Malankara Orthodox Church says ‘no' to joint declaration in Kerala
While it welcomed the peace mediation efforts initiated by the heads, the MOSC denounced the other aspects in the joint declaration, which endorsed the decision of the Universal Holy Synod of the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch to refrain from participating in any liturgical celebration and formal theological dialogues with the Orthodox faction.
The MOSC said the decision was made by a regional assembly of leaders of three Oriental Orthodox Churches in the Middle East, which lacked legitimacy, and contended that the leaders were misled by the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch.
'The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, Armenian Apostolic Church of Etchmiadzin, Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church were not involved in the joint declaration. Apart from local groups and pan-Oriental dialogue platforms, there is no single representative body that speaks for all Oriental Orthodox Churches,' said the MOSC's Inter-Church Ecumenical Relations department.
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