FOR THE RECORD

Eastern Catholics need representation in ongoing Orthodox-Catholic dialogues

The Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church on July 10 began a 10-day meeting at a Latin-rite Catholic seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., hosted by Cardinal William Keeler, archbishop of Baltimore. The commission, which was established in 1979 by Pope John Paul II and Ecumenical Patriarch Demetrius I after the pope's visit to Constantinople, is an advisory body whose mandate is to discuss issues of theology that separate the Orthodox and Catholic Churches.

Nonetheless, delegates from the Orthodox Churches have often used this forum to bring up non-theological issues, such as their complaints about the continued support by Rome of Byzantine-rite (Eastern) Catholic Churches, in particular the Ukrainian Catholic Church, the largest of the Byzantine-rite Churches. In the past six months, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, as well as the Rev. Waclaw Hryniewicz, a professor at Catholic University of Lublin in Poland, and a member of the commission, have made disparaging remarks in public about the Ukrainian Catholic Church.

Prior to the beginning of the commission meeting, Bishop Basil Losten of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Stamford, who is chairman of the Synodal Ecumencial Commision, sent the letter below to Cardinal Edward Cassidy, head of the Rome-based Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

His Eminence
Edward Idris Cardinal Cassidy
Pontifical Council
for Promoting Christian Unity
Via del'Erba
Rome, Italy

Your Eminence:

It has come to my attention that the forthcoming meeting in Emmitsburg, Md., of the Joint International Commission for the Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church is planned for yet another discussion "Uniatism" (whatever that may be) or, to be more precise, the significance and the destiny of the Eastern (Byzantine) Catholic Churches. Several of our bishops have expressed their dismay at this project, and have asked me, since I have the honor to serve the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, to offer these concerns to Your Eminence.

There is, of course, the issue of representation. The Eastern Catholic Churches are not "experimental" or "provisional" communities; these are sui iuris Churches, fully recognized by the universal Catholic Church, with the firm canonical base of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches promulgated by Pope John Paul II. The Second Vatican Council clearly recognizes that the Eastern Catholic sui iuris Churches have the right to govern themselves, which would clearly demand that these Eastern Catholic sui iuris Churches have the right to speak for themselves. Since no member of the Joint International Commission for the Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox Churches and the Catholic Church has been commissioned for this purpose by any Eastern Catholic Synod or Council of Hierarchs, no such person may speak on behalf of the Eastern Catholic sui iuris Churches. Such a situation is not conducive to a peaceful reception of the dialogue process.

A recent interview with the Rev. Waclaw Hryniewicz of the Catholic University of Lublin, who is described as a member of the "Polish delegation" to the Emmitsburg meeting, has aroused further concerns. Leaving outside the question of how such a "Polish delegation" can even be said to exist, in the absence of any delegations from any of the Eastern Catholic sui iuris Churches, the views expressed by the Rev. Hryniewicz, both in this recent interview and in his book of essays about the Eastern Catholics, are such as to cause serious doubt as to the suitability of the Rev. Hryniewicz in any discussion which would involve the position of the Eastern Catholic Churches. It might be better if the inclusion of the Rev. Hryniewicz on the Catholic membership of the commission were to be considered in the light of his published views.

Moreover, if the Eastern Orthodox Churches have concerns about the Eastern Catholic Churches, nothing prevents the Eastern Orthodox Churches from raising their concerns with the Eastern Catholic Churches directly. There are such contacts in many places, and one would certainly welcome an increase in these contacts, particularly with the goal of establishing good working cooperation on the principle that whatever can be done together should not be done separately. However, if recent statements of certain Orthodox authorities are an indication, there is reason to believe that in fact the Orthodox do not wish to achieve any integration of the Eastern Catholics within Eastern Orthodoxy; their aim in this regard is that the Eastern Catholics should become Latins.

Unless I am quite mistaken, the Joint International Commission for the Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church is intended to be, as its name implies, a forum for the discussion and resolution of theological issues which must be addressed for the healing of the schism. With that in mind, I may perhaps be permitted to suggest that instead of conducting yet another discussion of "Uniatism" (which is not a theological issue, which cannot even be defined adequately and which is apt to provoke emotional responses to no purpose), it would be far more profitable and edifying to the Church to embark upon a serious discussion of the points raised by the Holy Father in the landmark Encyclical Ut unum sint. Such an agenda would give considerable hope for authentic fruits from this long-postponed meeting.

Asking Your Eminence's prayers at the holy places of the Eternal City for the clergy and faithful committed to my care, and assuring Your Eminence of a constant prayerful remembrance throughout the Stamford Diocese, I offer my hope that the Orthodox-Catholic theological dialogue may assume on a theological agenda and remain, as ever.

Sincerely in the Risen Lord,

Basil H. Losten
Bishop of Stamford

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, July 16, 2000, No. 29, Vol. LXVIII

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