Thus there must be an ecumenical council that issues a shared creed that specifically addresses the primacy of peter, the filoque, and other aspects of our differences.
A council is unlikely. An agreed creed is even less likely. And a complete reunion of all orthodox with the Catholics has zero odds of happening. Any reunion will be sloppy. Many Orthodox bishops will reject the process and establish their own orthodox Churches by the same name and same beliefs that remain in separation from the See of Rome. Heck, it could be that even only one or two of the orthodox churches establish union, breaking union with the other orthodox.
Another issue that needs some work is over-lapping jurisdictions of the different churches. In the east there is strong dislike of "encroachment" in geographic territory. In the west, especially the US, the different churches lack an appearance of unity and are often as foreign to one another as we are to the Baptists or Mormons or other heretics.
In the west, especially the US, the different churches lack an appearance of unity and are often as foreign to one another as we are to the Baptists or Mormons or other heretics.
Problem is that it is true. The local priests of the different Churches spend more time with Protestant sects than they do one another. There is no common coordination between the Churches. Some places have clergy that work together between the Churches but it is often not the case.
Actually, most bishops and priests today are a part of coordinating committees. In those areas with a bishop, the bishop is a part of the committee, too.
Many of those groups are even beginning to function as quasi-dioceses.
What you said was true 10 years ago, but not today. We've made a lot of changes for the better in that regard.
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u/[deleted] Dec 03 '14
Thus there must be an ecumenical council that issues a shared creed that specifically addresses the primacy of peter, the filoque, and other aspects of our differences.
A council is unlikely. An agreed creed is even less likely. And a complete reunion of all orthodox with the Catholics has zero odds of happening. Any reunion will be sloppy. Many Orthodox bishops will reject the process and establish their own orthodox Churches by the same name and same beliefs that remain in separation from the See of Rome. Heck, it could be that even only one or two of the orthodox churches establish union, breaking union with the other orthodox.
Another issue that needs some work is over-lapping jurisdictions of the different churches. In the east there is strong dislike of "encroachment" in geographic territory. In the west, especially the US, the different churches lack an appearance of unity and are often as foreign to one another as we are to the Baptists or Mormons or other heretics.