Catholic-Orthodox statement urges 'uniform practice' on Nicene Creed

Published: 2003-10-29

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- In an effort to overcome centuries of division, the North American Orthodox-Catholic Consultation has called for "uniform practice" with regard to the ancient Nicene Creed. This means Catholics would use translations only of the original text, dropping the subsequently added "filioque" ("and the Son") clause, when reciting the Creed at Mass or using it for catechetics. The dialogue group also called on each side not to describe the other as heretical and said a 13th-century Western council condemnation aimed at the Orthodox should be declared "no longer applicable." It urged new joint study and in-depth Catholic-Orthodox dialogue "on the theology of the Holy Spirit, based on the Scriptures and on the whole tradition of Christian theology." It said this study and dialogue should "distinguish, as far as possible, the theological issues of the origin of the Holy Spirit from the ecclesiological issues of primacy and doctrinal authority in the church."

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