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Report for Activities of the Association ‘Dialogue between Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Christians’ in 2003

by Christine Chaillot, Founder and Secretary

During December 2002 and January 2003, I went to present my new book on the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (EOC) at the Ethiopian Orthodox Patriarchate, at the Theological College in the University of Addis Ababa, at the National Museum, and to the ministers of culture, information and education. I had several interviews on two national radio programmes and on television. The Swiss ambassador even offered a reception for the presentation of my book in the Theological College of the EOC, where I also gave two lectures. 

On March 8th, I presented my book on the EOC in the parish of the Holy Trinity in Brussels and gave a lecture Vie et spiritualité de l’Eglise éthiopienne. The Ethiopians present sang some hymns of their Church in the chapel.

In Geneva, Switzerland, I was privileged to give two lectures. On March 19th, I spoke at the University on Relations entre les Grecs et les Ethiopiens (‘The Relations between the Greeks and the Ethiopians’), on the invitation of two associations : Les Amitiés Helléno-genevoises I Philia and the Association of the Ethiopians in Switzerland as well as the Ethiopian Orthodox parish in Geneva. 
The second lecture was given on April 5th at the World Council of Churches, the topic being Aperçu des textes de la littérature éthiopienne en langue classique ge’ez. (‘Introduction to the Literature in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church’), during a conference on history, literature and art of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

On March 28th a splendid concert of Syrian Orthodox Church songs was given in the Church of Saint-Gervais in Geneva, directed by Nouri Iskandar and his choir who came from Aleppo, Syria.

Opportunities presented themselves for four interviews on the Ethiopian and other Oriental Orthodox Churches on two Swiss radio stations (April, August and September). 

In the summer of 2003, I participated in two conferences. One occurred in Graz, Austria (July 5th – 9th) on the invitation of the Peace Center in Graz, for a European Conference on Inter-religious Dialogue in Europe (European Inter-religious Conference/Multi-religious Living Together in European cities. Problems and Examples of Cooperation).
The second (July 21 – 25th) took place at the University of Hamburg, Germany, for the Conference of Ethiopian Studies, where I spoke on ‘Spirituality in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tradition and some of its Symbolisms’.

From September 12th through 14th, there was a Conference of Orbis Aethiopicus on Ethiopian Studies in Gonville  and Gaius College in Cambridge, on Continuity and Innovation in Ethiopian Culture; and on the 19th I gave a presentation of our association and of my book on the EOC at a meeting of Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox in the Ethiopian/West Indian Parish in London (September 19th), in the Centre of Saint Beades, Clapham Road 412, invited by Father Tekle Maryam. Ethiopian songs and prayers were also performed.

On October 4th, our Association had its annual meeting at Saint Sergius Institute, in Paris. The theme was ‘The Sunday Liturgy in the Oriental Orthodox Churches’ with the participation of the Armenian Father Nerseh Baboudjian, the Coptic Deacon Joseph Stephanos, the Ethiopian priest Mezgebu (who came from Brussels) and the Syrian Orthodox monk Roger Akhrass. The introduction was given by our President, Father Boris Bobrinskoy, and the conclusion was given by the famous liturgist, Father Irénée Dalmais.

On November 2nd, I went by bus to Brussels with the Syrian Orthodox community of Paris for the consecration of the new Syrian Orthodox church in Jette.

On Novembre 7th, I went for a round table on ‘The Syriac Inscriptions : a source of the History of Christians in the Near East’, organized by the Laboratory of the Semitic Studies in the Collège de France in Paris.

On 15-16 November, the International Orthodox parish of Saint Isaac of Nineveh in Helsinki (Finland) organized a Conference on ‘Orientals and Byzantines- Churches and Cultures in Interaction’, with accent on the Oriental Orthodox Churches. I presented the activities of our Association as being a practical dialogue between our two families of Churches : For a practical Dialogue between the Oriental Orthodox and the Eastern Orthodox. Genesis and Activities of the Association ‘Inter-Orthodox Dialogue’ in Paris (‘Dialogue entre Orthodoxes’). This parish welcomes all the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox living in Finland, with celebrations in several languages.

Taking the advantage of being in Scandinavia, I was invited to give a lecture in Oslo (Norway), on November 18, on the Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Church of Saint Nicholas (under the jurisdiction of Rue Daru and of the Patriarchate of Constantinople).
During the stop-overs in Stockholm I visited the two Syrian Orthodox bishops, the Greek Orthodox bishop, and the priests in the Coptic, Ethiopian and Russian parishes. There is an Orthodox bookstore, 3 Tulegatan (cf Bulletin de la Crypte, no 320, February 2004). Some Ethiopian students who have a radio programme every week on a radio station reserved to minorities in Sweden conducted an interview with me about the work of our association.

On November 29th, I took part in the general assembly of the Orthodox Fraternity in Issy-les-Moulineaux (Paris).

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