Anastasia13 Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 The Russian Orthodox Church does not share that ultimate goal, that is, unless major doctrinal changes are made by Rome. And neither side will change without prayer and dialogue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apotheoun Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 (edited) And neither side will change without prayer and dialogue. No one should ever change what he believes as a matter of faith to be essential. That said, I think the restoration of communion between the Roman Church and Orthodoxy is not likely to happen, but cooperation on social and moral issues is clearly possible and that is why dialogue should continue. Postscript: I just finished listening to a series of podcasts by an Orthodox priest and theologian who explained why communion will not be restored between Orthodoxy and the Roman Church, and he is a priest of the OCA and not the Russian Church. Edited March 21, 2013 by Apotheoun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mortify Posted March 21, 2013 Author Share Posted March 21, 2013 But does the Vatican really wish those whom they dialogue with to become Roman catholics? With the "anonymous christian" idea seems superfluous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anastasia13 Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 (edited) But does the Vatican really wish those whom they dialogue with to become Roman catholics? With the "anonymous christian" idea seems superfluous. Since when do Catholics not want people "come into the fullness of the faith" or something like that? Or do you mean is that really their primary goal? Edited March 21, 2013 by Light and Truth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apotheoun Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 But does the Vatican really wish those whom they dialogue with to become Roman catholics? With the "anonymous christian" idea seems superfluous. I do not think that the Vatican wants everyone to become "Roman Catholics." In fact, several years ago Pope Benedict said the following: ". . . unity does not mean what could be called ecumenism of the return: that is, to deny and to reject one's own faith history. Absolutely not! It does not mean uniformity in all expressions of theology and spirituality, in liturgical forms and in discipline. Unity in multiplicity, and multiplicity in unity: in my Homily for the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul on 29 June last, I insisted that full unity and true catholicity in the original sense of the word go together. As a necessary condition for the achievement of this coexistence, the commitment to unity must be constantly purified and renewed; it must constantly grow and mature." Source: Vatican Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mortify Posted March 21, 2013 Author Share Posted March 21, 2013 No idea what the above quote means but sounds like what I alluded to... becoming Catholic is not necessary...or am I missing something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qfnol31 Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Some Anglican ecumenical dialogue led to the restoration of the Anglicans in the Church. The basic idea behind ecumenism is that the state of Christianity today is not what Christ intended and is wrong. We bear responsibility for it if we do nothing to repair it, so ecumenism is one part of that. I apologize for this sentence. I just reread what I've written. I should not write "it...it...that." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qfnol31 Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 No idea what the above quote means but sounds like what I alluded to... becoming Catholic is not necessary...or am I missing something? Melkites are perfectly acceptable Catholics. I might be misreading Apo, but I think that was part of his point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EcceNovaFacioOmni Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 (edited) No idea what the above quote means but sounds like what I alluded to... becoming Catholic is not necessary...or am I missing something? I believe he was referring to the diverse theological and liturgical expression of the Eastern Churches in communion with Rome, as well as the Anglican Ordinariate. Unity need not mean uniformity. Edited March 21, 2013 by thedude Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apotheoun Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 Cardinal Kasper, the former prefect for the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, said the following: "In its ecumenical approach, Vatican II took a standpoint centered on Christ. This was a new and decisive step. Until then the standpoint was centered on the Church. The accepted view was that ecumenism meant a 'return' to the Catholic Church. The formula was: 'The Catholic Church is the true Church of Jesus Christ, therefore unity is only possible if the others return to the Roman Catholic Church.' But Vatican II gave up this view." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apotheoun Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 I believe he was referring to the diverse theological and liturgical expression of the Eastern Churches in communion with Rome, as well as the Anglican Ordinariate. Unity need not mean uniformity. Yes, there is already a diversity of views among the Catholic Churches in particular when looking at the Eastern Catholic Churches, and to a lesser extent the Anglican Ordinariate, and this diversity according to Pope Benedict and Cardinal Kasper is good and should grow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apotheoun Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 Melkites are perfectly acceptable Catholics. Agreed. I think that Pope Benedict is speaking about unity in diversity not only as it is presently lived, but as it could exist with the reestablishment of communion between the Roman and Eastern Catholic Churches and the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches. He may also mean to include the Protestant ecclesial communities, but the comment quoted in my earlier post does not make that completely clear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Papist Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 Did Christ pray for unity? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apotheoun Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 Cardinal Levada, the former prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, said the following: "Visible union with the Catholic Church does not mean absorption into a monolith, with the absorbed body being lost in the greater whole, the way a teaspoon of sugar would be lost if dissolved in a gallon of coffee." Source: Vatican Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mortify Posted March 22, 2013 Author Share Posted March 22, 2013 Agreed. I think that Pope Benedict is speaking about unity in diversity not only as it is presently lived, but as it could exist with the reestablishment of communion between the Roman and Eastern Catholic Churches and the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches. He may also mean to include the Protestant ecclesial communities, but the comment quoted in my earlier post does not make that completely clear. Yes, this is what I was referring to. I'm not sure who the Holy Father was referring to and what he meant by "faith history." If it's to the Orthodox that's one thing but if it's to Protestants and even Jews and Muslims, then I'm totally lost. Also there was mention of not seeking uniformity in theological matters although I thought this was the one area where uniformity was actually sought? Sigh, why is everything so ambiguous these days? :unsure: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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