The Balamand Declaration is a declaration

Declaration

Declaration may refer to:* Declaration , specifies the identifier, type, and other aspects of language elements* Declaration , when the captain of a cricket team declares its innings closed...

 made by the Joint International Commission for the Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church

Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

 and the Orthodox Church during its VIIth plenary session, which took place at Balamand School of Theology

University of Balamand

The University of Balamand is a private, secular university located at El-Koura, Lebanon. It was founded by the Orthodox Patriarch Ignatius IV of Antioch in 1988...

, Balamand, Lebanon

Lebanon

Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...

 17-24 June 1993. It is officially called Uniatism, method of union of the past, and the present search for full communion.

Importance

The declaration deals with the concept of proselytism

Proselytism

Proselytizing is the act of attempting to convert people to another opinion and, particularly, another religion. The word proselytize is derived ultimately from the Greek language prefix προσ- and the verb ἔρχομαι in the form of προσήλυτος...

 by the Roman Catholic Church on territories of the Orthodox Churches in the East. It is a break with traditional Roman Catholic teachings and practising on this subject.

The Balamand declaration was not the last of its kind, as the 2007 Ravenna declaration discussed the topic of primacy

Primacy

Primacy Effect may refer to:The tendency to form impressions of people based on the first information we receive about them. The primacy effect has most effect during repeated message when there is little or no delay between the messages....

 and had the majority of Eastern bishops agree that the Pope was indeed the lead bishop or protos.

From the Eastern Orthodox Churches

The following Eastern Orthodox Churches participated:

• Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
  Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
  The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople , part of the wider Orthodox Church, is one of the fourteen autocephalous churches within the communion of Orthodox Christianity...
  
  :
  • Archbishop Stylianos of Australia
    Archbishop Stylianos
    Stylianos Harkianakis is the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Australia, and Primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia. He serves as inaugural and permanent Chairman of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Churches in Australia and Dean of Saint Andrew's Greek Orthodox...
    
     Orthodox, Co-President of the Joint International Commission

• Patriarchate of Alexandria
  Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria
  The Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria, also known as the Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa is an autocephalous Greek Orthodox Church within the wider communion of Orthodox Christianity.Officially, it is called the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria to distinguish it from the...
  
  :
  • Metropolitan Dionysios of Nubia
  • Professor Constantine Patelos

• Patriarchate of Antioch
  • Metropolitan George of Byblos and Botrys
  • Father Archimandrite Youhanna (Yazigi)

• Patriarchate of Moscow
  Russian Orthodox Church
  The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
  
  :
  • Father Hegumen Nestor (Zhilyaev)

• Patriarchate of All Romania
  Romanian Orthodox Church
  The Romanian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church. It is in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox churches, and is ranked seventh in order of precedence. The Primate of the church has the title of Patriarch...
  
  :
  • Metropolitan Antonie of Transylvania
  • Father Archpriest Dumitru Radu

• Patriarchate of Nova Justiniana and All Cyprus
  Cypriot Orthodox Church
  The Church of Cyprus is an autocephalous Greek church within the communion of Orthodox Christianity. It is one of the oldest Eastern Orthodox autocephalous churches, achieving independence from the Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East in 431...
  
  :
  • Metropolitan Chrysanthos of Morphou
  • Professor Macarius Papachristophorou

• Patriarchate of Warsaw
  Polish Orthodox Church
  The Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church, commonly known as the Polish Orthodox Church, , is one of the autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Churches in full communion...
  
  :
  • Father Hieromonk Barsanuphius (Doroszkiewicz)

• Patriarchate of All Albania
  Albanian Orthodox Church
  The Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania is one of the newest autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches. It declared its autocephaly in 1922, and gained recognition from the Patriarch of Constantinople in 1937....
  
  :
  • Professor Theodoros Papapavli

• Finnish Orthodox Church
  Finnish Orthodox Church
  The Finnish Orthodox Church is an autonomous Orthodox archdiocese of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The Church has a legal position as a national church in the country, along with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland....
  
   under the Patriarchate of Constantinople:
  • Bishop Ambrosius of Joensocu

• Executive Secretary:
  • Metropolitan Spyridon of Italy

The Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Patriarchate of Peć

Serbian Orthodox Church

The Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...

, the Patriarchate of Bulgaria

Bulgarian Orthodox Church

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church - Bulgarian Patriarchate is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church with some 6.5 million members in the Republic of Bulgaria and between 1.5 and 2.0 million members in a number of European countries, the Americas and Australia...

, Patriarchate of All Georgia

Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church

The Georgian Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church is an autocephalous part of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Since the 4th century AD, Georgian Orthodoxy has been the state religion of Georgia, and it remains the country's largest religious institution....

, the Patriarchate of Athens

Church of Greece

The Church of Greece , part of the wider Greek Orthodox Church, is one of the autocephalous churches which make up the communion of Orthodox Christianity...

 and Patriarchate of Czech and Slovak lands

Czech and Slovak Orthodox Church

The Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia is a self-governing body of the Eastern Orthodox Church that territorially covers the countries of the Czech Republic and Slovakia...

were not represented.

The text

• The text of the Balamand Declaration

Discussion of the Balamand Statement

• The Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches: Taking Steps to Overcome Division Controversy Over the Balamand Report - by the Orthodox Members of the Orthodox/Roman Catholic Consultation in the United States
• OCA - Q & A - Validity of Roman Catholic Orders