Reactions positive to Catholic-Orthodox statement on 'filioque'

Published: 2004-06-16

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- At a June meeting in Massachusetts members of the North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation reported generally positive reactions to their agreed statement last fall on the "filioque" ("and the Son") clause in the Nicene Creed. The group took up the next stage of its dialogue, a reflection on issues of primacy and the understanding of the role of synods and councils in their churches. The consultation, an official dialogue of the U.S. and Canadian Orthodox and Catholic churches, met June 1-3 at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Mass., according to a June 15 news release from the communications office of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Co-chairing the meeting were Catholic Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk of Cincinnati and Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Maximos of Pittsburgh. Last October the consultation completed a four-year study of the centuries-old "filioque" controversy with a 10,000-word agreed statement, "The 'Filioque': A Church-Dividing Issue?" The statement called on the churches to adopt "uniform practice" when reciting the Nicene Creed in the liturgy or using it for catechetics.

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