Get him a Form 100!
Fulfilling Christ’s mandate ... “That all may be one”.
PRAISE GOD!!!
These are astonishing developments, and somehow I feel that Pope Benedict has accomplished them by getting professional ecumenists out of the way.
As the saying goes, "where there's smoke, there's fire". The reunification could come as quickly and be as transformative as the fall of the Soviet satellites back in 1989...The path of least resistance is no longer to oppose Rome, but to join her.
Rejoice!!
**He affirmed that he will “not spare any efforts” to work for the quick restoration of “communion between Catholics and Orthodox.”**
Encouraging!
This is so exciting!
It’s amazing how The Lord is working to bring us all together!
Interesting. The picture is not of +Tichon nor is he the “head” of the “...diocese for Central and Western Europe of the Patriarchate of Bulgaria”. Met. Simeon is.
Maybe Rome ought to just simmer down a bit before there is a real, worldwide Orthodox backlash against it.
That quote say's alot for Christian Unity in this age of Islamic Ascendancy.
Bishop Tichon said that "the theological dialogue that is going forward in these days in Cyprus is certainly important, but we should not be afraid to say that we must find as soon as possible the way to celebrate together."
Seems quite a note of urgency there.
This is the fall of the Berlin Wall 20 years later,
but in a seemingly opposite context, which is actually not at all opposite - and is rather similar in that
both situations demonstrate that while free access to truth and beauty can be suppressed, the yearning for it can not be.
And I want to clarify right away that ALL MEN have been denied this free access
because we have all suffered during these schisms
and these schisms are due to the imperfections of fallible MEN whose prudential judgments were fallible in trying to conduct geo-politics and church affairs.
While Peter’s Successors have never pronounced fallible doctrine, over the many centuries they and their counterparts in the various schismatic groups have all played imperfect games of chess when it comes to healing the schisms.
And while all MEN have likely yearned over these many centuries that “we may be one”, we have been denied that outward reality even if we have felt a very real warmth of hearts across the chasm of schism. In that way, it seems to me quite similar to the solidarity that some of us may have felt with the people in the Soviet republics during the Cold War, despite the failure of our leaders to end the nonsense that caused it.
Bishop of Tiveriopol Tikhon on fraternal relations... (Vatican Radio)
Here's Google translation in spots corrected by me.
Bishop of Tiveriopol Tikhon of fraternal relations with Catholics and pastoral care for Orthodox Bulgarians in Western and Central Europe
16 to 21 October in Rome held VIII diocesan council of The Central and Western Dioceses of Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Council of the Bulgarian Orthodox believers in the European diaspora took place in the church of St. Anastasia and Vikentiy "for the use of a Bulgarian Orthodox community in Rome by Pope John Paul II. In the council participated Bulgarian priests and laity from different European countries like Netherlands, England, Hungary, Spain, Portugal. It was chaired by Bishop Tikhon Tiveropolskiya, Managing The Central and Western Dioceses of Bulgarian Orthodox Church. It was also attended as observers of the diocesan council by representatives of the Vatican State Secretariat, vicar of Rome, Pontifical Council for East and Red Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity on the last day of the diocesan council VIII, participants attended a general audience with Pope Benedict XVI, who after a brief cetechetical talk greeted them in Bulgarian language. More about the council and held talks with the Holy Father, before the microphones of Radio Vatican says managing Western and Central European province of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Bishop Tikhon.
Your high Grace, would you tell us a little more about the VIII council of the Bulgarian Orthodox believers in Western and Central Europe that took place in Rome?
The catholicity (sabornost) of the Church is something that always interested the Bulgarian people. In no [other] Orthodox country the archbishops or bishops, as you call them in the Catholic Church, in a diocese or patriarchate are chosen by both the clergy and the people. In other Orthodox countries they are elected only by the Bishops' colleges, whereas with us also the people participate. In this line and at the request of West and Central and Metropolitan Simeon some time ago the people diocesan church council was created, which consists of all parish priests and two delegates from each parish. Then it was decided that council to the electoral council and future bishops of Western and Central European diocese. Moreover, the council shall renew their mandates and delegates every two years. This was the reason for conducting VIII diocesan council in the church of St. Vikentiy and Anastasius in Rome, which was given to the Bulgarian Orthodox community of the late John Paul II.Who were the participants in the council?
In the assembly was attended by all our parish priests from across Europe, ranging from Portugal and Spain, and go north to Stockholm and Oslo and the west to London, Budapest and Zagreb. Involving all parishes of Europe, which is about 27. Each parish had its 2 delegate laymen. The council also comprises the diocesan council which is elected by this council. This means that I manage the diocese not singly but with the councel, which involves two priests and two laymen, who advise me on all issues and all administrative matters.Why was the city of Rome chosen as a place for holding the council?
We wanted it to be the city of Rome, because the time is ripe for our close relationship with the Catholic Church to gain a little more color. In the sense that our mission here in Western Europe without the help of the Catholic Church, given us now and hopefully in the future, would have been absolutely impossible. I must admit that such a brotherly relationship that I have received from bishops, archbishops and cardinals I rarely receive from some of my brothers in Bulgaria. I think that brotherly love had to be shown and the other delegates and priests, because our mission is not only that to be better Orthodox Christians or that we Bulgarians to be true Christians in the west, but also to realize that in fact we all in a church that is separated by men, but obviously not by God.In the context of fraternal relations and dialogue with Catholic Church, a delegation from the council attended the general audience with Pope Benedict XVI on 21 October of which were specially greeted the Bulgarian language and through you the greetings were sent to Patriarch Maxim. At the end of the audience held a brief conversation with the Pope, if not a secret, would you have shared the words that you said the Holy Father?
Words I will not quote, ultimately they were something like a conversation between two bishops, even more, a spiritual conversation between a son and a spiritual father. First, I thanked His Holiness, that we received at this general audience and as we have seen given to the most honorable places. The chair, whereupon I sat, in the past at other major celebrations was the chair of the Patriarch of Constantinople. What I said is that I pray for his blessing and his prayers for my fight and my decision to do absolutely everything for the unification of our churches in Europe which was the idea of John Paul II: Christianity to breathe with both its lungs. I do not like to talk about the discussions because they are for people who are specialists, while I'm a practical man and we want to know each other, to learn to love each other, to be able to extend a helping hand without being afraid what might happen with one thing or another. To this hand extended by the Catholic Church want to respond with my love for her.Currently in Paphos a meeting of the Joint Group on International Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, which is to examine the role of the bishop of Rome in the first millennium. How do you think this meeting will conclude?
These meetings are of church politics and theology and church canons. I am a pastor and am responsible for my Christian flock, when most of them are married to Catholics. I am interested what will the future of their children and their grandchildren be, this is my true concern. I will obey any decision they take, but my behavior to my fraternal Catholic church will not change despite anything.Pale Chalakova
Note that Bp. Tikhon is the pastor of Bulgarian diaspora in Europe and speaks for the flock that is in practice unified with the Catholics already.
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Obama Says A Baby Is A Punishment
Obama: “If they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby.”
I...I’ve GOT it! He’s Father Benedict Groeschel in a mitra!
No?