With regard to the Church's sacraments, the various ecumenical dialogues with one or other of the Ancient Churches of the East have already obtained significant results. While a certain number of doctrinal questions still remain to be clarified, the Catholic Church and the Ancient Churches of the East desire full recognition of the sacraments celebrated in their respective traditions.There will be unity -- and seemingly very soon between the various Churches in orthodoxy (Catholic, Orthodox, Oriental, Assyrian, possibly even Lutheran and traditional Anglican)As a matter of fact, the division between the Catholic Church and the Ancient Eastern Churches in the beginning had nothing to do with the dispute at the level of sacramental life. With certain Ancient Eastern Churches as, for example, the Syrian Orthodox Church, ecumenical dialogue has already permitted the Authorities to sign agreements according to which the faithful who find themselves in a situation that prevents them from going to a minister of their own Church can receive the sacraments of the Eucharist, Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick from a minister of the other Church.
The ecclesiology of communion emphasized by the Second Vatican Council has established the doctrinal framework that has allowed the following themes to be studied from a new perspective: the relationship between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Churches, their identity as sister Churches, the actual communion (even if it is imperfect) which unites them, their progress towards full and visible communion and towards Eucharistic communion.
The meeting was organized very generously by the Authorities of the Coptic Orthodox Church at the Saint Marc Centre in Nasr City.
During the meeting, the participants on two occasions had the honour of meeting Pope Shenouda III, first on the evening of 28 January when they attended his weekly discourse in the Coptic-Orthodox Cathedral of Cairo, and then on Thursday, 29 January, when Pope Shenouda took part in a session of the Commission's work at Saint Marc Centre.
In his cathedral, the head of the Coptic-Orthodox Church invited Cardinal Walter Kasper to give a speech to the assembly. The Cardinal affirmed, among other things, that the Catholic Church and the Ancient Churches of the East are united by the same faith in the One God who is in Three Persons and in Jesus Christ, Our Saviour, the Incarnate Word of God, and moreover, that they acknowledge St Athanasius and St Cyril of Alexandria as Fathers and Doctors of the Church.
This is the situation here in Albany NY. Both the Syriac Orthodox and Maronite Catholic Churches have members whose relatives were baptized into the other's church. It is common practice in the Middle East for a married couple to practice the faith of the husband. We have several Maronite Catholic families from Lebanon where brothers and sisters inter married Syriac Orthodox christians. Hence, the Orthodox wives of the Maronites attend services in the Maronite Church and the sisters, who married Syriac Orthodox christians, attend services at that church. Because of the differences in the liturgical calendars, It is not uncommon to see the orthodox families at our services on Hosanna (Palm) Sunday and vice versa. When the 2 year old child of a blended family died recently, services were held at both churches. Ironically, the Syriac Orthodox priest does not speak Arabic, even though he has a large Arabic speaking congregation. For the baby's funeral, our Maronite Catholic pastor did the Arabic readings at the Syriac Orthodox church. This same priest has also been granted Latin Rite faculties by the RC bishop so he can say mass during the week at priestless parishes and consecrate enough hosts for their weekend services.
Fr. Georges, at times, is like a whirling dervish, helping and assisting where needed. During the week, after praying the Maronite Diivine Liturgy at our church, he also says the NO mass at a local catholic hospital, where he chants the words of consecration in Aramaic, as he does in the Maronite Church. The hospital nuns love it! Surrounded by aging, white haired RC priests, Fr. Georges stands out with his youthful face (only 34) and dark hair. Perhaps this is how Christ envisioned His church :-)