Future Perspectives on Orthodox-Catholic Dialogue on the Basis of Current Documents of the Great and Holy Synod of Crete, in: Journal for the Study of Religions and Ideologies 17 (51/2018) 21-37
Abstract
: The article deals with the ecclesiological challenges that rose after the Holy andGreat Council of the Orthodox Church in Crete (June 2016) following the encounterbetween East and West, as far as the orthodox-catholic dialogue is concerned. The conciliarrestrictive formulations (included in the document “Relations of the Orthodox Church withthe Rest of the Christian World“) concerning the denomination of other Churches causednegative reactions from the roman-catholic side, which questioned the future of thedialogue with the Orthodox Church. From that perspective, this study analyses the above-mentioned document and some other documents of the Council in Crete and sketchesfuture perspectives on the orthodox-catholic dialogue. The main thesis of the presentstudy is that, considering the ecclesiological debates that were held in Crete andafterwards, it becomes obvious that the theological orthodox-catholic dialogue needs arestart, arising from the spirit of the beginnings (the so called “plan for dialogue” adoptedin Patmos/Rhodes, 1980). Some of the premises for this restart should be: the liberation ofchurch-political strategies, the emphasis of the spiritual relevance and responsibility of theinter-Christian dialogue and a deeper consideration and implementation of the theologicalresults of the different regional or unofficial dialogue groups. The study finalizes withconcrete proposals of alternative themes of reflection for overcoming the aporias that theofficial theological dialogue is dealing with.
Key words
: ecclesiology, orthodox-catholic dialogue, orthodox theology, ecumenicaldialogue, church, confession, panorthodox synod, exclusivism, “Holy and Great Council ofthe Orthodox Church” (Crete 2016
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