www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West End of the Schism

Yes, I do agree with Alice, Neil, Myles, and Marin.

about...

coming to the discussion (I like dialogue) table with open hearts..

Being a history student and buff (and former teacher) I can tell you that history DOES NOT always repeat itself. At this time and considering the strides towards unity made by Pope John Paul II and others I am favoring a hopeful approach to unity even if it is very gradual and takes yet a long time.

And I will continue (the rest of my life) to maintian that Christian unity (which allows diversity) is good and does not have to be something which robs us of our distictiveness or emphasis. We are one in the Body of Christ although we are not all alike.

But...patience seems to be needed and we wait and hope for change. Our new member, Marin, said it well as he posted, ...only God, nothing without God.

In Christ,

Mary Jo

I am not certain that John Paul II can be said to have failed in the pursuit of unity with the Eastern Orthodox Church. This is likely to be a lengthy process, and John Paul II unquestionably has moved it forward. On the other hand, I am not surprised that some observers would regard his work as a failure - it is not unusual for people to want "instant results", and I am as susceptible to that as anyone else.

As to the specific issue of the election of Bishops:
The present legislation, despite repeated promises to the contrary, maintains the requirement that while the synod elects Eastern Catholic Bishops within the patriarchal territory, the election cannot take effect without specific Papal approval - and in many cases this approval takes an unconscionably long time. Moreover, the definition of "patriarchal territory" is quite arbitrary, and quite unfavorable to the Eastern Catholic Churches. Expecting Eastern Orthodoxy to accept either of these restrictions, let alone both, is sheer fantasy.

What Rome might have attempted is at least an effort at solving the jurisdictional problem amongst competing groups of Greek-Catholics. This sometimes leads to unbelievable anomalies, and the Orthodox are able, with reason, to comment that the Papal primacy does not seem as effective as might be, given the jurisdictional pluralism among Greek-Catholics (who have three different Eparchs in Greater Cleveland, for instance).

Then, of course, there is the blessed matter of the ordination of married priests. Until Rome demonstrates that she is willing to keep repeated promises even when the bureaucrats do not wish to keep those promises, Rome will continue to lack full credibility in her approaches to the Christian East.

I could continue, but the general idea is clear.

Incognitus