Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox leaders took a major step toward healing a 1,600‑year division when Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew welcomed Pope Tawadros II of the Coptic Orthodox Church to the Phanar for a celebration of the Divine Liturgy on the Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women at the Patriarchal Church of Saint George. Both hierarchs called for renewed commitment to unity between their traditions.
In his official address at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, His All-Holiness spoke about the relationship between the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches, saying that “the relationship between the Eastern Orthodox and the Oriental Orthodox Churches occupies a unique and privileged place within the broader ecumenical endeavor.” He detailed a path to the restoration of unity between the two Churches, and emphasized that “we have been called to move from agreement to reception, from dialogue to life, from theological convergence to sacramental and pastoral cooperation.”
The fact that the Oriental Orthodox Churches are commonly referred to as “Orthodox” causes a great deal of confusion. The unfortunate reality is that what are commonly known as the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches are not in communion with one another. The Coptic Church of Egypt, which is among the foremost of the Oriental Orthodox Churches, severed communion with the Patriarch of Constantinople (as well as with the Pope of Rome) in the latter half of the fifth century, after rejecting the Fourth Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon in 451.
Disagreement centered upon the precise understanding of the divine and human natures of our Lord Jesus Christ, and a schism ensued that persists to this day: the Coptic Orthodox Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of All Africa is Tawadros II, while the Greek Orthodox Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa is Theodore II. (Tawadros is the Arabic form of Theodore, but these are two different individuals!)
Since 1985, the Joint Commission of the Theological Dialogue Between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Oriental Orthodox Church has pursued a common understanding and reconciliation between the two religious traditions, conducting dialogues whose goal, according to a 1985 statement of His Eminence Professor Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Myra of blessed memory and His Eminence Metropolitan Bishoy of Damietta of the Coptic Orthodox Church of blessed memory, “would be to rediscover our common grounds in Christology and ecclesiology.”
In accord with this goal, His All-Holiness said to Pope Tawadros: “Your presence among us is a true blessing, manifesting the abiding work of the Holy Spirit, who continues to guide our Churches toward the fullness of the apostolic faith and toward the restoration of that visible unity for which our Lord Himself prayed: ‘that they all may be one.’” (John 17:21) He emphasized that “through decades of patient and sincere theological dialogue, we have come to recognize with increasing clarity that our confession of the mystery of the Incarnation is, in its essence, one and the same. The divisions that have endured for centuries do not arise from a divergence of faith in Christ, but rather from historical circumstances, linguistic differences, and cultural misunderstandings.”
This was a momentous declaration after nearly sixteen hundred years of estrangement, and His All-Holiness continued: “This recognition is not merely an academic conclusion; it is a theological reality that must find expression in the life of the Church.” He declared that “the agreements reached by our theologians cannot remain confined to texts and commissions; they must be received, embodied, and lived within our Churches—both in our historic homelands and throughout the diaspora, where so many of our faithful share common challenges, aspirations, and hopes. For if these agreements remain unreceived, our continued separation risks bearing false witness to the very convictions we have jointly affirmed.”
His All-Holiness said to Pope Tawadros: “The significance of your visit today, dear brother in Christ, lies precisely here: that we have been called to move from agreement to reception, from dialogue to life, from theological convergence to sacramental and pastoral cooperation. For in the Orthodox understanding, theology is never abstract; it is inherently doxological, ecclesial, and incarnational. What we confess must also be what we celebrate; what we proclaim must become what we live.” As such, he added: “In this spirit, we reaffirm with conviction the urgency of deepening the reception of our theological dialogues within the context of the ecclesial heritage we share, as well as the distinct traditions entrusted to each of our Churches.”
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew also noted that “we are called to overcome not only theological misunderstandings, but also the spiritual, historical, and emotional burdens that have accumulated over the centuries. This great undertaking requires humility, patience, and a sacrificial readiness to bear the weight of history in order to open the way to a future of communion.”
May his beautiful and inspiring counsel be heeded, and may this ancient schism be definitively healed.
