www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News The "Petrine Ministry" Revisited

Here is an interesting webpage giving us an English translation of the 1999 Paschal message from the Catholic Patriarchs of the East regarding the Ecumenical movement:

http://www.opuslibani.org.lb/cpco-english/img065eng.html

I thought it would be appropriate as these talks continue.

This particular article caught my eye.

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We recognize that we have sinned
58. This conversion concerns mainly sins against unity: “Unity of Christians is possible, on the condition that we be humbly aware that we have sinned against unity and we are convinced of the necessity of our conversion” (34). This will lead to a total change of our attitudes towards the others: “We become aware of certain exclusions that bless the fraternal charity, of certain refusal of forgiving, of a certain pride, of self-isolation in condemning the others in a way that is not evangelical, in despising others out of unhealthy presumptions” (35). Every Church and community must find out how did its own sins play a role in bringing division in its history, and which Church it has harmed by its sin. Consequently, it should do its best, by the grace of God, to reach forgiveness and reconciliation.

Oops, wrong thread. Sorry. Late night.

Dear Cantor Joseph,

The problem with that statement is that it is far removed from the church politics in which the various Unias are mired in.

It is difficult to hold talks on unity and unias when both RC and Orthodox theologians have previously agreed with each other that the Unions were regrettable and are no longer an adequate model of church unity.

That plus what the EP has said about the unias themselves being a blight on the entire ecumenical relationship between Rome and Orthodoxy . . .

I can just hear some Orthodox leaders chime in right now, "You're not just whistling Dixie it (the unia) was a sin - when are ya'll going to repent of it?"

Alex

Well, Alex, I think that some aspects of the some Unias were regrettable. And I certainly regret that this process, objectively, has not, and likely will not lead to broader unity. I think this is as far as anyone goes in for example, Balamand. If there are RC's who go further than this, how strange for them to have, let alone voice an opinion: we are not their churches.

Dear djs,

Yes, the whole thing has been one of some concern and painful reflection for me.

I'm less sensitive today when I hear people, including Eastern Catholics, rip the Unia apart for various reasons.

The laity did not have a say in the unia of 1596, it was done clandestinely and even pro-Western individuals like Prince Constantine Ostrozhsky opposed it - largely, I think, because the bishops broke protocol in not including the aristocracy in the decision-making process.

I agree with you that the RC's have no real right to pronounce on the unias without our say or participation.

In so doing, they repeat, rather than reverse, the "dark side" of the unias of history.

Alex