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A Controversial Proposal: Uniting East and West

Ben

Unity between the Western, Eastern, and Oriental Orthodox Churches is an important topic.  I love the idea of being united with brothers and sisters throughout the world in one profession of faith and celebrating the Eucharist together.  Such unity should never require giving up authentic traditions, various rites and liturgies.  I read countless Orthodox theologians who recognize the primacy of the pope as first among equals.  The Bishop of Rome has an important role in undivided Christianity and will have a role in a united Christianity that is to come.  The necessary step for the East to accept the Bishop of Rome is a renunciation of certain errors including universal jurisdiction and infallibility.


I want to lay out a controversial proposal which will be accepted by no one.  I am using it as a thought experiment as a hypothetical way to move forward.  Imagine the people of God in Rome freely elect as their bishop an Old Catholic bishop rooted in the ancient tradition.  Notice what I already did.  The People of God who are faithful to the ancient Christian tradition living in Rome elect their own bishop.  This fulfils the ancient traditions and assures that no one rules over others who is not elected by others.  This bishop is rooted in the beliefs and practices of the ancient church.  This bishop elect is Old Catholic in that he does not subscribe to beliefs that the Orthodox find heretical.  Would the Orthodox recognize such a bishop as first among equals?  This would certainly not solve the issues of reconciling Roman Catholicism with Orthodoxy.  In fact, it would likely aggravate further attempts to reunion.  It would however provide the Orthodox with someone they might recognize and accept in communion as a Bishop of Rome.


A critic will point out that essentially Orthodoxy gave up nothing but essentially gained a Western “rite” of sorts.  Moreover, what role would such a Bishop of Rome play when it would be divorced from the Roman Catholic Church?  I know many disagree but I am extremely supportive of Western Orthodoxy.  For years I was friends with a now deceased Western Orthodox priest and saw his love of the ancient undivided church without the arrogance of papal infallibility and universal jurisdiction.


I want a Western Church that is more pastoral, spiritual, and humble while remaining faithful to the tradition; these traits I see most clearly in Orthodoxy rather than Roman Catholicism.  For me, Old Catholicism is a kind of Western Orthodoxy.  It is no surprise that our Old Catholic predecessors reached out to the Orthodox so early in the break with Rome.  I see Old Catholicism as seeking a return to the ideal which East and West held in common for so long. 

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