The Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church: A Roman Catholic Appraisal

Abstract

: The article appraises from the Catholic perspective the document titled “The Relations of the Orthodox Church with the Rest of the Christian World.” It begins by giving a brief overview of the relations between the Catholic Church and the Othodox Church up to the Second Vatican Council (1962–65) as the immediate context to evaluate the HGC’s document on ecumenism. Next, it analyzes and evaluates the most salient points of the document. Finally, it offers an appraisal of the document from the Catholic perspectives and concludes by pointing out some issues that require urgent attention from both the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church.