A Service of Love

Praise, Title Page, Copyright

“In a convincing and documented way, rooted in a mature eucharistic ecclesiology, Paul McPartlan shows in these pages not only the need for a ministry of unity at the universal level in the life of the Church, but also the reality of such a ministry in the divine plan of salvific communion. This beautiful text is both a fruit of Catholic-Orthodox ecumenical dialogue and a clear sign of hope for the future of that dialogue.” Most Rev. Bruno Forte, archbishop of Chieti-Vasto* “Clear and well documented, this excellent study provides a highly constructive approach to papal primacy. Pope John Paul II insisted that, when discussing the ministry of the Bishop of Rome in the universal Church, we need to be ‘open to a new situation.’ Fr. Paul’s book enables us to do precisely that. It will be of great help in the ongoing discussions of the international commission for Catholic-Orthodox dialogue.” Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia* “As a theologian and an expert in ecumenical dialogue with the Orthodox Church, Paul McPartlan is striving to explore paths of convergence on the very challenging issue of papal primacy. In this study, the historical approach and the theological systematic reflection nurture each other. For Catholics, papal primacy, as defined in both Vatican councils, is the stable guarantee of the unity of the Church. One cannot but wish that this book may bring both Churches closer thanks to that ‘service of love’ as propounded by Prof. McPartlan.” Most Rev. Roland Minnerath, archbishop of Dijon* *Member of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church “Paul McPartlan restores the eucharistic perspective to its rightful place in discussion of the relationship between conciliarity and primacy. He convincingly proposes to the Orthodox a papal primacy that is not devoid of content, while arguing that Catholics should retrieve a more conciliar and communal form of Petrine ministry—a ministry of unity, charity and peace, rooted in the Eucharist. Profound and yet succinct, academic yet accessible, McPartlan’s book is indispensable for any discussion of the structural implications of eucharistic ecclesiology.” Rev. Dr. Radu Bordeianu, Duquesne University; president, Orthodox Theological Society of America “Paul McPartlan’s book presents the enduring Petrine ministry in a new light, as a ministry grounded in the Eucharist. This is a fresh approach that generates hope for healing the wounds of disunity in the body of Christ. An insightful book with far-reaching practical implications.” Ladislas Orsy, SJ, professor of law, Georgetown University Paul McPartlan The Catholic University of America Press Washington, D.C. Papal Primacy, the Eucharist, and Church Unity Copyright  2013 The Catholic University of America Press All rights reserved ISBN: 978-0-8132-2135-9 The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standards for Information Science—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984. ∞ Cataloging-in-Publication Data available from the Library of Congress ...