Photo Credit: Anglican-Orthodox Theological Dialogue (ICAOTD)
Anglican and Orthodox senior bishops and theologians have discussed how their Churches can bear witness to their faith in today’s world, for which Christian formation is necessary and urgent.
The meeting marked the annual gathering of the International Commission for Anglican-Orthodox Theological Dialogue (ICAOTD). The dialogue was hosted by the Huffington Ecumenical Institute, at Hellenic College Holy Cross, at the invitation of Archbishop Elpidophoros of America.
A celebratory public event marked 50 years of the dialogue, with members describing the achievements of each of the texts, from 1976’s Moscow Agreement to 2024’s forthcoming text, entitled Organ Donation: A Hope-Filled Gift.
On 10 October the Anglican and Orthodox teams welcomed His Holiness Catholicos Aram I of the Holy See of Cilicia and His Eminence Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian, Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy, to speak together about the vocation to visible unity to which all churches are called by God.
Archbishop Elpidophoros said:“It is indeed a blessing for our Archdiocese to welcome His Holiness Catholicos Aram I...on the occasion of the 50th anniversary celebration of our bilateral theological conversations. In a world marked by disagreement, conflict and division, the presence this evening of three prominent Christian communions in ecumenical and fraternal dialogue is a genuine sign of faith, hope and love.”
Bishop Michael Lewis, the Anglican co-chair of the dialogue, expressed delight in the dialogue’s continuing commitment to proclaiming “the Kingdom of God in our modern world.” Bishop Lewis thanked Catholicos Aram for his faithful work and witness. “May God bless the Churches' mission, which is the mission of God.”
Metropolitan Athenagoras of Belgium (Orthodox Co-Chair) said: “”
Catholicos Aram said: “I cannot understand the Church being church without ecumenism. It has become one of the marks of the Church. The Church cannot continue with its mission and witness and diakonia without some sort of ecumenism. It is no mere option – it is a must ... The Church is a missionary reality, facing so many pastoral issues.”
During the evening ICAOTD launched an Agreed Statement Dying Well: Living Well: Our Sure and Certain Hope. Describing why this book is important, The Very Revd Dr Sarah Rowland Jones, Dean of St Davids, said:"This is an important and timely resource for Christians and others wrestling with personal, pastoral, moral and ethical questions around end of life issues, particularly debates about prematurely bringing about death. Reflecting on Scriptural and church teaching that the God who creates us mortal, gives us the gift of life, has also broken the power of sin and death through his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, we proclaim with faith and confidence that we have “this hope, a short and steadfast anchor of the soul."
Dying Well: Living Well is now available on Amazon in many parts of the world.