“Coptic Orthodox Patriarch Tawadros II’s Historic Visit to Rome for ‘Friendship Day’ Celebrations”

(Vatican News Network)Coptic Orthodox Patriarch Tawadros II will visit Rome from May 9 to 14. Fr. Hyacinthe Destivelle, priest of the Congregation for the Promotion of Christian Unity, explained the significance of the patriarch’s visit to this news network.

We are celebrating three anniversaries, explained Fr Hyacinth. The first is the 50th anniversary of the first meeting between the Bishop of Rome and the Coptic Orthodox Patriarch, that of Pope Paul VI and Pope Shenouda III in 1973. “At that time they signed an agreement on Christology. This agreement was famous and served as a template for similar agreements with other ancient Orthodox Churches that recognized the first three ecumenical councils”. Then there is the 10th anniversary of Patriarch Tawadros’ first visit to Rome in 2013, and the 1,500th anniversary of the end of the Christological dispute about the Ecumenical Council of Gacceton.

The patriarch’s visit is a milestone on the path of ecumenism. Fr. Accent points to previous important steps on the path to unity, including: Patriarch Cyril sent observers to the Second Vatican Council, the return of the relic of St. Mark in 1968, the Pope’s meeting with the Patriarch in 1973, and A bilateral mixed commission between the Coptic Orthodox and Catholic Churches. “The theological relationship currently being promoted in the mixed council of the Catholic Church and all the Paleo-Oriental Orthodox Churches has a special role for the Coptic Orthodox Church, since from the very beginning the Coptic Orthodox Church has held the co-chairmanship”.

Regarding the itinerary of Patriarch Tawadros in Rome this time, Father Ascent said that the Patriarch will make a pilgrimage to St. Wednesday’s public audience. In this way, people will become more aware of the “Coptic-Catholic Friendship Day” that day. On May 11, the Patriarch will meet privately with the Holy Father for a moment of prayer.

On May 14, Patriarch Tawadros will hold a liturgy for the faithful of the Church in the Lateran Basilica. The church has about 100,000 followers in Italy. “Given the historic importance of the trip and the fact that there will of course be thousands of people attending, the use of the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome was authorized. The patriarch will not hold the ceremony at the papal altar,” explained Fr Ascente. Liturgy, when the patriarch will use his own altar for the Coptic liturgy. The Coptic Orthodox Church is the Church descended from the Apostles. The Catholic Church recognizes all their sacraments, and in the Eucharist and priesthood Same idea as that.” In view of the particularity of this trip, the authorization to use the Laterang Basilica this time is also an “act of friendship” of the Catholic Church towards the Coptic Orthodox Church.

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