Folks, this according to CNA:
Analysis. As I've indicated before, the reconciliation between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches has been a primary goal of every Pope since the end of the Second Vatican Council. Although the East-West split happened much later after the first schisms that took place after the Council of Chalcedon which originated what we now call "the Oriental Churches," the split between Rome and Constantinople had profound political, theological, and moral consequences that persist to this day.
Vatican City, Sep 22, 2010 / 09:52 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The Pope called the faithful to a greater commitment to Christian unity during Wednesday's audience. The "peace and harmony" of Christians, he said, shows the world an "authentic" witness to the Gospel message.
At the end of Wednesday morning's audience in St. Peter's Square, Pope Benedict drew attention to the concurrent plenary meeting of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church.
The meeting is taking place in Vienna, Austria this week, with participants examining "the role of the Bishop of Rome in the communion of the Universal Church," particularly in the first millennium of Christianity.
Of this, the Holy Father said, "obedience to the will of the Lord Jesus and consideration for the great challenges facing Christianity today, oblige us to commit ourselves seriously to the cause of re-establishing full communion among the Churches.
"I exhort everyone to intense prayer for the work of the commission and for the ongoing development and consolidation of peace and harmony among the baptized, that we may show the world an increasingly authentic evangelical witness."
The schism created a Europe that was "of two minds" and in a certain way, "schizophrenic" which led to intriguingly similar results: in the West, it led to the Protestant Reformation and through it, to the moral relativism and religious indifference we see today. In the East, the autocratic mindset of Byzantine Christianity was transferred to the Turkish Sultan, and through Orthodox Moscow, to the Tsars and then to the Bolsheviks. Religious indifference, the absence of religiously-sensitive mindsets, rampant secularism, and practical atheism - at times under a culturally Christian, sentimental veneer - can be said to be a result of the chain of causes originated by the East-West schism.
Therefore, the Pope in Rome, the Ecumenical Patriarch, and perhaps the Patriarch of Moscow may think that healing the schism may result in the healing of Europe's and even the West's - Russia included - spiritual, moral, and "mental" split. Of course, each hierarch probably has a different idea of how to heal the schism, and are probably acutely aware of the shifts in the power equations that a theoretical reconciliation between the churches would bring about. The Pope and the Patriarchs probably know already how much they can "give up" in order to achieve reconciliation, but perhaps know even better what they want the other parties to surrender.
I mention the Rome, Constantinople, and Moscow axis specifically because, although Moscow and Constantinople may hold common theological and philosophical objections against Rome, the fact is that Moscow and Constantinople have had recent jurisdictional grievances in the Baltic and in Ukraine. The Russian Church is vastly superior in members and is the largest autocephalous Orthodox church - even though how much of their membership is truly evangelized, catechized, and "formed" is an open question. Constantinople, however, enjoys a long and undisputed primacy in rank among the Orthodox and its Patriarch enjoys a right of initiative, even though, on paper, he only rules over a flock of a few tens of thousands, a ruling hierarch in a vast American diocese, and the Orthodox Church "in the mission lands" however is that defined. Moscow has challenged this latter jurisdiction in the case of the Baltic Republics. Resentment and mutual suspicion still mars their relationship. It is not inconceivable that Moscow and Constantinople may side with Rome on some issues in order to "triangulate" against each other and balance their claims.
And then, of course, there's the Holy Spirit, who is always in the details - and not the devil. So, let us pray that in the end is God's will what prevails, and not the grievances, hatreds, and suspicions that have pervaded our relations for the last 1,000 years. Healing the schism will prove to be a New Pentecost that will renew evangelism across the world in these sad, dangerous days. Let us pray, in Jesus' Holy Name. Amen.
Read also:
- Catholic-Orthodox commission resumes dialogue on papal primacy at Catholic-Culture.Org
- Catholic, Orthodox Churches to try to overcome millennium-long disagreement (Interfax)
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5 comments:
I pray the reunion between East and West occurs. We desperately need to be breathing with both lungs!
Do the Orthodox feel the same way (i.e. the desire to return to one)?
The few Orthodox I know do not feel any urgency to unify with Rome -- in fact, the idea is repulsive to them.
All in all, they'll take a Catholic over a Protestant, but they don't consider Catholics much better (just an older form of Protestantism).
I don't mean to be polemic. I know the Holy Father is working with the Patriarchs (most or all of whom are being very gracious).
But from my *very* limited view of things, it appears to be a little one sided.
Please, my good Orthodox brothers and sisters, help set me straight :)
Chad,
I'm very aware of the points you raised. In fact, I host a year-long discussion of it which you may review here:
Twelve Differences Between the Orthodox and the Catholic Churches
-Theo
@Theo:
Thanks for the reply. I've actually read that post in-depth (in fact, that's the post that made me first stumble onto your blog because of Patrick's comment]). That post was very helpful and helped get me up to speed with the current stage of the debate between Catholics and Orthodox.
That wasn't the question I was asking this time, though.
Do the Orthodox desire communion with Rome? From what I've seen (and I admit, I have a limited view here), they don't seem very interested at all. The higher-ups seem to want to maintain a relationship and dialog with Rome, but that's about it. Most Orthodox I know seem to be very hostile to Latin anything.
I have my disagreements with Orthodox, but I desire strongly that we can somehow work these things out and return to one. I'm not sure the average Orthodox feels the same way.
Know what I mean? So I wonder, is Pope Benedict XVI just wasting his breath, or are the Orthodox really listening and trying to work through these issues one-by-one?
Sorry, Chad, I misunderstood you.
Um. I don't know if rank-and-file Orthodox wish, pine, or otherwise feel any urgency to rejoin Rome - or Rome to rejoin them, as many Orthodox will put it. Probably the more liberals will, the more conservatives will not. Impossible to tell without polling them.
Hey, maybe that's an idea...to create a poll.
Let me think about it.
-Theo
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