Orthodox Chrisitian Unity

 Unlike the Roman Catholics, there is no one person in control of the Eastern Orthodox Church. We do church councils, but they do not come all that often. The one in 2016 got called off because the Russians had a nit to pick. For the most part, I like the looseness of the Church's unity. The thing is The world is shifting and some action is needed.

For anyone Orthodox reading this, I recommend the following; if you are just curious, they might whet your interest.

Metropolitan Isaiah Speaks Candidly About Orthodox Christian Unity

Before anyone here develops any negative feelings as to the purpose of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in America with what I am saying, I rest my feelings on the presence of the Holy Spirit Who our Lord Jesus Christ states, that He, the Holy Spirit, will be with the Church after His Ascension, reminding the Apostles and their descendants of everything our Lord said and did, and Who will be with His Church even to the glorious day He returns to gather His people for His eternal Kingdom. On the basis of the words of the Lord, I do believe that our canonical jurisdictions will begin to blend together in Orthodox programs, including retreats by different age groups, as well as recognizing each other as spiritual members of the One Holy Body of Christ, consisting of all of us as members of the One divine family.

A Unique Opportunity for Lost Unity 

The passing and particularly the Funeral Service of the late Archbishop Anastasios of Albania offers a unique opportunity to begin a new chapter in the restoration of the unity of the divided Orthodox Church in the world.

Let me address the issue: Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was the first to express his intention to travel to Albania for Anastasios’ funeral service—a decision both correct and commendable. In the face of the enigma and universal reality of death, everything else must take a secondary position, or relationships and stances must be reassessed.

I am aware of the tension that had arisen in recent years between these two esteemed Orthodox Church leaders, Bartholomew and Anastasios, due to the “peculiar” issue of granting autocephaly to a specific faction of Ukrainians. This move, instead of resolving the ecclesiastical issue in Ukraine, turned it from “settled” to “unsettled chaos.”

For those who are curious about Eastern Orthodox Christianity, I suggest checking out the Orthodox Christian Laity site itself.

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