Is There a Breakthrough in Orthodox and Catholic Relations?

By Deacon Keith Fournier
6/20/2008
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Has the Patriarch of Constantinople proposed a path toward communion between Eastern Catholics and their Orthodox brethren? Could it be a breakthrough?

WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) � Reports are circulating, in circles which are intensely attuned to the continued warming of relations between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches, of a statement and proposal allegedly made by Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople.

If they are confirmed, it may signal a major move toward communion between Eastern Catholics and their Orthodox Brethren.It may also open the path to dialogue on communion between the Churches even wider.

The Religious Information Service of the Ukraine, associated with the Ukranian Catholic University, was cited as one source for the articles. Another was a German Ecumenical Journal named after the great Bishops Cyril and Methodius.

Both of these sources allege that the Orthodox Patriarch made an unusual gesture toward Eastern Catholic Churches which are in union with Rome, proposing that the members of those Churches somehow �return to Orthodoxy without breaking unity with Rome�.

Eastern Catholics actually believe, in some respects, that they have already done just what the Patriarch suggests. They are in full communion with Rome, and therefore with the Chair of Peter, while still remaining faithful to Orthodoxy, in their profession of faith, liturgical worship and practices.Some actually refer to themselves as "Orthodox in Union with Rome". Of course, the Orthodox have not seen it that way at all.Fortunatley, old animosity has often been replaced by a growing desire for restored communion.

Further, it is reported that the Patriarch spoke positively of a similar proposal for a form of �dual unity� made by the Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Archbishop Lubomyr Husar.Does that also suggest a warming in dialogue concerning concepts for a way toward communion?

These same sources indicate that the Patriarch may be proposing an approach to communion which would allow for some sort of �dual communion�, the details of which are not clear. Further, that he has suggested that the discussions between the two sister Churches look to the first millennium model of the relationship between Rome and Constantinople for pursuing this model of communion.

The Servant of God John Paul II, wrote regularly of the two Churches, Orthodox and Catholic, as being the �two lungs� of Christianity which must breathe together again in the Third Millennium. He dedicated much of his Pontificate to promoting communion between them.

His successor, Pope Benedict XVI has also dedicated his Pontificate to promoting this communion between East and Western Christianity in the Third Millennium. He has made regular overtures toward the Orthodox Church which have received warm and hopeful responses.

- - -

Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

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1 - 10 of 16 Comments

richard casey
3 months ago
athanasius one of the greatest shepherds
Sysco
4 years ago
I believe catholics need to wake up and reunite with the one and and true orthodox church, they are only hurting themselves and their people with their teachings. May God be with them and bring them back to the way Jesus wants the church to be.
michael tarsa
4 years ago
we do not want a Greek Patriarch interfering in our Ukrainian church the E.P. MUST RESPECT THE M.P NO MATTER WHAT. HE WAS TO JUST BE THE pope of the east HE SHOULD CLEAN HIS OWN HOUSE BEFORE LEANING OTHERS. HE IS NOT WELCOMED IN OUR MOTHERLAND. WE HAVE HIS HOLINESS OF THE M.P.
Boris Petrovic
4 years ago
Good God - help us all and save us from our sins.

Dear brothers and sisters - please forgive for my presence here, I couldn't helped not to interfere, just to add my opinion and possibly strengthen a certain view in this matter..

WHEN WE WILL BE ABLE TO GET OVER OUR DIFFERENCES AND REUNITE AGAIN?

I wish you all the best
To be with God - we need to stick with the truth and righteousness

"Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ, ' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.

"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." [Matthew 24:4-14]
Misha
4 years ago
We, orthodox faithful never accept a union with heretic Rome. we will stay where st Photius, st Gregory Palamas and st Marcus of Ephesus stayed.

Let Mr.Bartholomew do whatever he wants.
He will be just another traitor of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic orthodox church among many others.
William Hostman
4 years ago
While I pray for reunification between the Catholic Churches and the Orthodox Churches, and deepening the limited communion shared with the ACE, I suspect that the net effect might be quite disruptive to the unity of the Canonical Orthodox Churches (also called Eastern Orthodox). There already has been much made of the tension between their beattitudes Alexi II of Moscow and Bartholomeus of Constantinople. Should Bartholomew accept a communion with the UGCC, without the general support of the other Canonical Orthodox Churches, it could wind up being considered a turn from Orthodoxy on Bartholomew's part.

Still, it gives hope!
Ricky
4 years ago
Greetings and blessings to you all,

First of all, I pray for everyone�s well being, their families, and leaders. Reading about the possibility that both Catholic and Orthodox churches will unite brings me great joy and peace to my soul. I agree with Mr. Linderman's message seen above, �after centuries of division, reunion would be a blessing of unimaginable proportions.� I pray to God that this will happen and I also side with the comments listed above by, �Eleni, Tony, and Kitab.�

On Sundays we often tend to pray in peace, that the Christian faith will one day unite and be one Church again.

Now and days, and if there was ever a time to unite our churches, now it would be the time because our Christian values are at stake in many places in the world. The bigger our voice is, the stronger our Christian values will be. In regards to the differences, I believe that we can deal with them internally and worry more about the threat that we face now and days for being a Christian. Even within the Catholic Church as big as it is, there are differences depending from which region of the world you are from, but what�s most important is to remain in communion and not brake away because of differences and opinions.

The topic we are currently discussing ironically reflects what our Holy See just said not too long ago. Having said that, God bless you all and I leave you all with small segment of our Holy See�s recent address. I will continue to pray that our Catholic and Orthodox churches will unite once again in order to strengthen our Christian values in this world.

Pope Benedict XVI, "all the sectors of the Church have been called to this commitment, to be instruments of the Spirit to a new Pentecost.�

�First identify to what we are and what we want to be, otherwise we become like a drop of wine lost in a glass of water."

�Second, a strong sense of belonging: each one has a need of a community and the community has the need of each individual; whoever walks alone ends up getting lost.�

�Third, there is a need to cultivate excellence in personal, family and professional life, so as to be a light in the darkness, the city on a hill. In short, to be enriched by a clear identity, by a strong sense of belonging and excellence.�

�Fourth is full availability to cooperate with whoever wants to build a better future.�

God bless you all and your families once again.

Ricky
Kitab
4 years ago
Old News people, go to Lebanon and see, there is no difference, the true christians of the earth have surpassed these silly differences, Sunday 22 June 2008 , In Downtown Beirut the Catholic church is celebrating the beatification of Father Yacoub el Kabbouchi, and the prayers are done by catholic and ORTHODOXE choirs,patriarchs of the catholic , orthodox , coptic church and all others churchs are there praying together, along with their muslims brethren who are witnessing the holy sacrement, 18 religions praying together physically hand in hand, there is no more orthodoxe and catholic we are one in The Christ in fact not in theory, in Lebanon, will the world catch up, come on show us some action in the occident, May the Lord be with you
Pete
4 years ago
Ted,
The Creed of St. Athanasius may be Latin, but the fact that it's associated with the great Alexandrian Father means it must be compatible with Greek (Orthodox) theology. I'm an Eastern Catholic myself, although I respect Roman Catholicism and attend Roman Catholic mass quite regularly.

Still, I have generally viewed myself as "Orthodox in Union with Rome." Many Orthodox do acknowledge the Pope as "first among equals" among the Patriarchs, who might act as moderator if disagreements arise. In fact, in the first few centuries after the so-called schism of 1054, in was not uncommon to still have Orthodox monks journey to ask the "Patriarch of Rome" for advice.
Here's a more balanced view, by St. Augustine (Letters 43:1):
"The apostle Paul said, �As for a man that is a heretic, after admonishing him once or twice, have nothing more to do with him� [Titus 3:10]. But those who maintain their own opinion, however false and perverted, without obstinate ill will, especially those who have not originated the error of bold presumption, but have received it from parents who had been led astray and had lapsed . . . those who seek the truth with careful industry and are ready to be corrected when they have found it, are not to be rated among heretics".

Who in their right mind would leave (or not join) Catholicism (and/or arguably Orthodoxy) if they knew that they would thus lose their salvation? That perplexes me somewhat. If someone were faithful to some other religion, would not part of that be out of a desire to know the truth? That's kind of a main idea behind religious dialogue, wouldn't you think?
Ted Jankowski
4 years ago
Pete! What do you think Re:
Quicunque Vult (or The Creed of St. Athanasius)??

Despite its common title, this document reflect a distinctly Latin theological approach to Trinitarian doctrine.

English Version
Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic Faith.
Which Faith except everyone do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.
And the Catholic Faith is this:
That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance.
For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost.
But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one, the Glory equal, the Majesty co-eternal.
Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost.
The Father uncreate, the Son uncreate, and the Holy Ghost uncreate.
The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible,and the Holy Ghost incomprehensible.
The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Ghost eternal.
And yet they are not three eternals, but one eternal.
As also there are not three incomprehensibles, nor three uncreated, but one uncreated, and one incomprehensible.
So likewise the Father is Almighty, the Son Almighty, and the Holy Ghost Almighty.
And yet they are not three Almighties, but one Almighty.
So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God.
And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.
So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Ghost Lord.
And yet not three Lords, but one Lord.For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by himself to be both God and Lord,
So are we forbidden by the Catholic Religion, to say, here be three Gods, or three Lords.
The Father is made of none, neither created, nor begotten.
The Son is of the Father alone, not made, nor created, but begotten.
The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son, neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.
So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts.
And in this Trinity none is afore, or after other; none is greater, or less than another;
But the whole three Persons are co-eternal together and co-equal.
So that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped.
He therefore that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity.
Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe rightly the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
For the right Faith is, that we believe and confess, that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man; God, of the Substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and Man, of the Substance of his Mother, born in the world;
Perfect God and perfect Man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting;
Equal to the Father, as touching his Godhead; and inferior to the Father, as touching his Manhood.
Who although he be God and Man, yet he is not two, but one Christ;
One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking of the Manhood into God;
One altogether, not by confusion of Substance, but by unity of Person.
For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and Man is one Christ;
Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead.
He ascended into heaven, he sitteth on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty, from whence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies and shall give account for their own works.
And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting, and they that have done evil into everlasting fire.
This is the Catholic Faith, which except a man believe faithfully, he cannot be saved.

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