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JOINT PATRIARCHAL STATEMENT
between His Holiness Mar Rophael, I, BiDawid, Catholicos Patriarch, His Holiness Mar Dinkha, IV, Catholicos Patriarch, and their respective delegations concerning proposals for the re-establishment of full ecclesial unity between the Chaldean and Assyrian Churches of the East
1. On Friday, 29 November 1996, at the Chaldean Chancery in Southfield, Michigan (USA), the two Patriarchs of the Church of the East held their first ever official meeting to discuss prospects of unity between their two churches. Present with His Holiness Mar Dinkha, IV, was H.E. Mar Bawai Soro, Bishop of Seattle and General Secretary for CIRED, and with His Holiness Mar Rophael, I, BiDawid were H.E. Mar Ibrahim Ibrahim, Chaldean Bishop of USA, H.E. Mar Yohanan Zora, Bishop of Ahwaz, and, Rt. Rev. Sarhad Jammo, Vicar General of the Chaldean Diocese in USA who also was appointed by both Patriarchs to function as the common secretary for the meeting. At the end of this meeting, the two Patriarchs wished to sum up their findings in the following statement:
2. "Their Holiness, as heads of their two churches, offer gratitude to Almighty God the Father for granting them this historic opportunity to meet in a serene fraternal confidence and to discuss with deep and mutual understanding future prospects for a full and visible ecclesial reunification of their churches--the two branches of the historically One Church of the East. In a humble love to their holy church-fathers and with such a vision of unity in their minds, they pray, today, to God to send His Spirit of Holiness to help them achieve a complete rapprochement between their two churches. For, it is precisely through such path that they find themselves able to comply with our Lord's prayer for the unity of his disciples (Jn. 17:21), and, similarly to encourage all Chaldeans and Assyrians, their sons and daughters in Christ, to preserve their Christian faith and to maintain their glorious Assyrian-Chaldean heritage.
3. In accordance with the Church of the East's canonical practice, Their Holiness wish to state that their task in this meeting is to discuss and to formulate proposals that shall be subsequently submitted for the approval by their two respective Holy Synods. They, along with the other members of their two delegations, have carefully deliberated on a number of important issues that they hope will prepare the way and, one day, will lead their churches to unity. The following are their proposals:
(i) The emphasis on, and exploration of, the several common ecclesial and cultural dimensions that, today, bind their two churches and people together, mainly, our mutual faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, our common patristic, liturgical and theological tradition, as well as the belonging to our same ancestry and culture, and the same thousands-of-years history of glory and suffering that inseparably unites the Assyrian-Chaldean people.
(ii) The formation of a "Joint Commission for Unity" that shall be appointed respectively by both of their Holy Synods to function as a task force in order to formulate and carry out a comprehensive ecclesial-educational plan through which both the Chaldean and Assyrian Churches of the East will be able to achieve the following objectives:
a. The development of a "Catechism of the Church of the East."
b. The establishment of an educational ecclesial institution within the Chicago-Detroit Region for the purpose of training future priests, deacons and catechists for both of the churches and to offer continuous religious educational programs for the active clergy in the whole Church of the East.
c. The articulation of a joint and common attitude toward emphasizing the Aramaic mother tongue in liturgical usage and in cultural endeavors by both of the churches.
d. The development of pastoral programs and literary projects as means of ecclesial and cultural collaboration between parishes and dioceses of the two churches throughout the world.
4. In light of their discussions of these findings, they have accordingly commissioned H.E. Bishop Mar Bawai Soro and Rt. Rev. Sarhad Jammo to present to them, by 31st March 1997, a comprehensive draft of a plan outlining the structure and the functionality of the above proposals, in order for them to present this plan to both of their Holy Synods for the agreement.
5. Meanwhile, Their Holiness would ardently ask all of their brothers Archbishops, bishops, clergy and faithful, everywhere they may be, to continue their prayers and support for the success of this noble cause that shall restore their holy and ancient Church to its historic fullness. Their Holiness pray that all of us will offer our best efforts to rally behind them, in order to be able once again to transform our beloved Church of the East into an instrument of promoting the evangelical virtues of faith, hope and charity in the world, for the glory of God's name and to the benefit of all of our Assyrian-Chaldean people."
6. Signed on the 29th day of November 1996 at the Chaldean Chancery in Southfield, MI (USA).
Rt. Rev. Sarhad Jammo Vicar General of the Chaldean Diocese in USA and Secretary of the "Joint Patriarchal Meeting"