The USCCB Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs first established a formal dialogue with the Oriental Orthodox in 1978. It engages in regular meetings with representatives of the Standing Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches in America, which includes the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church, the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, the Malankara Syriac Church, and the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch.

While the dialogue has discussed theological topics such as the Eucharist, primacy, and the diaconate, it often centers on pastoral issues, such as marriage, the pastoral care for children in schools, religious education, and social justice.

The dialogue meets once a year under the direction of His Eminence Archbishop Mor Dionysus Kawak of the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch and Most Reverend Gregory Mansour, Bishop of the Maronite Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn. Fr. Ronald Roberson, CSP currently staffs this dialogue for the SEIA.

Documents and News Releases Produced by the Dialogue

Link to our dialogue partner: Standing Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches in America