Open Letter to the Members of International Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic and the Orthodox Church

[ZELITCHENKO]

Dear Members;

I must share with you two considerations, which may be useful for your discussions. I do realize that all of you are skilful politicians and diplomats and I am not going to write about political matters. I am writing as a philosopher, psychologist, historian and theologian.

1. The nature of Great Schism: It cannot be reduced to theological differences
   Superficial view sees the nature of Schism in the theological differences. A little less superficial one – in the political interests of both Western hierarchs and Eastern ones. Even deeper one sees the reasons of Schism in the collective traumas (for example after the Siege of Constantinople). However, if everything was limited by these reasons, Schism was overcome for a long time ago, because the theological differences are not essential, the conflicting hierarchs died many centuries ago, and even collective traumas are almost completely healed. However, the Schism continues in spite of all attempts to bridge it (like, for example, Council of Florence). Why?

The reason is that the difference between Orthodox Christianity and Catholic Christianity is very deep. This is not only difference in the utterance about God, but this difference in the Feeling of God. In fact, there are two different Christianities with two different historical functions and correspondingly with two different historical fates. Two branches of Christianity are responsible for realization of two different lines of Divine Providence. The Western Branch is responsible for creating Western Civilization – one of the steps of Jacob’s ladder, by which humankind is climbing to God. The Eastern Branch is responsible for storing the Spirit of Christianity for many centuries until the growing humankind become able to perceive this Spirit and to live in accordance with It. Thus, the attempts to heal Schism through theological discussion about Filioque (or even Papal primacy) are similar to attempts to join butchers and physicians through elaborating common understanding “how to knife”.

1. Theological disputes cannot be resolved by compromise

You are looking for compromise between Western theology and Eastern one. However, such compromise cannot be reached. When one person believes that the “main part of elefant” is legs, another – trunk, and the third – heart, they cannot reach compromise. What they do be able to do is to find the formula, which will satisfy all of them, however each of them will understand his own meaning of these formula and the difference will kept. There is only one way to resolve the theological dispute: each part of dispute has to see that his position reflects just the small part of huge Divine Truth. In this case, he lifts above his former position and starts to consider it as the adult person sees his former childish foolishnesses, which are funny for him now.

However, just to begin movement in this direction, theologian has to say (at least to himself) that his understanding of Christ – the fruit of many-years of hard work – is just very fragmentary and colorless copy of Great Original. However, when the theologians believe that he does know the teaching of Christ perhaps even better than Jesus himself the movement cannot start. Fortunately, we are closer now to the time when our childish faith in own wise is replaced by more realistic understanding “what I am and What God Is”.

With wishing of success in your work
Alexander Zelitchenko

P.S. Elaboration of the topics of this letter may be found in my books “Svet Zhizni” (Light of Life, in Russian) or “Psychology XXI. Or XXII?..” (in English) or in the articles on my website russkiysvet.narod.ru/inf-eng.htm and russkiysvet.narod.ru/eng/bio.mht, especially in “Psychotheology” russkiysvet.narod.ru/eng/Psychotheology.mht.

 

[ljubim]

But Christ’s TRUE Church cannot be in fragment. We are obliged by God to follow Him, not in many ways but the One way.

Which theological differences are you talking about? With all due respect your mention of our different ‘purposes’ or missions is not a credible reason to perpetuate the schism. It was created in human error and malice, and can only be mended with love and trust in God. Personally the only major difference I can see, big enough to be a problem, is the pope. The filioque is nothing but your choice of words… especially since God is one with three persons, does it really matter if the Spirit proceeds form God or from God the Son? Because in the end they are one and the same.

It is necessary that this schism, the greatest of evils in all of Church history, be mended. Christ has one and only one Church, not 13,002.

Ljubim

 

[ZELITCHENKO]

But Christ’s TRUE Church cannot be in fragment.
Ljubim

1. Not “cannot” - “will not”. Church WILL BECOME more and more Unite while the people of church WILL BECOME more and more close to Christ. Today we are very far from Him, and this is why we are so different. The church still MUST BECOME “True”, but to say that any REAL church in present or in past was “true” is a sort of self-deception.
2. In SOME SENSE church is not “in fragment” even now. US is one country. But one Americans differ from others too much. Nevertheless, they are one people. In the same way God’s people is also one despite of all differences.

Be blessed