H.B. THE PATRIARCH OF JERUSALEM ADDRESSES THE DIALOGUE BETWEEN ORTHODOX AND ANGLICANS

On Thursday, the 5th/18th of September 2014, the 6th Meeting of the International Commission for Theological Dialogue between Orthodox and Anglicans opened officially at the conference hall near St George’s Anglican Church.

Participating in the meeting were: the Patriarchate of Alexandria, represented by the Most Reverend Seraphim, Metropolitan of Zimbabwe; the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, represented by Archimandrite Aristovoulos, who has succeeded f. Georgios Dragas, Protopresbyter and professor at the Boston Theological School of the Holy Cross; the Church of Cyprus, represented by the Most Reverend Chrysostomos, Metropolitan of Kition. The Patriarchates of Antioch, Russia and Serbia were also represented at the meeting. Mr Christos Christakis, presbyter of the Archbishopric of America, served as Secretary-General of the Commission on behalf of the Orthodox.

The Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem, Mr Suheil Dawani, opened the dialogue with a brief report on Christians in the Holy Land, and the contribution of the Church to them through educational institutions and hospitals, citing as example the Gaza hospital which tended to the wounded in the midst of hostilities.

His Beatitude Theophilos, Patriarch of Jerusalem, welcomed participants with an address in English, see: https://en.jerusalem-patriarchate.info/2014/09/18/8992

Welcoming speeches were also delivered by the well-known professor and Assistant to the Bishop of Diokleia, Kallistos (Timothy Ware) representing the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and the Archbishop of Perth, Australia, co-chairing the meeting on behalf of the Anglican Church.

The event was followed by a wider discussion among participants in the Church Forecourt.

 From the Secretariat-General