Eastern Orthodox Churches in the Middle East

In the meeting on 14/06/1997

1. His Holiness Pope Shenouda III mentioned the importance of calling for a meeting of the heads of the three Eastern Orthodox Churches in the Middle East to coordinate matters between them.
2. The it was announced that the name of Mar Ignatius Zakka I of Antioch should be mentioned in all liturgical prayers and liturgies.

In the meeting on 06/06/1998

The Holy Synod was informed of the joint statement (in the monastery of St. Bishoy in Egypt, dated 10-11 March 1998) of the three fathers, heads of the Eastern Orthodox Churches in the Middle East, and members of the Standing Committee attending with them. The statement provided for the unity of faith between the three Churches and the not having single theological dialogues by one of the three Churches without the participation of the other two Churches, and the unification of positions in the ecumenical forums.

In the meeting on 29/05/1999

The Holy Synod was informed of the joint statement (Maarat Saydnaya in Syria, dated 10-12 February 1999) of the three fathers, heads of the Eastern Orthodox Churches in the Middle East.

In the meeting on 17/06/2000

The Holy Synod was informed of the joint statement (Armenian Catholic Church, in Lebanon, 4-9 May 2000) of the three fathers, heads of the Eastern Orthodox Churches in the Middle East.

In the meeting on 02/06/2001

The Holy Synod was informed of the joint statement (the St. Mark Centre, in Nasr City, Cairo, on 15-17 March 2001) of the three fathers, heads of the Eastern Orthodox Churches in the Middle East.

In the meeting on 22/06/2002

The Synod was informed of the joint statement signed by the three fathers, heads of the Eastern Orthodox Churches in the Middle East in the Syrian Monastery of St. Afram, Maarat Saydnaya, Damascus on 7-9 March 2002.

In the meeting on 29/05/2004

It was presented to the Holy Synod that the date of the meeting of the heads of the three Eastern Orthodox Churches in the Middle East was set to be in March 2003, but it was postponed due to the circumstances of the Iraq war, and was held on 17 October 2003, and the joint statement signed by the three Holinesses was presented to members Holy Synod.

In the meeting on 18/06/2005

It was presented to the Holy Synod that the seventh meeting of the heads of the Eastern Orthodox Churches in the Middle East was held on 21 October 2004 at the St. Mark Centre in Nasr City, Cairo, and the joint statement signed by the three heads was attached to the documents of the Synod meeting to be shared with the members of the Holy Synod.

In the meeting on 26/05/2007

It was presented to the Holy Synod that the tenth meeting of the heads of the Orthodox Churches in the Middle East was held in the Syrian Monastery of St. Afram in Maarat Saydnaya, Damascus, Syria, from 19-21 April 2007, and a joint official statement was issued, as usual, in both Arabic and English, and was presented to the Holy Synod.

(Footnote: The eighth meeting was held at the Syriac Mar Ifram Monastery in Maaret Sednaya, 9-10 December 2005. The ninth meeting of the heads of the Orthodox Churches in the Middle East was held at the St. Mark Center in Nasr City, Cairo on 23-24/11/2006. The recent political developments in Lebanon prevented Catholicos Aram I from attending the meeting, so appointed His Eminence Archbishop Siboh Sarkissian and Bishop Nareg Alemizian to represent him).