Council of Catholic Patriarchs of the East
The Council of Catholic Patriarchs of the Orient (French: Conseil des Patriarches Catholiques d'Orient, CCPO) is an agency of the Catholic Church that meets the patriarchs of Eastern Catholic Churches and the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. Permanent seat of the Patriarchate of Antioch in the Conference is in Bkerke of Maronites in Lebanon.
Nature and objectives
The nature of the Conference has to be a sign and instrument of patriarchal collegiality and communion between the Eastern Catholic Churches and the universal Church. It aims to: reflect on and promote the Christian life in the Middle East; coordinate pastoral activity, said the future of Christianity in those lands, and strengthen ties among the faithful to the homeland and the diaspora; promote ecumenical and interreligious dialogue; ensure the active participation of Catholics in the Council of Churches of the Middle East (Middle East Council of Churches); promote peace, development, respect for the rights of man and woman.
History
19-24 August 1991: I Annual Conference in Bikfaya in Lebanon
1992: Second Annual Congress at Coptic Patriarchal Seminary, Egypt
1993: Third Annual Conference for Latin bishopric in Amman, Jordan
19-24 September 1994: Fourth Annual Conference at the Melkite patriarchal residence in Raboueh, Lebanon
4-11 September 1995: Fifth Annual Conference on Armenian Catholic Patriarchate in Bzoummar near Beirut
13-18 October 1996: Sixth Annual Conference at the patriarchal residence in Syriac Convent of Our Lady of Deliverance in Sharfeh, Lebanon
19-25 October 1997: Seventh Annual Conference in Alexandria, Egypt
11-16 October 1998: Eighth Annual Conference in Amman, Jordan
3-6 November 1999: Ninth Annual Conference at the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerke: Pastoral Letter of Catholic Patriarchs of the East on the movement œcuménique
16-20 October 2000: Tenth Annual Conference on Armenian Catholic Patriarchate in Bzoummar
23-27 September 2001: Eleventh Annual Conference at the patriarchal residence in Syriac Convent of Our Lady of Deliverance in Sharfeh, Lebanon
16-20 October 2006: at the XVI Annual Armenian Catholic Patriarchate in Bzoummar, Lebanon
15-19 October 2007: XVII Annual Conference at the summer Melkite patriarchal residence in Ain Traz, near Beirut
Composition
In 2012, the Conference is composed of:
Antonios Naguib, Patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts
Béchara Boutros Raï, Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites
Gregory III Laham, Patriarch of Antioch of the Melkite
Ignace Joseph III Younan, Patriarch of Antioch of the Syrians
Emmanuel III Delly, Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans
Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni, Patriarch of Cilicia of the Armenians
Fouad Twal, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem
External links
http://www.opuslibani.org.lb/cpco/img001.htm
