Need for uniting Western and Eastern Church in dechristianising, secularising world

[Roger_Buck]

Regarding exciting developments of the Catholic and Eastern Churches discussing the role of Peter, I found something at Father Ray´s blog and that helped stir me to respond with a fairly passionate comment.

I would like to post both Father Ray´s brief comment and my own comment here and see what people think.

Now I should explain that Father Ray at his blog had had an Orthodox commenting that reunion seemed impossible due to factors like the Orthodox never accepting Vatican One, due to the Papal Infallibilty dogma.

So first Father had commented

"As an Orthodox do you really see no room to discuss the hermeneutic of the Councils, is that beyond the Orthodox mind?”

And stirred as I say I then commented:

"I think we must really pray that this is not beyond the Orthodox mind.

Pray hard.

And perhaps also that certain things are not unthinkable to Catholics.

The world falls into the deepest pit of a secularised materialism it has ever known.

As a Catholic philosopher I read recently said, many children today no more know what the inside of an church looks like than the inside of an abattoir.

Dechristianisation proceeds apace. In Waterstones London - reputedly the largest bookshop in Europe I found four gigantic bookshelves … gigantic … devoted to Christianity.

But I also found thirty equally gigantic shelves devoted to Mind-Body-Spirit … New Age spirituality.

This did not even include the sections on Buddhism, Islam etc.

This is not a New Age bookshop. It may well mirror the mindset of Londoners/modern Europeans today: 30 New Age, Christianity 4 …

And a materialistic world bereft of Christianity sinks into ever greater consumerism, provoking environmental ruin, global warming, inexpressible loss.

Against this massive loss we have a Providential movement between West and East towards the shattered unity.

I trust that certain leaders in both West and East can see the terrible need of our time to heal the Church and to do whatever is possible to halt this dechristianisation …

And I thank you Father for posting us this stirring piece of hope …"

Any thoughts about this here, not only about unity of East and West but dechristianisation, New Age, secularisation, materialism etc?

 

[Garyjohn2]

These are deep reflections on a serious topic. I only have a few words.

There is great need for a united church.

Imagine if it were accomplished…imagine the cheers and crys of joy around the world! Moreso, imagine the roaring applause from the angels in heaven.

I really hope this can happen in my lifetime.

 

[Roger_Buck]

These are deep reflections on a serious topic. I only have a few words.

There is great need for a united church.

Imagine if it were accomplished…imagine the cheers and crys of joy around the world! Moreso, imagine the roaring applause from the angels in heaven.

Yes indeed, Garyjohn! And I appreciate your response.

I realise I neglected to post a link for the exciting news I mentioned.

Here it is
chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/1341841?eng=y

Very well worth reading. Brings hope though of course huge obstacles remain.

Also Father Ray´s blog is here:marymagdalen.blogspot.com/2010/01/pope-of-christian-unity-east-west.html

 

[Garyjohn2]

Great article! Thanks for the link.

It’s all very exciting!

 

[jimmy]

THe infallibility of the pope is a huge obstacle to be crossed. If the west is going to ask the east to reconsider Vatican I, maybe the west should reconsider it as well. The Orthodox will not accept the position of the bishop of Rome as it is now.

 

[CatholicGerman]

Thank you for this post. I pray regularly for the reunification of the Church.

 

[GraceSofia]

I pray and wish for the unity of the churches.

However, it doesn’t seem likely. I have read some comments on Orthodox sites where people were very exercised about the filioque, although in reality the Catholic Church has already said that they are flexible on that (sorry, I cannot remember exactly how that issued has been worded so that is my paraphrase there), yet the Orthodox keep using that as a reason not to unite. In Greece and Cyprus, the Latin Catholics do NOT say the filioque when they say the Nicene Creed, I offer as proof of the CC willingness to unite and stop fighting over this issue.

I wish fervently that we could all agree on having one date for Easter, for two reasons: first, as a witness to the secular world and to Muslims. Having 2 different Easters leaves Christians open to (and deserving of IMO) ridicule by non-Christians. Second, depending on where you live, this may not be much of an issue, but for the minority Catholics living in Orthodox countries, it is very distressing. It makes it easy for Orthodox to point their fingers at Catholics and call us heretics. The time of Lent and Easter, we are out of sync with each. It is a cause for sorrow and shame on us! It just should not be that hard to have unity at Easter.