De Vrede van de Kerk van Christus Herstellen

Abstract

The restoration of peace in Christ’s Church: on the future of oecumenism between Roman Catholic and Orthodox believers The celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Centre for Cooperation and Encounter with the Eastern Churches (AOK) leads us back to the beginning of the organized ecumenical movement in this century, especially the Lausanne Movement and Conference 1927, which makes clear that the Orthodox Churches were co-founders of the Ecumenical Movement from the very beginning, whereas Roman Catholics were latecomers. We have to be aware of a history of Western triumphalism over the Eastern Churches and of the wounds caused by the painful history of uniatism: unions that failed and missions which went too far. In spite of these historical hindrances and actual backdrops in the ecumenical movement caused by many loyality-conflicts between different patriarchal jurisdictions, dialogue and common witness with the Eastern Churches seems possible and necessary. Not only for peace and justice, but also for the sake of real catholicity and credibility of the Church. The Western Churches have to learn from the Tradition of the Eastern Churches, esp. with regard to the idea of God, the structures of the Church, the ordering of Christian Life and the need for a sound and viable spirituality for our times.