Aklil - 1397 11 14 14 05

EFFORTS IN BRIDGING THE GAP DURING THE PAPACY OF POPE SHENOUDA III BY THE COPTIC
ORTHODOX CHURCH AFTER CHALCEDON DIALOGUES WITH THE CHALCEDONIAN CHURCHES
In 1964, during the papacy of H.H Pope Cyril VI, a fresh dialogue began between the Chalcedonian and
non Chalcedonian Orthodox Churches at Aarhus in Denmark. This was followed by meetings at Bristol in
1967, Geneva in 1970 and Addis Ababa in 1971. These were a series of non-official consultations which
served as steps towards mutual understanding.
The official consultation in which concrete steps were taken began in 1985 at Chambesy in Geneva.
The second official consultation was held at the monastery of Saint Bishoy in Wadi-El-Natroun, in Egypt
in June 1989. The outcome of this latter meeting was of historical dimensions, since in this meeting the
two families of Orthodoxy were able to agree on a Christological formula, thus ending the controversy
regarding Christology which has lasted more than fifteen centuries (see below).
The Chalcedon and non-Chalcedonian sides in the Orthodox dialogue at St Bishoy’s Monastery in Egypt
in June 1989 reached an agreement. Both sides accepted the theological phraseology of the other,
professing its orthodoxy. Both sides agreed that the Word of God, Himself, became perfect man,
through incarnation, is co-essential to the Father according to His divinity, and co-essential to us
according to His humanity – without sin. Also, that the union of natures in Christ is a natural, hypostatic,
real and perfect union without fusion or intermixing or change or separation. That it is not possible to
distinguish between the natures except in thought alone. That the Virgin Mary is ‘Theotokos’ (Qeoto,koj)
with anathematizing the teachings of both Nestorius and Eutyches and also the crypto-Nestorianism of
Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrus.
In September 1990, the two families of Orthodoxy signed an agreement on Christology, and
recommendations were presented to the different Orthodox Churches, to lift the anathemas and enmity
of the past, after revising the results of the dialogues. If both agreements are accepted by the various
Orthodox Churches, the restoration of communion will be very easy at all levels, even as far as sharing
one table in the Eucharist.
WITH THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
In May 1978, H.H. Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria visited Pope Paul VI of Rome. They signed a Common
Declaration saying: “We confess that our Lord and God and Savior and King of us all, Jesus Christ, is
perfect God with respect to His divinity, perfect man with respect to His humanity. In Him His divinity is
united with His humanity in a real, perfect union without mingling, without commixtion, without
confusion, without alteration, without division, without separation.”
At the Monastery of Saint Bishoy, February 12th, 1988 the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Roman
Catholic Church signed an Agreed Statement on Christology: “We believe that our Lord, God and Savior
Jesus Christ, the Incarnate—Logos is perfect in His divinity and perfect in His humanity. He made His
humanity One with His divinity without Mixture, nor Mingling, nor Confusion. His divinity was not
separated from His humanity even for a moment or a twinkling of an eye. At the same time, we
anathematize the doctrines of both Nestorius and Eutyches.”
WITH THE REFORMED CHURCHES IN THE NETHERLANDS
On September 13, 1994 the Oriental Orthodox signed an ‘Agreed Statement on Christology’ with the
Reformed Churches in the Netherlands. Quoted are selected parts of the agreement stating that, “We
confess our Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-Begotten Son of God, perfect in divinity and perfect in humanity,
consisting of a rational soul and a body, begotten of the Father before the ages according to His divinity,
the Same, in the fullness of time, for us and for our salvation, born of the Virgin Mary, according to His
humanity; the Same co-essential with the Father according to His divinity and co-essential with us
according to His humanity. For a union has been made of two natures. For this cause we confess one
Christ, one Son, one Lord. In Accordance with this sense of the unconfused union, we confess the holy
Virgin to be Theotokos, because God the Word became incarnate and was made human and from the
very conception united to Himself the temple taken from her.” Also, “Both sides agree in rejecting the
teaching which separates or divides the human nature, both soul and body in Christ, from His divine
nature or reduces the union of the natures to the level of conjoining. Both sides also agree in rejecting
the teaching which confuses the human nature in Christ with the divine nature so that the former is
absorbed in the latter and thus ceases to exist.”
WITH THE ANGLICAN CHURCH
At the Anglican-Oriental Orthodox International Commission, Holy Etchmiadzin, Armenia, November

19, 2002, the Oriental Orthodox Churches in their ‘Agreed Statement on Christology’ with the Anglican
Church states: “Both sides agree in rejecting the teaching which separates or divides the human nature,
both soul and body in Christ, from his divine nature, or reduces the union of the natures to the level of
conjoining and limiting the union to the union of persons thereby denying that the person of Jesus Christ
is a single person of God the Word. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews
13:8 NRSV). Both sides also agree in rejecting the teaching which confuses the human nature in Christ
with the divine nature so that the former is absorbed in the latter and thus ceases to exist.
Consequently, we reject both the Nestorian and the Eutychian heresies.”

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EFFORTS IN BRIDGING THE GAP DURING THE PAPACY OF POPE SHENOUDA III BY THE COPTIC

ORTHODOX CHURCH AFTER CHALCEDON DIALOGUES WITH THE CHALCEDONIAN CHURCHES

WITH THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

WITH THE REFORMED CHURCHES IN THE NETHERLANDS

WITH THE ANGLICAN CHURCH

At the Anglican-Oriental Orthodox International Commission, Holy Etchmiadzin, Armenia, November

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