The differences between the two churches are as much POLITICAL as they are theological.
It all began because the Greek oriented Roman Empire was based in Constantinople, and essentially abandoned Rome, even though they still called themselves ROMANS. They were “The Roman Empire”, but relegated Rome to a backwater existence and essentially attempted to totally ignore it.
In the East, they not only ad the complete and full support of the “Civilian” government, but the Emperor virtually controlled who the leaders of the Church were. In fact, on more than one occasion, the Emperor deposed the Patriarch, and appointed another in his place.
In the West, the Bishop of Rome was the Church Power, and he appointed Emperors and Kings. This led to the Bishop of Rome becoming both a religious AND a civil power, something that the East never experienced.
The Filoque was an EXCUSE, as the articles cited above make very clear. The East ignored it for centuries, and only brought it up when a Cardinal excommunicated the Patriarch. After that, it essentially became the single most important issue.
Both sides could EASILY settle all of this, if they would agree to a true Ecumenical Council, to thrash out the various disagreements. But, neither will give an inch, instead calling the other side stubborn, and the East calling the West apostate (which the West no longer says about the East by the way).
The article (there was a citation to a series of articles from the Orthodox perspective listed above) about the Uniate Churches in Russia was a much more typical attack from the Orthodox than was the very well reasoned article for Roman Catholics. It attacked all Uniates as heretics, essentially said that all Uniates that were forced into Russian Orthodoxy by the Soviets should never be allowed to become one with the Catholic Church again, and that the Roman Catholic Church is nothing but evil incarnate (and that Pope John Paul II was essentially nothing more than an agent of the devil).
That kind of unreasoned bilge is, sadly, all too typical of Orthodox writers. There have no desire at all to EVER reunite. In fact, they would love to see the Catholic Church utterly destroyed, all of its doctrines confined to history and everyone that has ever supported that church to be condemned to hell.
It is sad indeed that a site that presents Orthodoxy so very well in its article directed at Roman Catholics, would also place such an unreasoned and hate filled article among its canon. BUT, that hate filled article represents the actual feelings and beliefs of all too many Orthodox, and it shows just why the vast majority of Orthodox will never consider any form of reunion.
One can only believe that Jesus must weep indeed that the successors of his apostles had led their “branches” of the church he established so very far apart.
It is those leaders, the ones that merely see evil in their “opponents”, that are truly doing the work of Satan.
Sadly, there are some of those types on BOTH sides of this issue. But, the majority appear to be on the Orthodox side, and they are unwilling to bend even to the slightest degree. It is, to use a modern expression, “Either their way or the highway”.
With such people, compromise is impossible, because THEY will NOT allow it. They do not care about God, they care about themselves. They care about their “position”, and NOT at all for what the Holy Spirit is trying to do.
And anyone, either Orthodox or Catholic that holds such a position is truly doing Satan’s work on this earth.
It is about time that both sides bend a bit, both sides agree to call a binding ecumenical council to thrash out the ‘THEOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES", and once again bring the Universal Church into being as God willed it to be. Stop letting the petty quarrels of man prevent the majesty of God’ church from being.
