Comments on: 2013: Date of East-West “ecumenical” council?

By: Zeebedee

Zeebedee — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 00:36:43 +0000

You say: “My best “guess” as to the warming of relations is that in the former Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact, many of the Orthodox patriarchs were hand-picked because of their loyalties to the state or because they were Communist agents themselves.”

Serbia was NEVER part of Warsaw Pact or Soviet Union, so Your theory is not true.

By: TeaPot562

TeaPot562 — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:06:01 +0000

The Old Testament, at the end of the exile, describes God working through a pagan Persian – Cyrus the Great. Perhaps we could be aware of a parallel in the current times. The Holy Spirit is capable of working through human beings, even those unaware of the Spirit. Praise God!
TeaPot562

By: bt

bt — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 01:47:31 +0000

It would be wonderful if the schism were healed in our lifetime!

By: Seraphim

Seraphim — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 01:12:16 +0000

Praise be to God!

By: Tito Edwards

Tito Edwards — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:10:40 +0000

My best “guess” as to the warming of relations is that in the former Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact, many of the Orthodox patriarchs were hand-picked because of their loyalties to the state or because they were Communist agents themselves.

So when the Iron Curtain fell, many, if not most, of these patriarchs were in a completely political realm that they never envisioned happening.

So as each one passed away, a more “engaging” patriarch would be appointed to deal with the new political realities such as Patriarch Irinej of the Serbian Orthodox Church and Patriarch Kiril of the Russian Orthodox Church.

They recognize maybe that after a 1000 years it may be time to explore the possibility of re-unification. Especially now that secularism seems to have taken hold over most of the West in the same way communism had a hold on eastern Europe.

But that’s my two cents worth.