Posted on 02/27/2006 6:45:58 PM PST by NYer
VATICAN CITY, FEB. 27, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Orthodox and Catholics must find what unites and brings us ever closer, says an official of the Apostoliki Diakonia of Athens, a theological college.
Archimandrite Dionysios Mantalos, director of departments of the Orthodox college who is visiting the Catholic Church in Rome, was received in audience today by the Pope.
"In the first millennium, Christians were united; in the second, divided. The third must not find us separated," the archimandrite told ZENIT in an interview.
The interview followed Sunday's solemn ceremony at Transfiguration Parish, in Rome, in which a relic of St. Andrew was given to representatives of the Greek Orthodox Church.
"We Christians must give a joint testimony," the archimandrite said. "Religion must embrace men and make us optimistic and able to overcome our fears."
Father Mantalos acknowledged: "No one can foresee the time for this union among Christians of different confessions."
Grass roots
But he stressed "the great efforts that, although in the past, had little repercussion, now are in a much better moment as dialogue has started at the grass-roots level. … There are positive initiatives that lead Catholic young people to Athens and Greek Orthodox young people to Rome."
For this director of the Apostoliki Diakonia, "dialogue between Christians leads us to friendship without neglecting the truth."
"There have been difficulties in the past, but today we must surmount them," he stressed. "The first 1,000 years of the united Church we had the same faith but differences of culture, mentality, behavior and linguistics. We must return to this common faith."
The visit to Rome was made possible thanks to the aid of the Catholic Committee for Cultural Collaboration and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, which organized this "visit of instruction."
Beautifully phrased.
Amen!
"But he stressed "the great efforts that, although in the past, had little repercussion, now are in a much better moment as dialogue has started at the grass-roots level. … There are positive initiatives that lead Catholic young people to Athens and Greek Orthodox young people to Rome."
For this director of the Apostoliki Diakonia, "dialogue between Christians leads us to friendship without neglecting the truth.""
This forum is such an initiative that through dialogue we might uphold the truth and in so doing become friends.
Hmmmmm...I seem to remember some EOs saying just recently that the East didn't need the West.
Hmmmm...
Quite. Thank you for posting this!
I believe it is safe to say that for the most part, this has been our experience in this forum. Personally, I hold the Orthodox in great regard and would welcome their participation at the next papal conclave. As someone commented in an article on why Roman Catholics sometimes switch rites to join the Eastern Churches, there is an imbalance and their shift corrects the problem. How much more so the papal conclave with such small representation from the East.
United, we stand; divided, we fall. I like this guy :-)!
We need each other - two lungs that support the Body of Christ. You know it and so do most educated minds. Each can subsist alone but united together, provide the proper flow of oxygen to the Body of Christ.
However, this is not about a "need" in a worldly, physical sense, for neither side "needs" the other in that way. The Western Church has undergone some upheavals and is now returning to its patristic roots and, naturally, closer to Orthodoxy. And, while you may not approve or share in that joyous miracle, the Orthodox are very happy and reciprocate in a brotherly fashion.
What is "killing" you is that this unity will be achieved without assimilation or absorption — or defection.
Ah! Very Good News. I remember Mother Mary visit a girl at I think Syria. She is Orthodoxy. God permit miracle until before Easter day. On Easter day, miracle stop. She ask MOM why miracle stop through water. Mom hope "...Easter become one..." Let us HOPE just like MOM hoping that the Two Church separated and become one again. ALLELUIA!!! Pray, Fast and Conversion.
Kosta,
You wrote: "Unhappy, arent' you Vlad?"
Disgusted perhaps, but not unhappy.
"You would love nothing less than to stir up some trouble."
I need not stir for trouble to arise.
"However, this is not about a "need" in a worldly, physical sense, for neither side "needs" the other in that way. The Western Church has undergone some upheavals and is now returning to its patristic roots and, naturally, closer to Orthodoxy."
Nonsense. The Catholic Church has always known that it is the Church.
"And, while you may not approve or share in that joyous miracle, the Orthodox are very happy and reciprocate in a brotherly fashion."
That too is nonsense. We do everything really. Tell me the date of John Paul II's meeting with Alexy II in Moscow. Do you know it? No, of course not. Why not? Because the EOs would not allow such a meeting to take place. When did the Greek Orthodox apologize for the slaughter of Catholics in Constantinople in 1182? Oh, that's right they never did -- but they certainly wanted an apology from JPII for the Fourth Crusade.
Has Romania restored our churches? Bulgaria? Russia? Ukraine? NO. We give EOs churches that were never theirs to begin with as a sign of good will. We give back relics stolen by our ancestors. What do we get in return? NOTHING. Absolutely nothing but a few platitudes, and more demands.
"What is "killing" you is that this unity will be achieved without assimilation or absorption — or defection."
Uh, the defections have been continuous for 1000 years. It happened when JPII went to Ukraine for instance. Also, I always knew that there would be no assimilation or absorption because that is the way it was done before. How can it be killing me if I support it? I attended a Russian Orthodox Church in Communion with Rome. I fully support re-union with Latinization.
In your next post, do you think that you could write something that is accurate? Do you think you could try? Would that be too hard for you?
What's a Russian Orthodox Church in communion with Rome, Vlad?
"I fully support re-union with Latinization"
Well, you just do that, Vlad. No one else will. You can be sure of that because it's idiotic. Besides, "latinization" is spelled with a lower case "l".
The original Church was not even Latin, linguistically or otherwise. You are confusing rites and cultures with the Church. You are also confusing ecclesiastical authority with a place (Rome) and not with apostolic succession.
With your attitude you can debate yourself. No one else will. The type of nonsense I have read from you just ain't worth the bandwidth.
You wrote: "What's a Russian Orthodox Church in communion with Rome, Vlad?"
Exactly what it sounds like.
"Well, you just do that, Vlad."
Oops, I mean WITHOUT Latinization. That will teach me not to proof read at least once.
"No one else will. You can be sure of that because it's idiotic. Besides, "latinization" is spelled with a lower case "l"."
Your comment is now irrelevant as rendered above by my correction. Also, an upper case "L" is just fine in common writing as demonstrated by this Eastern Orthodox source: http://www.unicorne.org/Orthodoxy/articles/articles_b/traditions.htm
"The original Church was not even Latin, linguistically or otherwise. You are confusing rites and cultures with the Church."
Nope. I didn't confuse rites with cultures.
"You are also confusing ecclesiastical authority with a place (Rome) and not with apostolic succession."
Nope. I have never made such a mistake nor am I capable of such a logic impossibility. I may forget to put in the word "without" but I don't confuse issues. Authority rested with Peter, and his line, not the city he reigned over. I made exactly this point in another thread just days ago.
"With your attitude you can debate yourself. No one else will. The type of nonsense I have read from you just ain't worth the bandwidth."
You can try to salve your ego all you like. You know you lost this debate. I asked you several questions. You answered none of them (I actually answered them). They, in themselves, show that you have no argument. The West has done more than the East about unity. It will continue to be that way. The West has always done more.
Kosta:
I'm not familiar with this poster. And someone who starts a conversation with an inflammatory aside about the Eastern Orthodox is not someone who I'm going to seek to engage in a religious discussion.
As I'm sure you realize, the perspective being expounded upon by this poster is NOT shared by many eastern Catholics in the U.S.
Yes, of course. However, it is not uncommon to find perceptible aggression among Eastern Catholics, and for an understandable reason I believe.
Vlad, who may or may not be an Eastern Catholic, is a lone, bitter, self-righteous loser because he will lose every opportunity to have a decent discourse before he even begins one. He makes sure that he will have all the knowledge to share with his lonely self, except that he can't even stand that (after all, insulting yourself is no fun!)
Thomas Merton says that hell
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