In the Name of the Fr., the Son, and the Holy Spirit We, Pope Shenouda III, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, Patriarch Mar Ignatius Zakka 1, Patriarch of Antioch and all the East and Catholicos Aram 1, Catholicos of the Armenians of the Great House of Cilicia, together with us the members of the preparatory committee of this meeting, give thanks to God for bringing us together at the – …

A paper presented in the name of His Eminence Metropolitan Bishoy at the Orientale Lumen conference in Melbourne, Australia, July 9th – 12th 2000. The Coptic Orthodox Church participated in the theological dialogue with the Assyrian Church of the East decided by the Fourth general assembly of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) in Cyprus 1986. The long process of this dialogue continued until the Sixth (6th) General Assembly of the Council in November 1994, – …

The Assyrian Church, otherwise known as the ‘Church of the East’, did not attend the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus in 431 A.D. Its members were later assumed into the Persian Empire. The Assyrian Church believed the teachings of Nestorius, defended him and considered him a teacher and a saint, and still remembers him in its liturgies and celebrates his life in the feast of the Greek teachers. This Church also followed the teachings of Diodore – …

On June 8, 2005, HG Bishop Serapion joined over 200 governmental and ecumenical leaders in welcoming His Holiness Karakin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, during a VIP luncheon held in the at the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America, in Burbank. His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians addressed the attendees, thanking them for their continued support of the Western Diocese and her missions. He blessed them and conveyed to them – …

Friday and Saturday, December 9-10, 2005, the Heads of the Oriental Orthodox Churches in the Middle East, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III of the Coptic Church, His Holiness Patriarch Zakka I of the Syrian Church and His Holiness Catholicos Aram I of the Armenian Church-Catholicosate of Cilicia, held their 8th meeting, at St. Ephrem Monastery, Ma’arat Saydnaya, Damascus, Syria. This fellowship was founded in 1996. During their deliberations, the three Heads addressed issues related to – …

On Thursday May 11, 2006, under the guidance and leadership of His Grace Bishop Serapion, His Eminence Mor Clemis Eugene Kaplan (Syriac Orthodox Church), His Eminence Hovnan Derderian and His Eminence Moushegh Mardirossian (Armenian Apostolic Church), the Coptic, Armenian, and Syriac sister Oriental Orthodox Churches of the Western United States celebrated the second annual joint Divine Liturgy at the Armenian Apostolic Church in Burbank, CA. The day was filled with prayer, solidarity, and fellowship among – …

A fellowship of Orthodox Bishops was hosted by His Grace Joseph, bishop of Los Angeles and all the West (Antiochian Orthodox Church) on May 16, 2006, in the presence of bishops Serapion, (Coptic Orthodox Church), C. Eugene, (Syrian Orthodox Church), Moushegh (Armenian apostolic Church), Hovnan (Armenian Church). During the fellowship, the topics of “Da Vinci Code,” and the “Gospel of Judas,” were discussed. In conclusion to the discussion, it was decided that this fellowship communiqué – …

On Saturday, May 13 the Armenian, Syriac, and Coptic Orthodox Churches gathered their Sunday School students for a Bible Competition, which was held at St. Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church in Glendale, CA. The event was for students ages 11-15 and it focused on the history of the three Oriental Orthodox churches and the first ten chapters of the Gospel of Matthew. This event was under the guidance and supervision of H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate – …

On Monday, January 15, 2007, His Grace Bishop Serapion welcomed His Grace Bishop Joseph Al Zehlaoui of the Bishop of the Antiochian Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles and the West, His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church; His Eminence Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate of the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America; and His Eminence Metropolitan Mor Clemis Eugene Kaplan, Patriarchal Vicar of the Syrian Orthodox – …

On Monday February 5, 2007 the Council of Oriental Orthodox Churches in the Western United States held its quarterly meeting at St. Mary Armenian Orthodox Church in Glendale, hosted by His Eminence Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate of the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America in Glendale. The meeting opened with an extensive joint prayer in the Church, in which each group offered a prayer from their church. At the meeting the leaders of the Oriental – …

Report of Catholic-Oriental Orthodox Commission A Shared “Ecclesial Patrimony Stemming From Apostolic Times” VATICAN CITY, FEB. 12, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Here is the report issued at the conclusion of the fourth meeting of the International Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue Between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches. The meeting took place Jan. 28-Feb. 3 in Rome. The fourth meeting of the International Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches took – …

Pasadena, Calif., February 9, 2007 – A consensus on the importance of evangelism and the need to eliminate domestic poverty marked the official formation of Christian Churches Together (CCT) meeting here February 6-9. The CCT is composed of 36 churches and national organizations from virtually all U.S. Christian groups who have been seeking to come together for fellowship, worship and opportunities to share in important ministries. “Remember that you belong to God and God does – …