www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Two lungs but how to breathe?

Dear Peter,

I have had this opportunity on many occasions. My whole family and myself, have OFCOURSE, said the Creed, which is the basis of our common faith, but since the filioque is not part of our tradition, we just skip over that part....

What can be funny is when you are in a Roman Catholic church and congregation where there are many Orthodox present, as I was during the week of prayer for unity a few years ago. What was heard was a tongue tied stumbling more than anything else, and that one second seemed to last forever!

In my Archdiocese newspaper, there was an article earlier this year, or last, that stated that the philioque controversy had been very close to being settled by our respective theologians at their last meeting.

They seem to have come to an understanding that mirrors the understanding of Gregory Palamas and more current theologians like Bishop Kallistos Ware, who really don't see it as the big 'H' stumbling block it has been made out to be over the centuries of polemics between our two Churches.

In Christ,
Alice

P.S. Latin rite Catholics in Greece recite the Nicene Creed without the philioque, since in essence, it was implemented because of translational problems. In the original Greek it is understood.

I take you mean that �from the Father and the Son� and �from the Father through the Son� are two ways of looking at the same thing. But what about those Orthodox who believe that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father alone? Don�t they, also, have a right to their opinion?

God bless,
Peter.

I think some of the recent work between mainstream Orthodox and Catholic theologians has cleared up much of the misunderstanding about filioque. Much of that misunderstanding seems to have been the result of language differences. Of course, you can always find people from splinter groups on both sides who will argue filioque to death - and everything else, as well.