Citations, please, Father. Thank you!

-Diane

Most Catholics are unaware that, since the 1990’s, the Russian Orthodox Church has suffered from several schisms by the “True Orthodox”, the largest of which is the “True Orthodox” jurisdiction of Metropolitan Valentine of Suzdal. There are also many “True Orthodox” groups that trace their origin from the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR). These True Orthodox have split mainly over the issues of “Sergianism” and — of course — Ecumenism. In the same way, the Georgian and Bulgarian Orthodox Churches have withdrawn from the WCC not because of any “anti-heterodox” sentiments, but precisely to avoid major schisms by anti-ecumenists in their ranks.

Last but not the least: the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR), which reunited with Moscow last year, is severely anti-ecumenical, and has made clear that it will not cease to articulate its critical stance towards ecumenism.

Then, there was the recent defrocking of MP bishop Diomid of Chukotka, who was expelled partly for advocating an end to all dialogue with other faiths.

Under the circumstances, I think we should be grateful that the Moscow Patriarchate is even talking to us Catholics at all.

It is worth noting that it is only since Vatican II that the view that praying (especially in public or liturgical services) with Christians not in communion with Rome was acceptable became clearly licit according to the Vatican. The common teaching before that was that this was not only forbidden, but forbidden by divine Law irreformably. That is what Rome used to say, and the standard works on moral theology held that line. So, given that it is only in the last 50 years or so that the contrary view has prevailed, whereas this more ecumenical view has been commonly acted upon long before that in other Churches (Orthodox, Anglican, Evangelical, etc.), it is not really appropriate to skite about the wonders of Roman consistency due to its Magisterum’s more unified organisation and action. After all, consistency across time or getting the answer right earlier rather than later are also considerations.

What you witnessed recently has been going on since the days of Paul VI, and John Paul II. Now with Ewtn and the internet we are more aware of it.

Here’s the thing — no hierarch can impose a unity from the top down. That’s a one-way ticket to lots of faithful people being scandalized and lots and lots of schisms. You want to cut the Gordian knot, that isn’t the way to do it in any kind of a lasting manner. Florence, if nothing else, proved that.

What I firmly believe — reinforced by what I saw at the Fellowship of Ss. Alban & Sergius conference last month — is a) that the hierarchy can only recognize a unity which the people have already established and, while it may seem like a contradiction, b) that words like “dialogue” and “concelebration” are out of the pay grade of most of us normal people. To that end, c) we’re all going to be a lot better off focusing on cooperation and conversation. There are things we can do and things we can talk about as people in the trenches, it seems to me, which are going to be far more productive to the cause of unity than arguing about theological matters which are, frankly, out of any of our hands. To put it another way, I can’t suddenly decide that a Roman Catholic can receive communion at my parish under the Patriarch of Antioch, nor can I do anything about issues of created vs. uncreated grace, but what I can do is serve with a Roman Catholic at a Crisis Pregnancy Center (although in this town, probably not, since the CPC has a formal statement of faith which essentially excludes RCs or EOs). As a musician, I can put together a schola made up of other musicians who are themselves either Orthodox or Catholic and we can learn chants out of the Liber Usualis and/or selections from the Byzantine repertoire. (Yes, Diane, maybe even shapenote. I’ll have to show you sometime my shapenote-esque setting of “O Gladsome Light”.) And so on.

Things like this might foster greater unity among the laypeople which *might* give the hierarchs more of an impetus to have something to talk about, and to do so productively. (There’s also something I could say about acknowledging one of the many enemies common which are out there, but I’m trying to focus on more positive topics.)

Just a thought.

Richard

Can we afford to wait until the Eschaton before we work todard reunion? No, IMHO. Our divisions are a horrible scandal and a huge stumbling-block for world evangelization. Shame on us if we put off the project of Christian reconciliation!

It is possible to clean house internally while simultaneously reaching out to separated brothers and sisters. The Catholic Church is engaged in just such a two-pronged enterprise at this very moent. It seems Patriarch Bartolomeos is as well. God bless him. I seem to recall Someone saying, “Blessed are the peacemakers.” I for one will cast my lot with the peacemakers. :D

A Gordian knot, this, for there will never be a time, until the Parousia, when this will happen.

Someone’s got to cut the knot sometime.

There’s no doubt that the way we do things is messier. I don’t know that anybody would deny that.

Richard

Yes, so I gather. Yet one more reason why I’m grateful to have a Magisterium (cf. the VCII Decree on Ecumenism).

For the record, you are more than welcome to enter my parish church’s nave and to pray with us. :)