Oriental Orthodox conference meets in New Jersey

Cedar Grove, NJ (SCOOCH) – H.G. Bishop Karas – Patriarchal Exarch of the Coptic Orthodox Archdiocese of North America – hosted the biannual meeting of the Standing Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches at his New Jersey headquarters this past Friday, gathering the representatives of the Coptic, Syriac, Malankara-Syriac, Armenian, and Eritrean Orthodox Churches. The assembled fathers discussed a number of important regional issues, including the resumption of their dialogue and annual joint prayer service with their counterparts in the Eastern Orthodox Church, the upcoming visits of H.H. Pope Tawadros II and H.H. Karekin II to North America, the expansion of joint Oriental Orthodox activities at the local parish level, the dire situation in the Middle East, and the ongoing persecution of the Eritrean Orthodox Church and its lawful Patriarch by that country’s government and its supporters and how this relates to the condition of the Eritrean Church in this country.

In addition to H.G. Bishop Karas, the hierarchs present at the meeting included SCOOCH chairman H.E. Archbishop Khajag Barsamian (Armenian Apostolic Church), H.G. Abune Makarios (Eritrean Orthodox Church), H.E. Mor Dionysios Jean Kawak (Syriac Orthodox Church), and H.E. Mor Titus Yeldho (Malankara-Syriac Orthodox Church), as well as the representatives of H.G. Bishop David of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of NY & NE.