in the propagation of the Christian faith.)
Orthodox Center of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Chambésy/Geneva, Switzerland, 23-28 September 1990

Preparatory Meetings of the two co-presidents and secretaries of the Joint Theological Commission
Cairo, 26-28 April 1993
Chambésy, 10 June 1993

D.    The Fourth Meeting of the Joint Commission of the Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches
Communiqué of the Joint Commission
Orthodox Center of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Chambésy, Switzerland, 1-6 November 1993.

Meeting of the two co-presidents of the Joint Theological Commission of Dialogue, Monastery Anba Bishoy, 20-23 December 1994

Meeting of the Liturgical and Pastoral Subcommittees,
Monastery of Penteli, Athens, 15-19 March 1995
Proposals of the Subcommittee on Liturgical Matters
Proposals of the Subcommittee on Pastoral Matters

Meeting of the Liturgical and Pastoral Subcommittees, Damascus, Syria, 2-5 February 1998
Communiqué



Dr. Gary Vachicouras
Institute of Postgraduate Studies in Orthodox Theology
at the Orthodox Center of the Ecumenical Patriarchate
Chambésy-Geneva