Theological Dialogue Must Continue
"The apostolic faith, the apostolic tradition and the apostolic mission emphasize the urgent need to overcome the differences and difficulties which still prevent us from achieving full communion, so that we may offer the world a more striking witness of peace and unity" (L'Osservatore Romano English edition, 9 December 1998, p. 8). This significant statement was the heart of the Message which the Holy Father John Paul II sent to the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I for the feast of St Andrew (30 November 1998).
At the same time, the Pope recalled the difficulties that the theological dialogue has encountered in recent years for reasons in themselves unrelated to the dialogue, but which form the social and psychological context in which the dialogue takes place. "On the path to unity, which is sometimes rough and steep, we draw our strength from the Lord Jesus Christ's prayer for his Church and from the power of the Holy Spirit, who always comes to help us in our weakness and gives us hope". The theological dialogue is difficult by its very nature, since at certain levels it challenges the very conscience of those engaged in it. Thus the act of dialogue itself can help refine the search and redirect it to the heart of the problems. "These same difficulties can be an opportunity for spiritual growth and progress towards unity", the Holy Father added.
Firm commitment to promoting unity
Against the background of this fraternal and festive Message, brought to the Patriarch by the delegation that went to the Phanar for the feast of St Andrew, was the allusion to the fact that since the publication of the Balamand document in 1993, it has not been possible to convoke a meeting of all the members of the Joint International Commission for the Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church. It is certainly time to return to this dialogue. The Joint Coordinating Committee of that International Commission met in Ariccia (15-20 June) and was able to agree on the convocation of the plenary session for next June in Baltimore, USA. Since Cardinal Edward I. Cassidy, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, was prevented by his involvement in the Synod of Bishops for Oceania from going to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, it was Cardinal William H. Keeler, Archbishop of Baltimore and a member of the same Pontifical Council as well as of the Joint Commission for the Theological Dialogue with the Orthodox Church, who led the Catholic delegation.
In his address to the Patriarch and the Holy Synod at the end of the Eucharistic liturgy for the feast of St Andrew, Cardinal Keeler stressed the importance of the exchange of visits for the feast of St Andrew at the Ecumenical Patriarchate and for the feast of St Peter in Rome: "This blessed custom which is going to transform our ecclesial relations into a new tradition, on the one hand shows the high level of communion that exists between our two Churches and, on the other, expresses before the Lord, in spiritual openness, the will to do all we can to advance on the path to full unity".
In his homily, Patriarch Bartholomew I stressed the need of Christian unity for preaching the one word of God. "All of us Christians, all the Churches, must be able to pass on the same word about Christ, about our faith and about our hope in him. More precisely, we can say that it is absolutely necessary to preach the same Word for, seeing us divided and in disagreement, the world we are addressing will not believe our words and will logically suspect that we are speaking on our own account and not with God's authority". The Patriarch added: "Aware of this serious responsibility, we must be spurred by an intense, diligent and constant effort to achieve our unity in faith and in the bond of peace".
For the feast of St Peter, Patriarch Bartholomew I sent a delegation led by the Metropolitan of Pergamon, the well-known theologian John Zizioulas. In his address to the Pope, after referring to the feast of the patron of the "venerable Church of Rome, the Church which presides in charity", he gave the Patriarch's fraternal greeting to him. "The Patriarch", said the Metropolitan, "has asked us to assure you of his sentiments of deep and respectful love, as well as his firm commitment to the sacred task of promoting and deepening the unity between our two Churches".
Mistaken interpretations of Balamand document
Then the Metropolitan, a theology teacher, began the theological discussion, expressing appreciation for the most recent documents of the Catholic Church on dialogue. Directly addressing the Pope, he said: "Your Holiness, as we strive to re-establish the full communion of our Churches by a dialogue in love and truth, seeking to overcome the old and new obstacles we meet on our way, we are helped by the supportive statements which your Holiness regularly offers towards this sacred goal. In particular, we express our appreciation of your Encyclical Ut unum sint and the possibilities it offers for a constructive discussion on several basic ecclesiological issues which stand in the way of our unity. The invitation Your Holiness has addressed to all Christians for a frank and open discussion on the question of the Bishop of Rome's ministry in the Church has already prompted important debates". The Metropolitan then referred to the study on "The Greek and Latin Traditions Regarding the Procession of the Holy Spirit". He said: "Likewise the document prepared by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity on the procession of the Holy Spirit lays the necessary foundations for important clarifications of an issue which has long separated the East and West". He added: "The Orthodox Church is extremely pleased that theology should be taken seriously in our efforts to restore full communion, because we are convinced that only the Truth can establish the solid basis for building a lasting unity that is pleasing to God".
The difficulties experienced in relations with some of the Orthodox Churches in recent years stemmed from, among other things, mistaken interpretations of the document of the Joint Commission agreed upon at Balamand (1993) on "Uniatism, Method of Union in the Past, and the Present Search for Full Communion". The innovative document pointed out the theological solution to the problem. It also provided coherent practical suggestions for fraternal relations between the Orthodox and Greek Catholic Churches, particularly in Eastern Europe (Ukraine, Romania and Slovakia). Moreover, a complex dispute created tensions in everyday relations between Greek Catholics and the Orthodox with the legal, social and psychological repercussions. The Greek Catholic Churches had in fact been declared non-existent by the communist regimes of the time (1946-48). Their property had been confiscated and given, in part, to the local Orthodox Churches. When they were re-established after the collapse of the communist regimes (1989), the question arose of the use or ownership of those places of worship which had formerly belonged to the Greek Catholic Churches. A remedy to this bitter contention, involving various initiatives, was and is being sought. For some time now, delegations of the Holy See and the Patriarchate of Moscow have been in contact. The last meeting took place in Moscow. In Ukraine, the issue of places of worship seems to have been substantially resolved, although resulting tensions continue in Catholic-Orthodox relations. More recently a Joint Commisison has been set up between the Patriarchate of Romania and the Greek Catholic Church in Romania. It held its first meeting at the Patriarchal Palace in Bucharest on 28 October 1998. The press release described this initiative as a "dialogue of reconciliation between the Romanian Orthodox Church and the Romanian Greek Catholic Church in union with Rome". The Joint Commission is at a high level.
Its Orthodox members are: Metropolitan Daniel of Moldavia and Bucovina (President), Archbishop Bartholomew of Cluj, Archbishop Andrei of Alba Julia (Vice-President), Bishop loan of Oradea, Bishop Timothy of Arad, Bishop Visarion, Vicar of the Archbishop of Sibiu, and Archpriest Justin, Vicar of Maramures.
The Greek Catholic members are: Archbishop Lucian Muresan of Fagaras and Alba Julia (President), Bishop Gheorghe Gutiu of Cluj-Gherla (Vice-President), Bishop loan Sisestean of Maramures, Bishop Alexandru Mesian of Lugoj, Bishop Virgil Bercea of Oradea Mare and Auxiliary Bishop Florentin Crihalmeanu of Cluj-GherIa.
Mons. Francesco Pio Tamburrino attended on behalf of the Holy See.
The second meeting will be held in Blaj on 28 January next. The communique gave the following information: "Until the next joint session of the Commission for Dialogue, the Orthodox and Greek Catholic Hierarchs of each Eparchy will meet to analyze each individual case at the local level, taking into account the real possibilities for resolving the problems and consulting the clergy and faithful; the data collected locally will be presented at the next meeting".
Ecumenical involvement in the Great Jubilee
Various kinds of contact have been made with all the other Orthodox Churches, and with cultural and pastoral institutions. Fraternal delegates to the Ecumenical Commission of the Central Committee for the Great Jubilee include a representative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The latter also attended the most recent session (15 December) of the Central Committee. The calendar of celebrations for the Great Jubilee in Rome has included the suggestion made by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I to dedicate the vigil of 6 August 2000, the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, to the Jubilee.
In his address at the Phanar, Cardinal Keeler summarized the various elements which are promoting fraternal relations between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. He said: "Dialogue between our Churches has found in the Joint Commission an appropriate instrument to address the disagreements that still exist. However, actual relations are proving more extensive and diversified. They provide for reciprocal participation in particular events in the life of our Churches, such as certain celebrations, liturgies, ecclesial assemblies and discussions. Nor are they limited to official relations alone. Real, ongoing contact has been established between the cultural institutions of our Churches. Historical and theological research, academic meetings, common pastoral concerns ... put the professors and pastors of our Churches into ever more frequent contact".
This broad range of cultural, academic and pastoral contacts is increasing our real knowledge of each other, which will remove the stereotypes of the past that often complicate and hinder the search for full unity. This direct, concrete knowledge also leads to a purification of memory and heart, another indispensable condition for achieving true progress in the theological dialogue as well.
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