Posted on 11/30/2014 3:00:37 PM PST by NYer
Ping!
What does this mean? Is this the Vatican simply saying “if you Orthodox accept the Roman Papacy as the authority, then we will have unity”? Or is it something different like a fundamental change in their position that Rome has primacy?
My gut feeling is reunification would be great! Orthodox seems so much more traditional and respectful of the Mass. Curious as to what other freepers think?
I would like to see reunification but like the post after yours states there are lots of issues. If Francis is profoundly liberal, fat chance of reunification besides all the rest.
As a Latin Rite (”Roman”) Catholic, I would have concerns about the fate of the Eastern Catholic Churches; most were formed as a means of addressing the original schism, and I’d be reluctant to leave them at the mercy of the larger Orthocox Churches. If the reunification is real, I guess it wouldn’t be an issue.
I believe our Eastern Catholic Churches nominate their heads, which are approved by the Pope. If the Orthodox simply want to function as Protestants (with no central authority), I don’t see why reunification is even being discussed.
If a "shared profession of faith" is the only condition to achieve "full unity", it would seem that Pope Francis is proposing false unity.
Pope Francis: "I want to assure each one of you here that, to reach the desired goal of full unity, the Catholic Church does not intend to impose any conditions except that of the shared profession of faith."
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MORTALIUM ANIMOS
11. Furthermore, in this one Church of Christ no man can be or remain who does not accept, recognize and obey the authority and supremacy of Peter and his legitimate successors.
"And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
Joint Declaration: http://myocn.net/joint-declaration-pope-francis-ecumenical-patriarch-bartholomew/
Pope Francis asked for, and received, a blessing: http://myocn.net/vatican-insider-pope-bows-bartholomew-receives-blessing/
Thank you for posting Mortalium Animos. Once again Francis acts as if there never was such Catholic teaching.
it doesn’t actually saw much. As a Catholic I would want to see the Pope clarifying primacy as the Orthodox see it — first among equals, but not “boss man” — and I believe that Pope John Paul II, Benedict and now Francis have shown by their actions with the Eastern Catholic patriarchs that this is what they believe. We just need to put this in writing
I believe with the Eastern Catholic Churches they elect their own heads and they are approved by the Vatican; I can see some kind of solution like that, but I don’t see the Orthodox submitting to the approval process.
The only one I'd have concerns about are the Uniate -- as there is now "big power politics" with Russia involved
I recall reading that one functional aspect of papal primacy would be that some matters could be appealed to Rome as a court of last resort. Not sure just what kind of cases that entails.
I believe more than half of them are formed from attempts at re-unification (Ukrainian Catholic, Coptic Catholic, Byzantine (Greek) Catholic, Syro-Malabar & Syro-Malankara, and a few others). My understanding is that Maronites are the only Eastern-Rite Church without a corresponding Orthodox Church.
I thought that there is also some difference doctrinally about beliefs on the Trinity.
Possibly; I plead ignorance on that. I’m familiar with some differences (as in regarding statues vs. icons), but not what you’re describing.
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