Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options

Developed by the North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation during a three-day meeting at Georgetown University in Washington, two “unprecedented” statements released on Oct. 7 offer a vision of what the unity of the two churches might look like. Steps Toward a Reunited Church offers a vision of the possible shape of a reunited church resulting from the re-establishment of full communion. The second statement, Celebrating Easter/Pascha Together, focuses on the importance of a unified celebration of Christ’s resurrection. The statements identify areas where the churches diverge in leadership and other practices, such as the role of the pope, that must be reconciled before the nearly 1,000-year separation between the churches can end. Ronald Roberson, a Paulist priest who is the associate director of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, said the divided churches now “dimly perceive” what a united church would look like. “Obviously for that to happen,” he said, “Catholics would have to adjust and Orthodox would have to adjust.”

Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.

The latest from america

A Homily for the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles, by Father Terrance Klein
Terrance KleinJune 25, 2025
The example of Blessed Floribert Bwana Chui shows us how to live for Christ: by dedicating ourselves to prayer, the poor and peace.
Pietro BartoliJune 25, 2025
The six-day certification course aims to teach ‘how to honor deserving candidates and expedite their path to sainthood in the Vatican,’ according to the center’s website.
History's first American pope reaffirmed Wednesday that the primary role of bishops is to forge unity in his diocese among clergy and to be close to his flock in word and deed.