SUNLIT UPLANDS: Catholic-Orthodox Dialogue Drafting Document on Steps to Unity

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Catholic-Orthodox Dialogue Drafting Document on Steps to Unity

The North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation, chaired by Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans and Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Maximos of Pittsburgh, continued to work on a statement on the steps towards unity during its recent June 1-3 meeting in Massachusetts. The statement, entitled “Steps Towards a United Church: A Sketch of an Orthodox-Catholic Vision for the Future,” will briefly outline “the history of divergences between Catholics and Orthodox, especially with regard to the role of the Bishop of Rome in the Church, according to a press release issued by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas. It will also outline “all that the two churches share and notes that overcoming differences has become a matter of urgency. The text also reflects on what a reunited Catholic and Orthodox Church might would look like, the ecclesial structures needed to facilitate such unity, and the questions that remain to be answered if such a reconciliation is to take place.”

Last year, the North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation abandoned the diplomatic language typical of ecumenical pronouncements and issued a candid critique of the 2007 “Ravenna document,” a modest milestone in Catholic-Orthodox ecumenical relations.

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