Dialogue with the Assyrian Nestorians

In the meeting on 01/06/1996

It became clear to the Holy Synod after examining what happened in the Syrian Dialogue in Vienna in June 1994 and February 1996 that the Assyrians (the Assyrian Church of the East) are Nestorians approving Nestorius and Diodor of Tarsus and Theodore of Mespuiss and disapprove of St. Kyrillos. Despite the dialogue that the Coptic Orthodox Church had with them, and after the Assyrian Church of the East pretended to agree to the right faith, and agreements having been reached between them and the Catholics, His Holiness the Pope said that we are determined to refuse their entry as members of the Middle East Council of Churches, until they recognise the doctrine and decisions of the Third Ecumenical Council in Ephesus. The Holy Synod agreed.

In the meeting on 14/06/1997

HG Bishop Bishoy presented a report on the Nestorian Assyrians. His Holiness the Pope prevented them from entering the Council of Churches of the Middle East, because they are Nestorians. They entirely approve of Nestorius and curse Pope Kyrillos the Great.

The Holy Synod supports the position of His Holiness the Pope, against the Nestorian Assyrians.

In the meeting on 29/05/1999

His Holiness Pope Shenouda III asked His Grace Bishop Bishoy, Secretary of the Holy Synod, to submit a report on the situation of the Eastern Assyrian Churches. His Grace explained what happened in the theological dialogues with them, explaining their strong adherence to their rejection of the Third Ecumenical Council in Ephesus and by honoring Nestorius, Diodor of Tarsus and Theodore of Mespuiss, and accept their heretical teachings (the meeting file included a written report on this).

His Grace explained what they said about Nestorius and the Council of Ephesus as follows: "The Antiochene loyalists promoted the Nisibisites with the strength of their Christological status, using the expressions familiar to them, that is, the same expressions that were forbidden in the Council of Ephesus, and by the loyalists of Kyrillos. Nestorius was honored among them. As a strong defender of the Antiochian Orthodoxy, and as a martyr for the pride and arrogance of Kyrillos of Alexandria.” "

They also said, “although the Assyrians say that Nestorius is not their founder, and therefore they refuse to be called Nestorians, but the general tendency is that Nestorius, despite being a Greek (meaning his language in education), is a father to them in a very powerful way” (From the papers of Archbishop Bawai Soro Assyria in the Syriac Dialogue in Vienna, June 1994 and February 1996).

They are still defending Nestorius and his corrupt teaching, against the incarnation of God the Word and refusing to call the Virgin the Mother of God and believe in two hypostases in Christ after the union according to the teachings of Nestorius, and they appear to be in agreement with Rome about the nature of Christ and they teach the teachings of Nestorius and defend him and they mention them in their liturgical prayers and they celebrate his feast.

Then, His Holiness, the Pope, affirmed that our Church refused to admit these Churches into the Council of Churches of the Middle East, considering them to be Nestorian Churches. His Holiness said that Catholics in the Middle East Council of Churches have pushed hard for the Assyrian Church to be included in the Council, but we stood before them so severely that they felt that if they accepted these, we would withdraw from the Council. The Syrians and Armenians joined us in that.