11.11.2024
Anglican–Oriental Orthodox Commission Focus on Migration, Displacement, Witness and Martyrdom
The Anglican–Oriental Orthodox International Commission Communiqué 2024.
The Anglican–Oriental Orthodox International Commission (AOOIC) held its eleventh residential meeting from 21—25 October 2024 at The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin in Armenia. This is the second time the Commission has held its meeting in Armenia, reflecting the Armenian Apostolic Church’s strong commitment to ecumenical work and its gracious hospitality.
The Commission greatly appreciated the generosity of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians. The Commission expressed gratitude to the Ecumenical Department of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, along with Fr Garegin Hambardzumyan and his team at the department, for their warm welcome and the valuable support provided to the Commission’s work.
Following its agreed agenda for the official dialogue, the Commission explored how both Communions live out their Faith in the face of the world’s changing contexts. The Commission commenced its work on the themes of migration, displacement, witness, and martyrdom.
The Commission acknowledged that persecution of Christians is a global issue affecting not only religious freedom but also human rights, dignity, and the stability of communities. The importance of prayer, advocacy, and material support for persecuted Christians was also underscored as vital aspects of our response as Churches. The Commission expressed deep concern over the displacement of the Armenian faithful from the region of Artsakh (Nagorno–Karabakh), recognizing the profound suffering and loss faced by the communities forced to leave their ancestral homes. Also troubling is the destruction and erasure of cultural and religious heritage sites of the Armenian Apostolic Church in the region, which not only represents an unjust loss for the Armenian people but also for Christians and others around the world.
The Commission was privileged to hear firsthand from Bishop Vrtanes Abrahamyan, Primate of the Diocese of Artsakh, regarding the displacement of the Armenian faithful. Members of the Commission also met with individuals displaced by the war and now sheltered by the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. They listened to the moving stories of the people and heartfelt poems recited by their children.
Anglican and Oriental Orthodox members of the Commission presented five papers on the topics of migration, displacement, witness, and martyrdom. The Commission reflected on the theological and ecclesiological dimensions of migration, especially as it affects Christian communities navigating an increasingly mobile world. The papers and the discussion provided a valuable platform for addressing challenges and adapting to evolving Christian communities.
The Commission members joined many other pilgrims in visiting the monasteries of Khor Virap and Noravank, where they were taught the rich history of these sacred places by the abbots, and prayed together in several languages for the Armenian Apostolic Church and her people. The Commission members also visited the Memorial to the victims of the 20th–century Genocide of the Armenians, a powerful reminder of the themes of displacement, suffering, and witness that are central to the Commission’s discussions.
The Commission was received in audience by His Holiness Catholicos Karekin II at his official residence in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. His Holiness the Catholicos welcomed the Commission and underscored the importance of dialogue and cooperation among churches in addressing the contemporary challenges faced by humanity. His Holiness affirmed that the Armenian Church remains ever ready to support such initiatives.
Following the United Nations General Assembly’s designation of an International Day to Commemorate Victims of Violence Based on Religion or Belief, the Commission urges policymakers and civil society to take decisive action to protect the rights and freedoms of individuals persecuted for their faith. It calls for efforts to create environments rooted in peace, justice, and reconciliation.
The Commission further urges the two families of Churches to consider the ‘Day of Contemporary Martyrs’, observed on 15 February as a common international date for prayer and action for persecuted Christians and commemoration of contemporary martyrs.
As the Commission members leave Armenia, they carry with them the pain and the witness of the Armenian Apostolic Church and a resilient hope in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is a gift and a call to all peoples, cultures, and nations.
Present at the meeting of AOOIC:
Anglicans
The Most Revd Dr Michael Jackson, Church of Ireland (Co–Chair)
Dr Liza Anderson, Episcopal Church (USA)
The Most Revd Dr Samy Shehata, Province of Alexandria
The Ven. Dr Edward Simonton OGS, Anglican Church of Canada
The Revd Canon Dr William Taylor, Church of England
Dr Christopher Wells, Anglican Communion Office (Co–Secretary)
The Revd Neil Vigers, Anglican Communion Office
Oriental Orthodox
Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria
His Eminence Archbishop Angaelos of London, United Kingdom (Co–Chair)
The Revd Fr Dr Pishoy Wasfy, Diocese of Mississauga, Vancouver and Western Canada
Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church – Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin – Armenia
His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland
The Revd Fr Dr Garegin Hambardzumyan, Armenia
Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church
His Eminence Metropolitan Stephanos, United Kingdom (Co–Secretary)
The Revd Fr Dr K.M. George, India
The next meeting of the Commission will take place between 13—18 October 2025, hosted by the Anglican Communion.
Not present at the meeting
His Eminence Archbishop Severios Roger Akhrass, Lebanon
His Eminence Archbishop Polycarpus Augin Aydin, The Netherlands
The Very Rev Fr Hrant Tahanian, Canada
The Revd Dr Casey Strine, Church of England
Fr Abate Gobena, Ethiopia