杏MAP导航

By Benedict Mayaki, SJ

杏MAP导航 Francis, on Thursday, met with members of the St. Iranaeus Joint Orthodox-Catholic Working Group, gathered together in Rome for the group鈥檚 annual session.

Addressing them, the Holy Father expressed gratitude for their theological work in the service of communion between Catholics and Orthodox faithful, and highlighted the importance of cultivating a unity 鈥渆nriched by differences that will not yield to the temptation of a bland uniformity.鈥�

鈥淚n this spirit鈥�, the 杏MAP导航 said, 鈥測our discussions center on appreciating how differing aspects present in our traditions, rather than giving rise to disagreements, can become legitimate opportunities for expressing the shared apostolic faith.鈥�

A 鈥渨orking group鈥�

杏MAP导航 Francis highlighted the Working Group鈥檚 aim of seeking ways in which the 鈥渄ifferent traditions can enrich one another without losing their identity鈥�. He also expressed pleasure that it is neither a commission nor a committee, but rather a 鈥渨orking group鈥� that 鈥渁ssembles in fraternal and patient dialogue experts from various Churches and different countries, who desire to pray and study together for the sake of unity.鈥�

The Holy Father also reflected on the example of the working group鈥檚 patron, St. Iranaeus of Lyons, who came from the East and exercised his episcopal ministry in the West, and was 鈥渁 great spiritual and theological bridge between Eastern and Western Christians.鈥�

The name 鈥淚ranaeus鈥� contains the word 鈥減eace,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 explained, adding that the Lord鈥檚 peace is not a negotiated peace 鈥� the fruit of agreements meant to safeguard interests 鈥� but 鈥渁 peace that reconciles, that brings together in unity.鈥�

He encouraged those present with the help of God, to work to break down dividing walls and to build bridges of communion, for as St. Paul writes, 鈥淐hrist is our peace; who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility鈥� (Eph 2: 14).

Dialogue, primacy and synodality

杏MAP导航 Francis then thanked the Working Group for the recently issued study entitled 鈥淪erving Communion: Re-thinking the Relationship between Primacy and Synodality.鈥� He added that through the constructive patience of dialogue, especially with the Orthodox Churches, 鈥渨e have come to understand more fully that in the Church, primacy and synodality are not two competing principles to be kept in balance, but two realities that establish and sustain one another in the service of communion.鈥�

Therefore, 鈥渏ust as the primacy presupposes the exercise of synodality, so synodality entails the exercise of primacy鈥�, he said.

鈥楢ll鈥�, 鈥榮ome鈥� and 鈥榦ne鈥�

The 杏MAP导航 further noted that the International Theological Commission states that in the Catholic Church, synodality in its broad sense, 鈥渃an be seen as the articulation of three dimensions: all, some, and one.鈥�

In this light, 鈥渟ynodality involves the exercise of the sensus fidei of the universitas fidelium (all), the ministry of leadership of the college of Bishops, each one with his presbyterium (some), and the ministry of unity of the Bishop of Rome (one)鈥� (Synodality in the Life and Mission of the Church, 2018, No. 64).

Thus, he continued, 鈥渢he primatial ministry is an intrinsic element of the dynamic of synodality, as are also the communitarian aspect that includes the whole People of God and the collegial dimension that is part of the exercise of episcopal ministry.鈥�

The Holy Father went on to stress that a fruitful approach to the primacy in theological and ecumenical dialogues 鈥渕ust necessarily be grounded in a reflection of synodality鈥� and reiterated his idea that 鈥渋n a synodal Church, greater light can be shed on the exercise of the Petrine primacy.鈥� He also expressed confidence that the synodal process which begins in coming days in every Catholic diocese will also be an opportunity for deeper reflection on this important aspect, together with other Christians.

Concluding, 杏MAP导航 Francis offered his good wishes for the group鈥檚 working session at the Institute of Ecumenical Studies of the Angelicum, and invoked the Lord鈥檚 blessings and the protection of Our Lady on the participants.