Source: Ankawa.comTranslated and adapted by Baghdadhope
Photo by Ankawa.com
From left to right: Fr. Baima, Fr. Roberson, Mgr. Bonny, Patriarch Mar Dinkha IV, Fr. Royel, Fr. G. Toma, Fr. W. Toma
On June 13/14 an informal meeting between representatives of the Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East took place near Chicago, Illinois, USA. The meeting followed the one between His Holiness Patriarch Mar Dinkha IV with Pope Benedict XVI that took place last year in Rome. The meeting was hosted by the Assyrian Church of the East at the Mundelein Seminary of University of St. Mary of the Lake in Illinois. Present for the Assyrian Church of the East were Reverend Cor-bishop George Toma of St. Andrew parish in Des Plaines (Illinois) Reverend Cor-bishop David Royel of Mar Yosip parish in San Jose (California) and Father William Toma of St. Mary's parish in Roselle ( Illinois). For the Catholic church were present Mgr. Johan Bonny of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Father Ronald G. Roberson, CSP, from the Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs in the United States, and Father Thomas Baima, of the Mundelein Seminary of the University of St. Mary of the Lake. The Assyrian representatives were chosen by Patriarch Mar Dinkha IV while the Catholic representatives were chosen by Cardinal Walter Kasper, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
During the meeting the representatives of the two churches exchanged information about recent events happened in their churches, in particular on the difficulties that have arisen in the relations between the churches in the West Coast of the United States. Also discussed were the past activities of the Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East, and the future of this dialogue, as well as the different ways in which Catholics and Assyrians can co-operate in places where both communities live: the training of clergy, the common production of material for the teaching of Christianity, and other common projects. Great attention was also given to the desperate situation of Assyrians and other Christians in the Middle East, especially in Iraq, and to how the two churches can work together to support them. The result of the meeting were ideas and proposals concerning the issues discussed and that will be brought to the attention of both Church authorities for appropriate decisions. The presents were grateful for the opportunity given to them to reflect together on the present situation, and left the meeting with the hope that both Churches will continue to find convenient ways to grow together in the unity that Christ wants. On the morning of June 15, Sunday, the prelates attended a Holy Qurbana (Eucharist) led by His Holiness Mar Dinkha IV, the Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East, at St. Mary's Church in Roselle, Illinois. A message of greeting from Cardinal Francis Eugene George, Archbishop of Chicago, was presented to the Patriarch during the meeting.