Orthodox and Catholic Bond Deepens: Will the Two Lungs of the Church Breathe Together Again?

By Deacon Keith Fournier
5/20/2010
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Move toward full communion between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches most important development of the Third Christian Millennium

The move toward full communion between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches is prompted by the Holy Spirit. It is the most important development of the Third Christian Millennium. It has extraordinary implications for the West, indeed for the whole world, at a critical time in history. Let us pray that it happens - for the sake of a world still waiting to be set free and reborn into the New World of the Church.

Metropolitan Hilarion met with Cardinal Walter Kasper the President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity at the Council's library in the Vatican. They discussed the work of the Joint Commission for Orthodox-Catholic dialogue. That work has involved fruitful mutual discussions on the role of the Bishop of Rome in the first millennium.

Facebook Delicous MySpace

Twitter Stumble Digg

More Destinations

ROME, Italy (Catholic Online) - First, I must lay all my cards on the table. I long for the full communion of the Orthodox and Catholic Church. I pray daily for the full communion of the Orthodox and Catholic Churches. I do so because I believe it is the will of God that "All May be One" (John 17: 21). I also believe that the healing of the division between the two churches would unleash a profound renewal of the entire Church at the dawn of what I believe is a new missionary age. I believe that the gifts found in the whole Church will enrich both East and West and assist us in the mission which we must face together in our One Lord.

I long for this full communion because I believe that as the West implodes under the fierce ravages of what Pope Benedict XVI properly called a "Dictatorship of Relativism" it is only the real humanism found in the fullness of truth revealed in Jesus Christ which can save the West from rushing over a cliff to its own demise. The West needs the Church to once again become its soul in this age which has lost its moral compass.

I long for this full communion because, as a "revert", one who returned to my Catholic faith as a young man, I walked the way home by way of the early Church Fathers. Had I not had been baptized a Catholic of the Latin Rite; I might have become an Eastern Christian. As the decades of my life have unfolded, including my theological studies and ordination to the Order of Deacon, my vision and theological viewpoint are profoundly Eastern. So too is my worship. I have long prayed with icons and love the Divine Liturgy. However, I cherish the unity that comes with the Chair of Peter.

Let me be clear, I am deeply and happily ensconced in the Roman Catholic Church. I am glad that I have authorization to serve the Divine Liturgy of the Eastern Church. For a number of years I had the privilege of regularly serving the Divine Liturgy and I miss it. I love the Liturgy, East and West, however I find the depth of the Mystery is beautiful captured in the Liturgy of the East. There is a Latin maxim that addresses the centrality of worship in the life, identity and mission of the whole Church; "Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi, Lex Vivendi". It means that the law of prayer or worship is the law of belief and the law of life. Or, even more popularly rendered, as we worship, so will we believe and live!

Worship is not an "add on" for a Catholic or an Orthodox Christian. It is the foundation of Catholic and Orthodox identity; expressing our highest purpose. Worship reveals how we view ourselves in relationship to God, one another and the world into which we are sent to carry forward the redemptive mission of Jesus Christ. How the Church worships is a prophetic witness to the truth of what she professes. Good worship becomes a dynamic means of drawing the entire human community into the fullness of life in Jesus Christ, lived out in the communion of the Church. It attracts - through beauty to Beauty. Worship informs and transforms both the person and the community which participates in it. There is reciprocity between worship and life.

Finally, I long for this coming full communion of East and West because my oldest son is an Orthodox Christian. He, his wife and their children are all practicing Orthodox Christians. I must admit that the more I visit them these days the more I appreciate the beauty of the interweaving of faith and life which comes with Eastern Christianity and its practices. Yet, the more painful our separation at the Altar, the Eucharistic Table, also becomes.I believe it gives me a glimpse into the very heart of the Lord who longs for our unity.

So, yes, I watch for every sign that the two lungs of the One Church are beginning to fill with the one breath of Divine Life, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit alone can animate the One New Man, Jesus Christ, to heal the division which has gone on for too long in His Body. Yes, I watch with the eyes of living faith. Some say I see these developments with what they would call "Rose Colored glasses". If I do see through the color of rose, it is because the color symbolizes the hope which comes from faith in the Resurrection of Christ Jesus. It is also because of my bedrock conviction concerning His one plan for His One Church.

This past week, on May 19 and 20, 2010 the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Moscow Patriarchate cosponsored a Day honoring Russian Culture and Faith in the Vatican. It was one of a growing number of meetings between the leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Holy See. Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev of Volokolamsk, the head of external affairs for the Moscow Patriarchate and one of the brightest and most dynamic leaders of the Orthodox Church delivered a message of greeting from Patriarch Kirill at a concert ...

1 | 2 Next Page

Rate This Article

Was this helpful to you? Very Helpful Somewhat Helpful Not Helpful at All

Would you be interested in more articles like this? Yes, I am Interested No, I am not Interested

Rate Article

1 - 10 of 12 Comments

weus
2 years ago
Thank you Deacon Fournier for all you said.

If we, the Body of Christ, are to be one, it can only be in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for we ought to have the words, 'Through him, in him and with him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours Almighty Father forever and ever'� written in our hearts by now.

Christ, offended, said in a message, 'My Kingdom on earth is My Church, and the Eucharist is the Life of My Church, this Church I Myself have given you. I had left you with one Church, but hardly had I left, just barely had I turned back to go to the Father, than you reduced My House to a desolation! You leveled it to the ground! And My flock is straying left and right. For how long am I to drink the Cup of your division? Cup of affliction and devastation!� (Nov 14, 1991 TLIG)

This division, our intolerance with one another, our stubbornness and pride is not according to the Spirit of our Lord. These things prove that Love is missing. We need to fully repent. We need to ask for the grace of the Holy Spirit for a deep repentance. We need a true conversion of the heart, so that the Holy Spirit can lead us to unity, for It is not just through words that unity among brothers will come, but through the action of the Holy Spirit. Unity will come through humility and love. (Sep 30, 1993 TLIG)

Easter is the greatest feast we share, yet, it is divided and torn apart as one part of the Body of Christ celebrates His Resurrection, while the other part is entering His Passion. This division massacres daily our Lord's Body. We see this massacre reflected on the whole earth, as well. 'Every Easter season I must drink of the cup of your division since this cup is forced on Me. The more time passes for them to unite the dates of Easter, the more severe their sentence this generation will receive.� (May 31, 1994 TLIG)

Until the Church takes the first step to unity by UNIFYING THE DATES OF EASTER, we will continue to watch, 'The earth reels like a drunkard, it sways like a hut in the wind; so heavy upon it is the guilt of its rebellion that it falls, never to rise again.� (Is 24:20)

Yes, let us pray for the the Church to be One Body in Christ, glorifying one Lord, with one heart, celebrating His Passion and Resurrection with one mind, on ONE EASTER DATE, in the unity of the Holy Spirit.

God bless you Deacon Fournier.
Paul
2 years ago
The Russian Orthodox Church has been used historically, first by the Tsars, then by the Soviets, and now by Putin & Co., as an effective and willing tool in the expansion and consolidation of a Russian Empire in conquered territories. Their continuing shameful vilification of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine, for instance, is un-Christian in the extreme.
Matt
2 years ago
Alfred, although you are right about how complicated unity can be, your analogy is somewhat offensive. We should look at the east and west and two trees of one orchard or as the deacon put it, two lungs. Roman Catholicism is not a branch of Orthodoxy and neither is Orthodoxy a brand of Catholicism. We are two sisters and we will find unity among theology and our differences. Never doubt the power of the Holy Spirit. Thanks and God bless!
munungi
2 years ago
This will be a great milestone towards christian unity which Christ the focal point of Christendom prayed for in John Ch. 17. There is irrelevancy in the analogue as to which church or sect is the right one or is the most important. Christ wants UNITY and that's all. Differences in beliefs are all but human that creates confusion prevalent in churches, sects, denominations today. Christ in his saving love remains the only Judge and since both branches of Christianity have same beliefs as regards the Mother of the Redeemer, why not turn to her and the Holy Spirit for intercession? However, this will only occur once centuries old human pride is laid to rest.
Alfred Green
2 years ago
***I am a convert to Holy Orthodoxy and a communicant of the Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Church, Ecumenical Patriarchate. Reunion is a far more complicated issue than this article would make it appear. The theological and dogmatic differences between Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism are numerous and vast, and would have to be rectified. One church cannot possibly have two sets of theological beliefs.

***Orthodoxy does not subscribe to the terminology in the article's headline, that the two churches are "lungs" breathing separately. Consider: The following is recounted in "Why Angels Fall" by Victoria Clark. It is an analogy told to the author by a young monk at Decani Monastery in Kosovo: "Imagine a big sturdy tree and how, suddenly, one of the branches decides that it wants to be a tree, too, so it falls to the ground. Well, what happens to this branch? It doesn't necessarily rot because it can grow a few twigs there on the ground, but it can never be a tree nor can it make any fruit. The sturdy old tree, of course, has a hard time without its big branch, but it still lives and, what is more important, it can bear fruit." The tree in the analogy is Orthodoxy, the errant branch is Roman Catholicism, and the twigs the Protestant sects. The Eastern Orthodox Church expects that the branch and the twigs will come back to join the tree, not that the tree will have to fall down to join the branch.

***Thrice Holy Amen, Amen, Amen!
pete salveinini
2 years ago
Yes, the Finger of the Right hand of the Father is stirring.

Yet, the prophetic revelation of Fatima indicates that Heaven wants this reunion to occur though the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God and that it will not happen without that Consecration to her heart by all the Catholic Hierarchy together of Russia by name. It seems Our Lord WANTS HER TO HAVE THE GLORY OF EVERYBODY REALIZING THE REUNION COMING THROUGH HIS MOTHER., WHO IS SPOUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Joe Varghese
2 years ago
I long and pray for Catholic/Orthodox unity, but first and foremost we have to overcome what may be the biggest obstacle - man's pride, which is sometimes direct but often and most difficult when it is subtle. Your article was wonderful .. but I had to pause at the statement - "However, I cherish the unity that comes with the Chair of Peter".

It is not Peter's chair, or Mark's or Thomas ... it is Christ. And let's be clear that this is the most significant obstacle between the Orthodox and Catholic. Christ chose the Apostles from amongst His Disciples, and in Acts and in the Gospels we see the Apostles do disagree ... but the unity and decision making came as His One Body. There is no part of the body that is above others .. we are all One in Him.

I hope and pray that you take this with love, and let us work together towards the unity that can only come through Him.
aaron l
2 years ago
I also pray for Christian Unity, I pray with so much love, hope God grants our prayers.
Kyriakos
2 years ago
I am an Catholic of one of the eastern rite churches. I have the same longing like you deacon and many others, on Catholic-orthodox reunification. And pray and hope for it. Maybe the Russian Orthodox Church would lead the way from the Orthodox side. It is as you said, the desire of Christ and need of the time.
Andy Holland
2 years ago
Being Orthodox and attending a Roman Catholic Church because it is physically closest and perfectly valid - patience, patience, patience - Western thinking is structured in a method a bit different from Eastern. Greek and Latin have similarities and differences. The important thing is to understand these differences, appreciate them, don't get into unprofitable disputes over words and pray, pray, pray for guidance of the All Good Holy and Life Giving Spirit.

The Eastern Liturgy raises the soul to heaven, and provides the embassy of the Church which is the body of Christ and Kingdom of God to passport the soul to heaven. The Western Liturgy and Church brings Christ near to Earth, to passport God into this world to act through us in creating a new heaven and new Earth.

Both functions are necessary and neither is sufficient in and of itself. Monasticism in the East is going to require serious convincing. Unless one goes to Mount Athos humbly, and unless God moves them - acting Bishop to Bishop could be very dangerous for both East and West. The Monastics are the key to the East - and logic and reason are not the basis for unity with them nor is care for this world. We need serious Padre Pio types to go to Mount Athos and converse with their brothers - and then the doors to unity will fly open if that is God's will.

Prev12 Next

Comments submitted must be civil, remain on-topic and not violate any laws including copyright. We reserve the right to delete any comments which are abusive, inappropriate or not constructive to the discussion.

Though we invite robust discussion, we reserve the right to not publish any comment which denigrates the human person, undermines marriage and the family, or advocates for positions which openly oppose the teaching of the Catholic Church.

This is a supervised forum and the Editors of Catholic Online retain the right to direct it.

We also reserve the right to block any commenter for repeated violations. Your email address is required to post, but it will not be published on the site.

We ask that you NOT post your comment more than once. Catholic Online is growing and our ability to review all comments sometimes results in a delay in their publication.

Name *

Email *

Comment *

Send me important information from Catholic Online and it's partners. See Sample

Post Comment