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Thread: what is unity?
Rev Fr Athanasios Haros
#7
Here are two quotes from Fr Thomas FitzGerald, Dean of Holy Cross and Executive Secretary and Member of the North American Orthodox-Roman Catholic dialogue. These are from an article entitled, “The Future of Orthodox-Catholic Relations: Some Orthodox Perspectives”
http://www.lmu.edu/PageFactory.aspx?PageID=29620#_edn2
\"We know that this healing process is not easy. Yet, we are also confident that the movement towards full communion in faith and sacrament and witness is an expression in our day of the Gospel message of reconciliation and an echo of the prayer of the Lord that ‘all may be one so that the world may believe’ (John 17:20). As the North American Theological Consultation has said: “ In communion with the Lord, we are called to proclaim in word and deed, here and now, the divine love, which heals, reconciles, and saves. As the Apostle Paul says: \"All this is from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:18).\"
\"The ultimate goal of dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church is restoration of full communion. We recognize that this is a gradual process. Just as our alienation took place over the course of time, so also our reconciliation, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, is taking place gradually. In order to be faithful to Our Lord, this process must be rooted in the Gospel and nurtured by prayer for unity. It must be fostered by theological dialogue, and expressed in acts of love and mutual forgiveness. As members of “sister Churches” which are responsible for upholding the apostolic faith, we cannot seek the victory of one tradition over another. Rather, we seek the victory of Christ over our divisions, for the sake of the salvation of all. To him be glory together with his eternal Father and his all-holy, good, and life- giving Spirit, now and forever and unto ages of ages. Amen. \"
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