[markomalley]

Both Churches are Apsotolic and Catholic, and both are particular churches with the Church; both have authority from Apostoles in an unbroken line of succession. The Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church recognize only one Church, and consider the other as a particular Church within the Church, in schism over theology and ecclesiology with respect to the other. Both Churches believe and work towards the common goal: to be reunited through an Ecumenical Council, when such can be convened.

And that is the biggest part of all...that it is one, holy, katholikos, and apostolic Church. That one Church is the Bride of Christ. I hope that some day that the divide can be healed among the various particular patriarchies that comprise Her.

[Cronos]

I pray for the same too -- perhaps a removal of the filioque would go some way. I was earlier under the impression that the Orthodox wording seemed to imply that Christ was a "lesser deity", but, after long(!) conversations, have come to understand that the Orthodox mean nothing of the sort, but that they understand the mystery of the Holy Spirit in the same way as we Latins do. I hope that my Orthodox friends also realise that what the Spanish priests in the 9th century meant was more in the nature of refuting the idea that Christ was a "lesser deity". As a note I would point out that the Eastern rite Catholic Churchs like the Maronite, do not use the Filioque and incidently, neither does the Vatican San Pietro Church either -- correctly waiting for it to be deliberated in an ecumenical council