Replies

The other thing that comes to mind is that these statements on the Holy Eucharist from these different Christian communities on this thread would never have happened in one place because some of these Churches don't talk to each other. It made me appreciate even more Pope John Paul II creating the Year of the Eucharist and planning this Synod for the end of the Year.

Bless you for taking the time to read through the Orthodox commentary and develop your own impressions. You have probably noted, as I did, that the majority of Roman Catholics, all on my ping list, have skipped these commentaries. Perhaps it is a question of pride. You and your mother have a fuller appreciation of the connection between East and West. It is resolvable; perhaps not at this time.

We hear from those who are near and some a bit more far off of their Eucharistic faith, and it makes some within the Catholic house look downright liberal mainline Protestant.

Precisely. As someone commented on a different thread, if 50 years ago, a Catholic had approached the priest to receive communion with their hands open while standing, no doubt they would have been perçeived as a protestant and given instruction in the proper reception of the Holy Eucharist.

NYer: Thanks for posting the reflections from the Orthodox attendees a the synod.

Like Kolokotronis, I've noticed the significant difference in emphasis between the comments from the Orthodox and eastern Catholic representatives at the synod on one hand, and the comments of those representatives from the western church on the other.

On other threads this week, there was some, for lack of a better term, exasperation with the idea of ecumenism between the Orthodox churches and the Catholic churches because of theological differences. I think that focusing the discussion strictly on theological issues (and more likely, theological differences)somewhat misses the point.

In my view, greater cooperation between the Orthodox and Catholic churches will happen because the practical advantages are so compelling. And perhaps that's a better tack to take than to debate the theological differences and to quote from ancient documents ad infinitum.

I think we also need to define what is meant by "communion." Do we mean more cooperation on issues of mutual concern? Do we mean shared Eucharistic celebration? Do we mean unification as one church on an institutional level? Because while certain expressions of unity may be rapidly attainable, I'd be very surprised to see other expressions of unity attained in my lifetime, if ever.

Precisely. As someone commented on a different thread, if 50 years ago, a Catholic had approached the priest to receive communion with their hands open while standing, no doubt they would have been perçeived as a protestant and given instruction in the proper reception of the Holy Eucharist.

*What if it were 1950 years ago....:)