The fifth round of theological consultations between the Russian Orthodox and Coptic Churches took place in Egypt

Egypt hosted the fifth round of official theological consultations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Coptic Church. The parties discussed key dogmatic issues and agreed to deepen cooperation through the creation of specialized working groups.

According to the official portal of the Russian Orthodox Church, the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church was headed by Bishop Methodius of Egorievsk, chairman of the Synodal Biblical and Theological Commission. The group included representatives of the Department for External Church Relations and leading professors of the Moscow Theological Academy. The Coptic Church was co-chaired by Bishop Cyril, Vicar General of the Los Angeles Metropolis and Rector of the Coptic Theological Academy named after Sts. Cyril and Athanasius of Alexandria in the United States.

During the meeting, the experts presented a number of reports on the Orthodox doctrine of circumcision and divine energies in the writings of St. Basil the Great. Special attention was paid to the analysis of the Christology of Seviros of Antioch in the context of Chalcedonian theology, as well as to the preliminary results of the Shambesian Agreements of the Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue.

An important practical outcome of the meeting was the decision to establish two joint subgroups within the Working Group. These subgroups will be engaged in detailed work on specific issues on the theological agenda. At the end of the meeting a joint communiqué was signed in which the participants noted the significant progress in the dialog and expressed their gratitude to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and His Holiness Patriarch Tawadros II for their contribution to the development of relations between the two Churches.

The next session of the theological consultations is to be held in Russia in the fall of 2026.

Recall that on April 5, 2026, Pope and Patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church Tawadros II arrived on an official visit to the seat of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Constantinople (Phanar).