“Reunite with the Pope?” When in history did they ever concede to being under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome?
That would be
before the
Schism.

This latest Schism happened in about 1472 A.D.
Schism:
Some Eastern Church leaders were fighting amongst themselves (a power struggle) because of jealousy. There were four patriarchs and eventually one ended up with most of the power. When the pope tried to intervene, he was rebuffed. Name-calling, etc. by patriarchs against the pope incited hatred against him.
The Schismatic Church continues (in our own time period) its
denial of the primacy of the pope even though it was
their own jealousy which was the direct
cause of this Schism in the first place.
However,
now, in order to seemingly “justify” to themselves and to their flocks, the
continuance of their own leadership, they have to deny the primacy and infallibility of the pope. Of course, God does not agree with them since He personally started the papacy (chief stewardship position/office), and He will judge them all according to His own thoughts and ways.
Now, some non-Catholic persons have decided that “revisionist” history is one of the best ways to justify appointing
themselves as their own religious
authority, so they claim that the Eastern Churches never accepted the primacy of the pope. This is false; the Eastern Churches
all accepted the primacy of the pope until they wanted their
own way.
Since Jesus personally gave
Peter only and no one else the “
keys of the kingdom of heaven,” no one can change his authority. It is God-given. This is an
office of
chief stewardship over all other stewards as I explained in a previous post. When an office becomes vacant, it must be filled. The “filling of a vacant office” in the hierarchy by a new person is called “apostolic succession.”
Paul claims to be a
steward also, but he does not claim to be the chief steward.
1 Corinthians 4:1-4 “Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and
stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover it is required in
stewards that one be found faithful.”
Colossians 1:25 “of which I became a minister according to the
stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,”
The reason that Peter’s name is listed first in the Bible when the names of the Apostles are listed is because it shows
respect for his
office as chief steward. This office is also similar to the “seat/chair of Moses” of the OT. Moses was the primary authority on earth of the OT, just as the pope is the primary authority on earth of the NT. The scribes and Pharisees
succeeded Moses in the OT and they have God’s authority entrusted to them just as Moses did. Unfortunately, persons in authority can and do abuse their power and this causes great scandals. They still have God’s authority, however.
Matthew 23:2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on
Moses’ seat;”
Proof of their
legitimate authority from God is recognized by Jesus and taught by Him in the very next Scripture verse. He tells the people to obey the scribes and Pharisees (the hierarchy), but not to imitate their sinful personal actions:
Matthew 23:3 "Therefore
whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.
More quotes from the Early Church Fathers about the Primacy of the Pope:
The Letter of Clement to James
“Be it known to you, my lord, that Simon [Peter], who, for the sake of the true faith, and the most sure foundation of his doctrine, was set apart to be the foundation of the Church, and for this end was by Jesus himself, with his truthful mouth, named Peter, the first fruits of our Lord, the first of the apostles; to whom first the Father revealed the Son; whom the Christ, with good reason, blessed; the called, and elect” (Letter of Clement to James 2 [A.D. 221]).
"f we were to attend carefully to the Gospels, we should also find, in relation to those things which seem to be common to Peter . . . a great difference and a preeminence in the things [Jesus] said to Peter, compared with the second class [of apostles]. For it is no small difference that Peter received the keys not of one heaven but of more, and in order that whatsoever things he binds on earth may be bound not in one heaven but in them all, as compared with the many who bind on earth and loose on earth, so that these things are bound and loosed not in [all] the heavens, as in the case of Peter, but in one only; for they do not reach so high a stage with power as Peter to bind and loose in all the heavens" (Commentary on Matthew 13:31 [A.D. 248]).
Scripture shows the institution of the papacy by Jesus Himself (by giving Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven) and history further documents that the Pope was acknowledged as the primary leader/chief steward in the earliest Christian writings.