استقبل قداسة البابا تواضروس الثاني، مساء اليوم، أعضاء لجنة العلاقات بين الكنيستين القبطية الأرثوذكسية والروسية الأرثوذكسية، في المقر البابوي بالكاتدرائية المرقسية بالعباسية.
جاءت زيارة اللجنة لقداسة البابا بعد لقائها الثالث الذي دام لمدة يومين بالقاهرة في ضيافة الكنيسة القبطية.
Cairo, Egypt, May 29, 2019
From May 28-29, 2019 the Commission for Bilateral Dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Coptic Orthodox Church held its third meeting in Cairo, Egypt generously hosted by His Holiness Pope Tawadros II. Present at the meeting were His Eminence Metropolitan Serapion of Los Angeles, co-chairman, His Grace Bishop Youlios, General Bishop for Public, Ecumenical and Social Services, His Grace Bishop Kyrillos, auxiliary bishop of Christian Education in the Diocese of Los Angeles, and Dean of Saint Athanasius and Saint Cyril Coptic Orthodox Theological School, Very Rev. Hegomen Boules Halim, Coptic Orthodox Spokesman, Rev. Father Dawood El Antony, student in the Moscow Theological Academy, Dr. Isaak Ibrahim Agpan, General Secretary at the Institute of Coptic Studies, and Mrs. Barbara Soliman, Director of the Papal Office for Projects and Relations and Co-Secretary of the Commission. The Russian Orthodox representatives present were His Grace Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, Hieromonk Stefan (Igumnov), Secretary for Inter-Christian Affairs from the Department of External Church Relations (DECR), Rev. Priest Viktor Kulaga, Representative of the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia at the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, Deacon Ilya Kashitsyn, DECR staff member and Mr. Sergey Alferov, DECR staff member and Co-Secretary of the Commission.
The Commission reviewed the projects implemented in the last two years since its previous meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan from June 27–29, 2017. It also discussed new, promising areas of common interest for development in the framework of the dialogue.
The Commission also realized the successful annual visits of monastic delegations which made pilgrimages to Egypt and Russia. It hopes to implement consultations of monasticism during conferences on monasticism prepared by the Russian Orthodox Synodical Department of Monasteries and Monasticism, as well as during the pilgrimage visits of Russian Orthodox abbots and abbesses when in Egypt. Among the topics to be discussed are the challenges facing monasticism in the 21st century.
The Commission also seeks to facilitate cooperation in theological and academic fields, like the exchange of professors and students, donations of books to libraries, and translations of important texts. The Commission has scheduled to begin its theological consultations in January 2020 to discuss various theological topics. The Commission also seeks to arrange summer programs for youth to visit Russia and Egypt.
The Commission also noted the fruitful exchange of visits by delegations during 2017 and 2018 for diakonia and development projects. To further our Church relationships the Commission is exploring various areas of cooperation for joint projects in the future.
In the area of Media, the Commission noted the visits of Russian channels which will produce documentary film and TV series about the Coptic Orthodox Church. The Russian Orthodox Church also extended an invitation for the Coptic Orthodox Media Center and Coptic TV channels to Russia in hopes to produce similar documentaries for the Coptic Orthodox faithful.
The Commission acknowledged the need to facilitate the communication of churches in the Lands of Immigration, as well as to assist in arranging for pastoral care of our congregations in Russia and Egypt.
The Commission expressed its gratitude to His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, for the cordial hospitality extended. The members of the Commission were blessed to have a private audience with His Holiness Pope Tawadros II. The results of the Commission’s labors shall be presented to the Holy Synods of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Coptic Orthodox Church for their final approval. His Holiness Pope Tawadros II also extended an invitation to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill to visit Egypt in the near future.
The next meeting of the Commission will take place in May of 2021 in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Committee for Relations between the two Churches: the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church
H.H. Pope Tawadros II
Wednesday May 29, 2019 A.D. / 21st Bashans, 1735 A.M.
Christos Anesti.
Firstly, I would like to express my happiness and my pleasure for our meeting today, this meeting between our two Churches, the Russian Orthodox Church and the Coptic Orthodox Church, here in Cairo, and also for the good growth in the relationship between our two Churches. And this relationship and its growth depend upon our love toward each other, and Love is the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And I am also very happy with the seven items mentioned here today by Metropolitan Serapion, regarding points of interest for our two Churches:
1. Theological education
2. Deaconia (servanthood)
3. Media
4. Relationships
5. Serving our communities, especially Copts in Russia
6. Cooperation in the lands of immigration, and
7. The interreligious area, especially that service to others is very important, whether in Egypt or in Russia
So this is good news for us regarding the relationship between the two Churches, and I would also like to say that we are slowly growing in our nation on a solid foundation, and this is very important for us.
1-Visiting each other
As I have mentioned before several times, our relationship is like the cross, it begins with a loving relationship in Christ, and Christ among us is building this relationship. And we are now building this relationship through the Russian delegations of monks and heads of monasteries coming here to visit our monasteries’ and ancient churches, and also the Coptic Bishops who have gone to visit Russia and also visited the ancient places, as well as the many monasteries and many churches there. So this is the first step in our relationship of love, visitations.
2-Studying each other
The second step is the study of the history, the tradition, and the legacy of each Church in order to gain more understanding, to be more understanding about what the Russian Church is and what the Coptic Church is, and it is very important that this be done through studying as well as by mutual visits.
3-Dialogues together
The third step is through dialogues, through meetings between delegations from both Churches. I remember that during our first visit to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, during our first meeting we discussed four dimensions of cooperation for us to have with each other. The first is through the monks or monasteries, the second is through clergy education – theological education, the third is the through the social level, and the fourth is through the theological level.
Dialogue is very important, whether here or in Russia, because dialogue also helps us to build this understanding of each other.
4-Praying for each other
The fourth step is praying. We must pray for each other, we must pray for Christian unity, we must pray to understand the Church, to understand the traditions, and to understand the daily life or the social life of each Church.
When we complete these four steps we will reach the heart of Jesus Christ.
I would like to thank His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and to thank your grace, Bishop, and this Russian delegation. We are happy when you visit Egypt and stay with us, and I hope that this visit will be extended and not be for two days only. I hope it is extended. And I also hope you visit the monasteries because it is very important for you to get the spirit of our fathers, of our desert fathers. These fathers and their prayers will help us to be more understanding of each other.
Thank you to the Coptic delegation and also to your graces, the Bishops, for your participation in this dialogue and for and the many efforts many of you have contributed.
I hope we meet together in love and in hope, and that we try in practical steps to become more knowledgeable about our Churches – about the history of the Churches and also about our theological subjects that we study in our seminaries, both here and in Russia.
Thank you for your coming.
Also, we welcome all the Russian people who would like to come to Egypt and to visit our monasteries, this also builds bridges between us. Thank you so much.
كلمة قداسة البابا تواضروس الثاني في لقاء لجنة العلاقات بين: الكنيسة القبطية الأرثوذكسية والكنيسة الروسية الأرثوذكسية
أولاً، أود أن أعرب عن سعادتي وسروري لاجتماعنا اليوم، هذا الاجتماع بين كنيستنا، الكنيسة الروسية الأرثوذكسية والكنيسة القبطية الأرثوذكسية، هنا في القاهرة، وأيضًا من أجل التطور الجيد في العلاقة بين كنائسنا. وتعتمد هذه العلاقة ونموها على حبنا لبعضنا البعض حيث أن المحبة هي اسم الرب يسوع المسيح.
وأنا أيضًا سعيد جدًا بالعناصر السبعة التي ذكرها هنا اليوم الانبا سيرابيون، فيما يتعلق النقاط ذات الأهمية بالنسبة لكنيستنا:
1. التعليم اللاهوتي
2. دياكونية
3. وسائل الإعلام
4. العلاقات
5. خدمة مجتمعاتنا، لاسيما الأقباط في روسيا
6. التعاون في أراضي الهجرة،
7. أهمية العلاقات بين الأديان، وخاصة من حيث تقديم الخدمة للآخرين، سواء في مصر أو في روسيا
فهذه أخبار سارة بالنسبة لنا فيما يتعلق بالعلاقة بين الكنيستين، وأود أيضًا أن أقول إننا ننمو ببطء على أساس متين، وهذا مهم للغاية بالنسبة لنا.
1- زيارة بعضنا البعض
كما ذكرت كثيرا من قبل، إن علاقتنا مثل الصليب، فهي تبدأ بعلاقة حب في المسيح، ويبني المسيح بيننا هذه العلاقة. ونحن الآن نبني هذه العلاقة من خلال الوفود الروسية للرهبان ورؤساء الأديرة القادمين إلى هنا لزيارة أديرتنا وكنائسنا القديمة، وكذلك الأساقفة الأقباط الذين ذهبوا لزيارة روسيا والأماكن القديمة والأديرة والكنائس الكثيرة هناك. هكذا تبدأ الخطوة الأولى في علاقتنا بالحب وتبادل الزيارات.
2- دراسة بعضنا البعض
والخطوة الثانية هي دراسة تاريخ كل كنيسة وتقليدها وتراثها من أجل اكتساب مزيد من التفاهم، حتى نكون أكثر تفهمًا لماهية الكنيسة الروسية وماهية الكنيسة القبطية، ومن المهم جدًا أن يحدث هذا من خلال الدراسة وكذلك عن طريق الزيارات المتبادلة.
3- الحوار معا
أما الخطوة الثالثة تحدث من خلال الحوارات، ومن خلال لقاءات بين وفود كل من الكنيستين. أتذكر أننا خلال زيارتنا الأولى إلى قداسة البطريرك كيريل، خلال لقائنا الأول، ناقشنا أربعة أبعاد للتعاون مع بعضنا البعض. البعد الأول هو عن طريق الرهبان أو الأديرة، والثاني هو من خلال تعليم رجال الدين – التعليم اللاهوتي، والثالث هو من خلال المستوى الاجتماعي، والرابع هو من خلال المستوى اللاهوتي.
يمثل الحوار أهمية كبيرة، سواء هنا أو في روسيا، لأن الحوار يساعدنا أيضًا على بناء هذا التقاهم بين لبعضنا البعض.
4- الصلاة لبعضنا البعض
بالنسبة إلى الخطوة الرابعة فهي الصلاة، يجب أن نصلي من أجل بعضنا البعض، ويجب أن نصلي من أجل الوحدة المسيحية، ويجب أن نصلي من أجل معرفة الكنيسة والتقاليد والحياة اليومية أو الحياة الاجتماعية لكل كنيسة.
عندما نكمل هذه الخطوات الأربع سنصل إلى قلب يسوع المسيح.
أود أن أشكر قداسة البطريرك كيريل وأن أشكر نيافةالأسقف، وأوجه شكري إلى الوفد الروسي. يسعدنا زيارتكم مصر والبقاء معنا، وآمل أن يتم تمديد هذه الزيارة بحيث لا تكون لمدة يومين فقط. آمل أن تكون أكثر من ذلك. وأود منكم أيضًا زيارة الأديرة لأنه من المهم جدًا أن تتعرفوا على روح آبائنا وآباء صحرائنا. سوف يساعدنا هؤلاء الآباء وصلواتهم على أن نكون أكثر تفهماً لبعضنا البعض.
شكراً للوفد القبطي وكذلك لأصحاب الفضيلة، الأساقفة، من أجل مشاركتكم في هذا الحوار وعلى الجهود العديدة التي ساهم بها كثيرون منكم.
آمل أن نلتقي معاً في ظل الحب والأمل، وأن نحاول في خطوات عملية أن نكون أكثر معرفة بكنائسنا – من حيث تاريخ الكنائس وأيضًا عن مواضيعنا اللاهوتية التي ندرسها في حلقاتنا الدراسية، هنا وفي روسيا.
شكرا لكم على حضوركم.
كما نرحب بجميع الشعب الروسي الذي يرغب في المجيء إلى مصر وزيارة الأديرة، فهذا سوف يبني أيضًا جسوراً بيننا.
شكرا جزيلا لكم.