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In one sense, we are "already" one Church, just as we are "one" with the Protestant communities. The Church says that we are imperfectly united with such communities as the protestants who share in some of our beliefs, read our Scriptures, and in some cases, partake in our practices. Regarding the Orthodox, we share that much more because we are both Apostolic, and we can also call each other "Church" because we have the Eucharist. But in another sense, we are NOT one, because the Orthodox are NOT in union with the keeper of the Keys, the man given authority over the sheep in the absence of Christ. In the Gospels, Christ tells of several parables that talk about the servant who is left to watch, who will be held accountable, to watch while the Master is away. Christ gave this authority to all the Apostles, and to Peter in a special way. By leaving the Church founded by Christ, founded on the Rock, we cannot be one in the Catholic sense of the word.

I personally don't know enough of the situation regarding the "Uniate" churches. All I can say is that man should have freedom of religion, to choose his faith in coming to God. If a Russian wants to be Catholic, why is he persecuted? He cannot of good faith even receive the Body of Christ, for heavens sake! I see the Orthodox bullying the Catholic "Uniate" Churches into being disbanded so there is a monopoly of belief. If man is to have freedom of religion, doesn't it make sense that they be allowed to co-exist? If there is a reunification, then we can talk about tearing down redundant churches. But until then, they are serving the people who desire to be Catholic and not Orthodox. How would the Orthodox react if the Catholic Church was the state Church in the US and began to complain about the Orthodox Churches being built here?

If Rome had intervened early and absolutly in the clergy abuse scandal thousands of Catholic faithful wouldn't be leaving the church or just not going. That scandal has done the most to weaken the Catholic faith since Catholicism came to America.

Those of weak faith have certainly been scandalized. But those who believe that the Catholic Church was established by Christ and that there would be weeds among the wheat in the Church did not lose their faith. We were disappointed, but our faith is based on the historical claim made by the Apostles, not having to be reaffirmed every year by the holiness of the priests. That heresy (Donatism) was refuted 1500 years ago by St. Augustine and others.

Should the Vatican have responded more quickly? The question I ask you is why do you complain about the Vatican's supposed micromanaging, but when some heresy or moral problem surfaces, and you desire a quick response? Why the hypocrisy? This is the typical response from someone who has the attitude that "I don't need the Papacy", until there is a heresy... Look to our history, brother. Apparently, the Vatican expected the American bishops to take care of the problem. Who could have known that the Bishops were a major cause of the problem? Don't blame the Vatican, blame the American Bishops who see their office as a business manager rather than a guardian and protector of the faith.

The Orthodox DO NOT want unification they really don't give a hoot one way or the other.

If that is really true, then the Orthodox are not concerned with Christ's desire that we be one. The Catholic Church is reaching out. It must be admitted that the Schism was the result of BOTH sides. Thus, admitting this, BOTH sides should be holding out the hand of forgiveness and accepting forgiveness. Recall the Lord's Prayer - forgive us our trespasses AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US. How many times does Jesus tell Peter to forgive? Again, if Orthodoxy claims to be following Christ, they need to consider that Christians are called to forgive those who ask for it, not to continue to hold 1000 year grudges.

Regards

In one sense, we are "already" one Church, just as we are "one" with the Protestant communities.

I don't believe we are one with protestant communities. You can't believe you're right and the people believe you are wrong are also right. There is one true faith, and the protestants rebel against that.

The Church says that we are imperfectly united with such communities as the protestants who share in some of our beliefs, read our Scriptures, and in some cases, partake in our practices.

Having someone who regularly commits an abominable sin (a homosexual) bless the 'Eucharist' is sacrilegious. It is certainly not sharing the beliefs of the true church. The protestant Churches rebel against the true faith and preach false doctrines.

Regarding the Orthodox, we share that much more because we are both Apostolic, and we can also call each other "Church" because we have the Eucharist. But in another sense, we are NOT one, because the Orthodox are NOT in union with the keeper of the Keys, the man given authority over the sheep in the absence of Christ.

The man you speak of is a heretical belief of the Catholic church against the definition of primacy in the councils.

In the Gospels, Christ tells of several parables that talk about the servant who is left to watch, who will be held accountable, to watch while the Master is away. Christ gave this authority to all the Apostles, and to Peter in a special way. By leaving the Church founded by Christ, founded on the Rock, we cannot be one in the Catholic sense of the word.

The pope has not been of the line of Peter for QUITE some time.

I personally don't know enough of the situation regarding the "Uniate" churches. All I can say is that man should have freedom of religion, to choose his faith in coming to God. If a Russian wants to be Catholic, why is he persecuted?

That's the thing he DOESN'T want to be Catholic. The uniate church sets up churches in Orthodox areas and puts pressure on all to join. They fight the Orthodox legally distributing lands, distributing their license to have a church, and the try spiritually to call Orthodox clergy away from the Orthodox church and into the Uniate church, and they try politically trying to ban the Moscow Patriarchate, and promising the Uniate church will be more powerful because it will be in communion with Rome. It is an intentional escalation of conflict. The Catholic church does not care that these people already have a church and already believe the apostolic faith, they care that their money is going to Russia and not the Vatican, and they care they have not confessed the heretical Pope as the head of the church instead of Christ.

He cannot of good faith even receive the Body of Christ, for heavens sake! I see the Orthodox bullying the Catholic "Uniate" Churches into being disbanded so there is a monopoly of belief. If man is to have freedom of religion, doesn't it make sense that they be allowed to co-exist? If there is a reunification, then we can talk about tearing down redundant churches. But until then, they are serving the people who desire to be Catholic and not Orthodox. How would the Orthodox react if the Catholic Church was the state Church in the US and began to complain about the Orthodox Churches being built here?

There is no where that the orthodox are standing outside Catholic churches seducing and threatening Catholic faithful into their church by dressing their clergy up as Latin Rite clergy and performing a psudo-latin Rite. The reverse is what the Uniate church has been doing for years.

Those of weak faith have certainly been scandalized. But those who believe that the Catholic Church was established by Christ and that there would be weeds among the wheat in the Church did not lose their faith. We were disappointed, but our faith is based on the historical claim made by the Apostles, not having to be reaffirmed every year by the holiness of the priests. That heresy (Donatism) was refuted 1500 years ago by St. Augustine and others.

You completely overlook the most practical matter. Parents of a molested child, and parents who see a child in their parish was molested by a priest do not give a hoot what the man in Rome says he believes in the care about the fact the faith is absent from the parish they trusted. And they mortally fear any other parish may also be secretly allowing this behavior. They then have 4 options. Remain catholic in their homes with no parish, turn to orthodoxy, turn to protestantism, or turn to atheism.

Should the Vatican have responded more quickly? The question I ask you is why do you complain about the Vatican's supposed micromanaging, but when some heresy or moral problem surfaces, and you desire a quick response? Why the hypocrisy?

I have YET to criticize micromanaging! I have in fact asked why the Roman church REFUSES TO MICROMANAGE AND DE-ESCALATE IN THE UNIATE SITUATION EVEN AFTER REPEATED PROMISES FROM THE POPE.

This is the typical response from someone who has the attitude that "I don't need the Papacy", until there is a heresy... Look to our history, brother. Apparently, the Vatican expected the American bishops to take care of the problem. Who could have known that the Bishops were a major cause of the problem? Don't blame the Vatican, blame the American Bishops who see their office as a business manager rather than a guardian and protector of the faith.

You are equating any exercise of patriarchal power with primacy which is ridiculous. The ability to act within a patriarch's own jurisdiction is not the ability to rule the church. The uniate church answers to the patriarch of Rome. It is not only Rome's ability to intervene it is it's responsibility to do so.

The Orthodox DO NOT want unification they really don't give a hoot one way or the other.

If that is really true, then the Orthodox are not concerned with Christ's desire that we be one. The Catholic Church is reaching out. It must be admitted that the Schism was the result of BOTH sides. Thus, admitting this, BOTH sides should be holding out the hand of forgiveness and accepting forgiveness. Recall the Lord's Prayer - forgive us our trespasses AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US. How many times does Jesus tell Peter to forgive? Again, if Orthodoxy claims to be following Christ, they need to consider that Christians are called to forgive those who ask for it, not to continue to hold 1000 year grudges.

This is not about forgiveness this is about continuing and capitulating to heresy or standing strong against it. It is a protestant notion that all churches should be united on the basis of a simple belief Christ existed. By contrast the Catholic church believes churches should be united *under strict catholic doctrine*. The Catholic church will not rest until the Orthodox churches confess a man, elected by men, is on the same level as Christ. The Orthodox church will never accept that.