Pope Francis and Pope Tawadros II will Jointly Commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Catholic-Coptic Dialogue
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Pope Francis and Pope Tawadros II will jointly commemorate the 50th anniversary of the historic meeting between Saint Paul VI and Pope Shenouda III (1973-2023).
On 10 and 11 May, the Holy Father Francis and His Holiness Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, will celebrate together the fiftieth anniversary of the historic meeting of their predecessors, Pope Saint Paul VI and Pope Shenouda III, which took place in May 1973. (Image above from 2013 - Vatican Media)
On this occasion, Patriarch Tawadros will participate in the general audience on Wednesday 10 May. On Thursday 11 May he will have a private meeting with Pope Francis, with whom he will have a moment of prayer, and will then go to the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity. The Patriarch will also meet the faithful of the Coptic community residing in Rome, for whom he will celebrate a Eucharistic liturgy on Sunday 14 May at the Papal Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano.
Also, Pope Francis and the Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II have released a jointly-written preface for a new book, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the historic “Joint Christological Declaration” that continues to strengthen ties between the Catholic and Coptic Churches.
Vatican News released that as the Catholic and Coptic Orthodox Churches mark fifty years since the first modern meeting between their leaders, Pope Francis and Pope Tawadros II have penned a joint preface for a new book.
Set to hit bookshelves on Wednesday, the book is entitled “The Catholic Church and the Coptic Orthodox Church. 50th Anniversary of the Meeting between Pope Paul VI and Pope Shenouda III (1973-2023)”.
The preface, released on Tuesday, traces the path of dialogue which led to that historic encounter and the fruits which it has borne over the last half century.
The meeting between Paul VI and Shenouda III continued to bear fruit in ecumenical relations, including the creation of the Joint International Commission between the Catholic Church and the Coptic Orthodox Church.
The Commission’s work, note Pope Francis and Pope Tawadros II, led to the signing of the Principles for Guiding the Search for Unity between the Catholic Church and the Coptic Orthodox Church in 1979 between Shenouda III and John Paul II.
“This commission in turn paved the way for the foundation, in 2003, of the theological dialogue between the Catholic Church and the entire family of Oriental Orthodox Churches, a dialogue that has already produced important documents testifying to the growing understanding between our Churches,” say the two leaders.
The Commission’s work, note Pope Francis and Pope Tawadros II, led to the signing of the Principles for Guiding the Search for Unity between the Catholic Church and the Coptic Orthodox Church in 1979 between Shenouda III and John Paul II.
“This commission in turn paved the way for the foundation, in 2003, of the theological dialogue between the Catholic Church and the entire family of Oriental Orthodox Churches, a dialogue that has already produced important documents testifying to the growing understanding between our Churches,” say the two leaders.
https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2023/05/08/0347/00754.html and Vatican News
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