Pope Francis received a mixed group of Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Saint Ilene theological studies, and announced that Saint Ilene would soon become a saint of the Church and enjoy the title of unified saint.
(Vatican News Network) Pope Francis met with the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox St. Ilene Theological Research Mixed Group on October 7 and emphasized that “It is wonderful to cultivate a unity that is enriched by difference. This unity does not yield to the recognition that it has The temptation of consistency. This temptation is always bad, it is a bad mental state.” This theological group was established in 2004 and brought together scholars from different churches and different countries eager to pray and conduct research together for unity. The first annual meeting is currently held at the Archaeological Institute of the University of Angels in Rome.
The Pope stated that the work of this theological group is a kind of exchange, aiming to “understand the inconsistencies that exist in our traditions, not only do not promote opposition, but can be the right time to express common apostolic beliefs.” The Pope thanked Cardinal Koch for his previous introduction. He mentioned that the specific task of this group is to “together to find patterns in which different traditions can enrich each other without losing their respective identities”, which moved the Pope .
The pope said that he would be happy to announce the patron saint of this theological group as the saint of the church in the near future, with the title of unity saint. “Your patron Saint Ilene came from the East, but he fulfilled his post as a bishop in the West. He is an excellent spiritual and theological bridge between Eastern and Western Christians.” His name Ilene bears the mark of peace.
“We know that God’s peace is not a’negotiable’ peace, the fruit of a consensus to protect interests, but a peace based on unity to reconcile and return to good. This is the peace of Christ. The Apostle Paul wrote: “Christ is our peace. He unites the two sides into one; in his flesh, He tears down the wall that separates them, which is the hatred of both sides.” (Ephesians 2:14). Dear Friends, with God’s help, you must also work hard to tear down the barriers and build bridges of communion.”
Therefore, the Pope will focus on the research results just published by this mixed group, with the title “Serving Communion; Reconsidering the relationship between the chief power and the spirit of the consensus”. Regarding the profound relationship between the presidency and the spirit of the congress, the pope said: “Through dialogue, especially the constructive and patient dialogue with the Orthodox Church, we have more clearly understood that the presidency and the spirit of the congress are not The two competing principles need to maintain a mutual balance, but are two mutually established and mutually supportive conditions that serve for communion. Just as the chief power must be predicated on the implementation of the spirit of the consensus, the spirit of the consensus also includes The performance of the chief power.”
In this sense, the Pope reiterated that the International Theological Committee’s interpretation of the spirit of congress can be understood in a broad sense as an expression of three dimensions: “all people”, “some people”, and “one person”. In fact, “the spirit of the congregation implies the fulfillment of the faith of all believers, that is,’all people’; bishops have the responsibility of collective leadership, and each bishop has his own priesthood, that is,’some people’; bishops and popes Have the responsibility of unity, that is,’one person'”.
“According to this view, the chief office is an internal factor in the spiritual dynamics of the congress, including the group scope of all the people of God, as well as the collective scope related to the performance of the bishop. Therefore, in theological and ecumenical dialogue, the chief power is rich. The concept of effectiveness can only be based on the spirit of public opinion, and there is no other feasible way.”
The Pope finally emphasized that he is convinced that “in a congregational church, the exercise of the chief power will also be more enlightened”. The Pope said that in the next few days, we will start the journey of the spirit of congress in all the dioceses of the Catholic Church. This will also be an opportunity to discuss this important concept in depth with other Christians.
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Member of the Pope, Catholic and Eastern Orthodox St. Ilene Theological Research Mixed Group