On April 29, 2015, Dr. Paul Meyendorff, The Fr. Alexander Schmemann Professor of Liturgical Theology, participated in a colloquium on Orthodox-Catholic relations at Seton Hall University, in South Orange, NJ. Professor Meyendorff delivered a lecture on a 2010 common statement issued by the North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation. The statement, "Steps Toward a Reunited Church: A Sketch of an Orthodox-Catholic Vision for the Future," proposes a number of steps to foster unity that could be taken even before full agreement in reached. In particular, it calls for the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches to address the issues of primacy and concilarity together, rather than separately, in order to achieve a model of church structure that would be workable and acceptable to both sides.
In his presentation, Meyendorff also noted that the North American Consultation, which began in 1965, marks its 50th anniversary this year, having worked without interruption since its founding. The Consultation hosts biannual meetings of Orthodox and Catholic representatives, in order to facilitate discussion of theological and pastoral issues. In addition to releasing statements concerning marriage, baptism, the Eucharist, and the pastoral office, the Consultation also offers formal comments on statements from the ongoing Catholic-Orthodox dialogue in other parts of the world.
Read a news article about the Orthodox-Catholic Ecumenical Dialogue
