| Documents |
IV. Mary and the Church / 6a. Mary and the World
(ecumenism) / Orthodox |
| Lumen Gentium, 1964
|
- ...the Easterns, who with
devout mind and fervent impulse give honor to the Mother of God,
ever virgin 69
|
| Signum Magnum, 1967
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- teachings were interpreted
and spelled out more clearly by Eastern and Western Church
traditions 35
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| Behold Your Mother
(USA), 1973 |
- reference in the Decree on
Ecumenism to "the hierarchy of truths," which "vary in their
relationship to the foundation of the Christian faith." (UR 11)
107
- ... with regard to the
differences that still divide Western Christians ... and the role
of Mary in the work of salvation." (UR 20) 108
- [matters to commonly
explore] our common patrimony, hierarchy of truths, Theotokos,
relationship between Scripture, Tradition and the Church's teaching
role, effects of redemption in Mary, bond between Mary and the Holy
Spirit. 107-112
- May her loving desire that
her Son's words be heeded hasten Christian unity. 146
|
| Marialis Cultus,
1974 |
- ... in venerating with
particular love the glorious Theotokos and in acclaiming her as the
"Hope of Christians," (Orthodox Office) Catholics unite themselves
with their brethren of the Orthodox Churches, in which devotion to
the Blessed Virgin finds its expression in a beautiful lyricism and
in solid doctrine. 32
|
| Redemptoris Mater,
1987 |
Theotokos
- Catholic Church, the
Orthodox Church and the ancient Churches of the East feel united
by love and praise of the Theotokos. Not only "basic dogmas of
the Christian faith concerning the Trinity and God's Word made
flesh of the Virgin Mary were defined in Ecumenical Councils held
in the East," (UR 14) but also in their liturgical worship "the
Orientals pay high tribute, in very beautiful hymns, to Mary ever
Virgin ... God's Most Holy Mother." (UR 15) 31 [See more
detailed distinctions/unity in this article]
- The Greek Fathers and the
Byzantine tradition, contemplating the Virgin in the light of the
Word made flesh, have sought to penetrate the depth of that bond
which unites Mary, as the Mother of God, to Christ and the
Church: the Virgin is a permanent presence in the whole reality
of the salvific mystery. 31 [also Coptic and Ethiopian in
this article]
- [rich heritage in liturgy
...] incomparable abundance of feasts and hymns 31, 32
- [icons, see more under
marian devotion]
- [Note:] I also recall the
Icon of the Virgin of the Cenacle, praying with the Apostles as
they awaited the Holy Spirit: could she not become the sign of
hope for all those who, in fraternal dialogue, wish to deepen
their obedience of faith? 33
- [Marian Year 1987 linked
to ecumenism; see 49]
- [May she intercede] until
all the peoples of the human family, whether they are honored
with the name of Christian or whether they still do not know
their Savior, are happily gathered together in peace and harmony
into the one People of God, for the glory of the Most Holy and
Undivided Trinity." (LG 69) 50
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| The
VM in Intellectual and Spiritual Formation, 1988
|
- John Paul II has underlined
" how profoundly the Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church and the
ancient Churches of the East feel united by love and praise of the
"Theotokos" (Redemptoris Mater, 31)... - Dimitrios I, the
Ecumenical Patriarch, has noted that "our two sister Churches have
maintained throughout the centuries unextinguished the flame of
devotion to the most venerated person of the all-holy Mother of
God" (Dimitrios I, Homily given on Dec 7, 1987 during the
celebration of Vespers at St. Mary Major (Rome): L'Osservatore
Romano (Eng.ED.Dec. 21-28, 1987), p.6), and he went on to say
that " the subject of Mariology should occupy a central position in
the theological dialogue between our Churches...for the full
establishment of our ecclesial communion"(ibid., 6). 14
|
Orientale Lumen,
1995
Ut Unum Sint, 1995 |
- Indeed, in comparison to
any other culture, the Christian East has a unique and privileged
role as the original setting where the church was born. ... The
Christian tradition of the East implies a way of accepting,
understanding and living faith in the Lord Jesus OL 5
- the Decree on Ecumenism
mentions the way of formulating doctrine as one of the elements of
a continuing reform. (UR 6) Here it is not a question of altering
the deposit of faith, changing the meaning of dogmas, eliminating
essential words from them, accommodating truth to the preferences
of a particular age or suppressing certain articles of the Creed
under the false pretext that they are no longer understood today.
The unity willed by God can be attained only by the adherence of
all to the content of revealed faith in its entirety. USS 18
- Even so, doctrine needs to
be presented in a way that makes it understandable to those for
whom God himself intends it UUS 19
- establishment in 1979, the
Joint International Commission for the Theological Dialogue between
the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church has worked steadily,
directing its study to areas decided upon by mutual agreement, with
the purpose of re-establishing full communion between the two
churches USS 59
- In the period following the
Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church has also, in different
ways and with greater or lesser rapidity, restored fraternal
relations with the ancient churches of the East which rejected the
dogmatics formulations of the councils of Ephesus and Chalcedon.
... And precisely in relation to Christology, we have been able to
join the patriarchs of some of these churches in declaring our
common faith in Jesus Christ, true God and true man. [various
official statements are listed; then the pope concludes] I wish to
express my joy at all this in the words of the Blessed Virgin: "My
soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord" (Lk 1:46) UUS 62
- It is already possible to
identify the areas in need of fuller study before a true consensus
of faith can be achieved:
1) the relationship between sacred Scripture, as the highest
authority in matters of faith, and sacred tradition, as
indispensable to the interpretation of the word of God;
2) the eucharist, as the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ,
an offering of praise to the Father, the sacrificial memorial and
real presence of Christ and the sanctifying outpouring of the Holy
Spirit;
3) ordination, as a sacrament, to the threefold ministry of the
episcopate, presbyterate and diaconate;
4) the magisterium of the church, entrusted to the pope and the
bishops in communion with him, understood as a responsibility and
an authority exercised in the name of Christ for teaching and
safeguarding the faith;
5) the Virgin Mary, as mother of God and icon of the church, the
spiritual mother who intercedes for Christ's disciples and for all
humanity. UUS 79
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