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  • The Dialogues of the Catholic Church with the Separated Eastern Churches
  • Ronald G. Roberson, C.S.P.

This article will survey the dialogues between the Catholic Church and the separated churches of the East that have developed since the Second Vatican Council. The foundation of these new relationships was provided in the section of the Decree on Ecumenism (Unitatis Redintegratio) that referred to “The Special Position of the Eastern Churches” (ns. 14–18). It affirms the legitimate diversity represented by the eastern Christian traditions, and specifically recognizes the sacraments of these churches, including the Eucharist and holy orders. Because of this, these churches “are still joined to us in closest intimacy” (n. 15). It goes on to recognize the power of these churches to govern themselves according to their own disciplines and calls for church-wide efforts to promote unity in a gradual way. The work of theological dialogues since the council have shown that the most difficult issues that prevent the restoration of full communion lie in the area of ecclesiology, especially regarding the role of the Bishop of Rome in the Church.

These churches today compose three distinct communions: the Assyrian Church of the East, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, and the Eastern Orthodox Church, which is often referred to simply as the Orthodox Church. Since Vatican II, theological dialogues have been established between the Catholic Church and each of these three communions.

I. The Assyrian Church of the East

The Assyrian Church of the East1 is the ancient church of the East Syriac tradition. Until relatively recent times it was known simply as the Church of the East. It traces its origins to ancient Mesopotamia, where a Christian community was present at least since the mid-second century. It flourished for centuries as a minority within the [End Page 135] Persian Empire, and has an astonishing history of missionary activity deep into central Asia and beyond. In modern times evidence of Christian communities linked to the Church of the East have been found in lands as far-flung as China, Tibet, Mongolia, India, Japan, Korea, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.2 But these outlying communities disappeared by the fifteenth century due to a breakdown of communication with the Mesopotamian homeland caused by the destruction of the church in Central Asia during the invasions of Tamerlane. Soon the church was reduced to a small community of ethnic Assyrians in what is now eastern Turkey. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries several unions with Rome led to the creation of the Chaldean Catholic Church which is now at least as large as the Church of the East. As a result of the massacres of Christians that took place in the Ottoman Empire during World War I, the Assyrian community fled south into Iraq. The largest concentration of Assyrians is still found in that country, where the community faces a very difficult if not catastrophic situation. Many have left in recent years for other parts of the world, and the Patriarch (currently Mar Dinkha IV) resides in Chicago.

The Church of the East accepted only the first two ecumenical councils and not the third (the first council of Ephesus in 431), which condemned Nestorian Christology. Consequently the Church of the East has often been referred to as “Nestorian” by other Christians. But it should be kept in mind that Nestorius himself was never a member of this church and that his name is not mentioned in the church’s synodical acts in the fifth or sixth centuries. In fact, the Church of the East today, even if it considers Nestorius to be an honored teacher, rejects the title “Nestorian” because of its negative connotations.3 It has always adhered to a strict but orthodox version of Antiochian Christology; Theodore of Mopsuestia is held in particular esteem.4 The Church of the East considered itself to be part of the wider Church, but because of the political situation it could not participate in councils held within the Roman Empire. Indeed, it was isolated from the rest of the Christian world during most of its history.

Ecumenical relations between the Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East took a decisive step...

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