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Published by
Zenit.org,
January 20, 2005
Dialogue Seen as Catholic-Orthodox Priority |
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Says Vatican Aide in L'Osservatore Romano
VATICAN CITY, JAN. 20, 2005 (Zenit.org) - To
advance on the path toward unity between Catholics
and Orthodox, both John Paul II and Ecumenical
Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople are
trying to relaunch theological dialogue.
Monsignor Eleuterio Fortino, undersecretary of the
Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity,
mentioned this intention in today's Italian
edition of L'Osservatore Romano when assessing
relations between the ecumenical patriarchate and
the Holy See.
Over the past year, these relations have undergone
an "intense change," thanks to two visits of
Bartholomew I to Rome -- on June 29, and again on
Nov. 27, when he received the relics of Sts. John
Chrysostom and Gregory Nazianzen from the Pope.
This last event, Bartholomew I told Vatican Radio,
was the most important in his ministry as
patriarch.
Also fostering the climate of good understanding
was the Nov. 30 visit to the patriarchate, on
behalf of the Holy Father, of a Vatican delegation
headed by Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the
Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
These contacts have served to calm the tensions
that arose with the Orthodox Patriarchate of
Moscow and later that of Constantinople, after the
Greek-Catholic Church of Ukraine requested
recognition by the Holy See as a new patriarchate.
For the time being, the Pope has not acquiesced to
this request, said Monsignor Fortino.
To overcome the millennium-long schism between
Catholics and Orthodox, Monsignor Fortino believes
that one of the necessary steps is the
re-establishment of theological dialogue between
the two sides.
This dialogue is carried out through a mixed
commission made up of representatives of the
Catholic Church and various Orthodox Churches. The
commission's work has been blocked since the
meeting held in Baltimore, Maryland, in 2000, when
clear divisions arose over the topic under
consideration: "Theological and Canonical
Implications of Uniatism."
The question of "Uniatism" -- the Orthodox
derisively call "Uniates" those Christians of the
Eastern rite who keep their spirituality and
liturgy but are united to the Pope -- has become
especially acute with the Moscow Patriarchate,
which views with mistrust the resurgence of
Greek-Catholic communities that had suffered under
the Communist regimes in Eastern Europe.
During Bartholomew I's visit to John Paul II last
June 29, both signed a joint declaration
committing themselves to reactivate the
commission's work.
In this connection, the patriarch, who has the
right of initiative and coordination for
pan-Orthodox issues, now needs to obtain the
support of the other Orthodox Churches that have
representatives in the commission.
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