“After several years of stagnation”, the resumption of theological dialogue between the Orthodox and the Catholic Church represents an “encouraging step forward”, also because the commitment to restore “unity in truth and love between the two Churches has become “more than ever” an “urgent priority”, declared His Beatitude Christodoulos, archbishop of Athens and Primate of the Church of Greece, in a written message to the members of the joint Orthodox-Catholic work group “Saint Irénée de Lyon”. The group met for the second time in Athens from 9 to 13 November to discuss questions of ecclesiology under the co-chairmanship of Msgr. Ireneo Miditch of the Serb Orthodox Church and Msgr. Gerhard Feige of the Catholic Church of Germany. The unity of the Church wrote Christodoulos “is a gift of God”, “but much depends on us too; that’s why we are called to cooperate and reflect together so as to contribute to the realization of the prayer” of Jesus, “that they may all be one”. The archbishop speaks at this point of Benedict XVI. “We are encouraged in our prayers for the achievement of this goal he said by the recent election of Pope Benedict XVI as the new spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church. His profound theological culture and his devout commitment to the ecclesiastical tradition, combined with an excellent knowledge of history and many other talents that God has given him, represent a guarantee not only for the full success of the Pontificate but also for closer unity and collaboration between our Churches”. “We pray with all our heart concluded the archbishop that during this period of theological dialogue that is now resuming, the existing obstacles may be overcome so that the Will of God may be accomplished in a perfect unity in charity and in truth. Until that time, we are called to relate ourselves to each other in equality, with absolute respect and honour, working to improve mutual understanding and cooperation in all fields”.
