It won't happen because the Orthodox have made it clear they won't reconcile until the Pope kisses the feet of their patriarchs and then falls on his sword.
The Pope said:
"Words aren't enough, he said, adding that "concrete gestures" were needed even from ordinary Catholics to reach out toward the Orthodox.
"I also ask all of you to decisively take the path of spiritual ecumenism, which in prayer will open the door to the Holy Spirit who alone can create unity," he said."
You wrote:
"It won't happen because the Orthodox have made it clear they won't reconcile until the Pope kisses the feet of their patriarchs and then falls on his sword."
I sincerely doubt that is our position, but do you think your words are those that +Benedict XVI was thinking of?
Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and did far worse to himself than merely fall on a sword to save his flock.
A pope came off his throne to wash the feet of St. Francis of Assisi, a nobody.
If fulfilling Jesus' direction and prayer that we should be united means merely kissing the feet of a couple of patriarchs and having meetings in which all of the points of disagreement since the 7th Ecumenical Council are placed upon the table, and every one of them is resolved in favor of the Orthodox view, and this results in the reunification of the sundered halves of Christianity, then it is for the better.
The filioque issue has already been resolved in principle, has it not?
Papal infallibility was last (and only) used when? Over what? Do the Orthodox and Catholics not agree in the perpetual virginity of Mary and the immaculate conception?
If reconciliation means that the Pope resolves, for the purposes of Christian love and unity, not to use this doctrine outside of Councils of the Church, which all agree are infallible, this is conceding the power without conceding fundamental error in the couple of times that the power was use. Why does this matter?
Kiss their feet and fall on our swords. And stand back up united. Pride keeps us apart, and it is a sin. Give them everything they ask.
There you go!! That's the spirit!! Keep up the good work. LOL!!
It could possibly happen, Benedict has made statements concerning Judaism. Benedict has said the Jewish people are theologically correct in not believeng in Jesus as there messiah. St. Malachy's predictions of popes that have came true up to this time.....
here is the 111 which is Benedict “De Gloria Olivae” (From the Glory of the Olive). Conversion of the Jews? (maybe not conversion of the Jew's, but a Catholic reform to accept Judaism as theologically correct).The Benedictine order traditionally said this Pope would come from their order, since a branch of the Benedictine order is called the Olivetans. St Benedict is said to have prophesied that before the end of the world, a member of his order would be Pope and would triumphantly lead the Church in its fight against evil. A pope of peace and reconciliation, perhaps Benedict XVI will be a peacemaker in the Church or in the World, and thus carry the olive branch.
So this could be a kissing of feet so to speak...but I still don't see how Roman Catholics will accept a change in theology, it will be interesting to watch.
No reconciliation will be possible until both churches are purged of the sort of people who would state such blatant slander against the other, that's for sure.