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The Balamand Statement
The Balamand Statement Uniatism and the Present
Search for Full Communion Paper by the Joint
International Commission for the Theological Dialogue
between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox
Church The seventh plenary session of the Joint
International Commission for the Theological Dialogue
between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church took
place from 17 to 24 June 1993 at Balamand, Lebanon.
Twenty-four Catholic members of the Commission and
representatives of nine autocephalous and autonomous
Orthodox Churches discussed the problem of uniatism.
Here we present the Commission's final statement.
INTRODUCTION 1. At the request of the Orthodox Churches,
the normal progression of the theological dialogue with
the Catholic Church has been set aside so that immediate
attention might be given the question which is called "uniatism."
2. With regard to the method which has been called "uniatism,"
it was stated at Freising (June 1990) that "we reject it
as a method for the search for unity because it is
opposed to the common tradition of our Churches." 3.
Concerning the Oriental Catholic Churches, it is clear
that they, as part of the Catholic Communion, have the
right to exist and to act in answer to the spiritual
needs of their faithful. 4. The document prepared at
Ariccia by the joint coordinating committee (June 1991)
and finished at Balamand (June 1993) states what is our
method in the present search for full communion, thus
giving the reason for excluding "uniatism" as a method.
5. This document is composed of two parts: -
Ecclesiological principles and - Practical rules.
ECCLESIOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES 6. The division between the
Churches of the East and of the West has never quelled
the desire for unity wished by Christ. Rather this
situation, which is contrary to the nature of the
Church, has often been for many the occasion to become
more deeply conscious of the need to achieve this unity,
so as to be faithful to the Lord's commandment. 7. In
the course of the centuries various attempts were made
to re-establish unity. They sought to achieve this end
through different ways, at times conciliar, according to
the political, historical, theological and spiritual
situation of each period. Unfortunately, none of these
efforts succeeded in re-establishing full communion
between the Church of the West and the Church of the
East, and at times even made oppositions more acute. 8.
In the course of the last four centuries, in various
parts of the East, initiatives were taken within certain
Churches and impelled by outside elements, to restore
communion between the Church of the East and the Church
of the West. These initiatives led to the union of
certain communities with the See of Rome and brought
with them, as a consequence, the breaking of communion
with their Mother Churches of the East. This took place
not without the interference of extra-ecclesial
interests. In this way Oriental Catholic Churches came
into being. And so a situation was created which has
become a source of conflicts and of suffering, in the
first instance for the Orthodox but also for Catholics.
9. Whatever may have been the intention and the
authenticity of the desire to be faithful to the
commandment of Christ : "that all may be one" expressed
in these partial unions with the See of Rome, it must be
recognized that the reestablishment of unity between the
Church of the East and the Church of the West was not
achieved and that the division remains, embittered by
these attempts. 10. The situation thus created resulted
in fact in tensions and oppositions. Progressively, in
the decades which followed these unions, missionary
activity tended to include among its priorities the
effort to convert other Christians, individually or in
groups, so as "to bring them back" to one's own Church.
In order to legitimize this tendency, a source of
proselytism, the Catholic Church developed the
theological vision according to which she presented
herself as the only one to whom salvation was entrusted.
As a reaction, the Orthodox Church, in turn, came to
accept the same vision according to which only in her
could salvation be found. To assure the salvation of
"the separated brethren" it even happened that
Christians were re-baptized and that certain
requirements of the religious freedom of persons and of
their act of faith were forgotten. This perspective was
one to which that period showed little sensitivity. 11.
On the other hand, certain civil authorities made
attempts to bring back Oriental Catholics to the Church
of their Fathers. To achieve this end they did not
hesitate, when the occasion was given, to use
unacceptable means. 12. Because of the way in which
Catholics and Orthodox once again consider each other in
their relationship to the mystery of the Church and
discover each other once again as sister Churches, this
form of "missionary apostolate" described above, and
which has been called "uniatism," can no longer be
accepted either as a method to be followed nor as a
model of the unity our Churches are seeking. 13. In
fact, especially since the pan-Orthodox conferences (*b)
and the Second Vatican Council, the rediscovery and the
giving again of proper value to the Church as communion,
both on the part of Orthodox and of Catholics, has
radically altered perspectives and thus attitudes. On
each side it is recognized that what Christ has
entrusted to his Church--profession of apostolic faith,
participation in the same sacrament, above all the one
priesthood celebrating the one sacrifice of Christ, the
apostolic succession of bishops--cannot be considered
the exclusive property of one of our Churches. 14. It is
in this perspective that the Catholic Churches and the
Orthodox Churches recognize each other as sister
Churches, responsible together for maintaining the
Church of God in fidelity to the divine purpose, most
especially in what concerns unity. According to the
words of Pope John Paul II, the ecumenical endeavor of
the sister Churches of East and West, grounded in
dialogue and prayer, is the search for perfect and total
communion which is neither absorption nor fusion but a
meeting in truth and love (cf. Slavorum Apostoli, 27).
15. While the inviolable freedom of persons and their
obligation to follow the requirements of their
conscience remain secure, in the search for
re-establishing unit there is no question of conversion
of people from one Church to the other in order to
ensure their salvation. There is a question of achieving
together the will of Christ for his own and the design
of God for his Church by means of a common quest by the
Churches for a full accord on the content of the faith
and its implications. This effort is being carried on in
the current theological dialogue. The present document
is a necessary stage in this dialogue. 16. The Oriental
Catholic Churches who have desired to re-establish full
communion with the See of Rome and have remained
faithful to it, have the rights and obligations which
are connected with this communion. The principles
determining their attitude towards Orthodox Churches are
those which have been put into practice by the Popes who
have clarified the practical consequences flowing from
these principles in various documents published since
then. These Churches, then, should be inserted, on both
local and universal levels, into the dialogue of love,
in mutual respect and reciprocal trust found once again,
and enter into the theological dialogue, with all its
practical implications. 17. In this atmosphere, the
considerations already presented and the practical
guidelines which follow, insofar as they will be
effectively received and faithfully observed, are such
as to lead to a just and definitive solution to the
difficulties which these Oriental Catholic Churches
present to the Orthodox Church. 18. Towards this end,
Pope Paul VI affirmed in his address at the Phanar In
July 1967: "It is on the heads of the Churches, of their
hierarchy, that the obligation rests to guide the
Churches along the way that leads to finding full
communion again. They ought to do this by recognizing
and respecting each other as pastors of that part of the
flock of Christ entrusted to them, by taking care for
the cohesion and growth of the people of God, and
avoiding everything that could scatter it or cause
confusion in its ranks" (Tomos Agapis, 172). In this
spirit, Pope John Paul II and Ecumenical Patriarch
Dimitrios I together stated clearly: "We reject every
form of proselytism, every attitude which would be or
could be perceived to be a lack of respect" (7 Dec 1987)
(ec). PRACTICAL RULES 19. Mutual respect between the
Churches which find themselves in difficult situations
will increase appreciably in the measure that they will
observe the following practical rules. 20. These rules
will not resolve the problems which are worrying us
unless each of the parties concerned has a will to
pardon, based on the Gospel and, within the context of a
constant effort for renewal, accompanied by the
unceasing desire to seek the full communion which
existed for more than a thousand years between our
Churches. It is here that the dialogue of love must be
present with a continually renewed intensity and
perseverance which alone can overcome reciprocal lack of
understanding and which is the necessary climate for
deepening the theological dialogue that will permit
arriving at full communion. 21. The first step to take
is to put an end to everything that can foment division,
contempt and hatred between the Churches. For this the
authorities of the Catholic Church will assist the
Oriental Catholic Churches and their communities so that
they themselves may prepare full communion between
Catholic and Orthodox Churches. The authorities of the
Orthodox Church will act in a similar manner towards
their faithful. In this way it will be possible to take
care of the extremely complex situation that has been
created in Eastern Europe, at the same time in charity
and in justice, both as regards Catholics and Orthodox.
22. Pastoral activity in the Catholic Church, Latin as
well as Oriental, no longer aims at having the faithful
of one Church pass over to the other; that is to say, it
no longer aims at proselytizing among the Orthodox. It
aims at answering the spiritual needs of its own
faithful and it has no desire for expansion at the
expense of the Orthodox Church. Within these
perspectives, so that there will be no longer place for
mistrust and suspicion, it is necessary that there be
reciprocal exchanges of information about various
pastoral projects and that thus cooperation between
bishops and all those with responsibilities in our
Churches, can be set in motion and develop 23. The
history of the relations between the Orthodox Church and
the Oriental Catholic Churches has been marked by
persecutions and sufferings. Whatever may have been
these sufferings and their causes, they do not justify
any triumphalism; no one can glorify in them or draw an
argument from them to accuse or disparage the other
Church, God alone knows his own witnesses. Whatever may
have been the past, it must be left to the mercy of God,
and all the energies of the Churches should be directed
towards obtaining that the present and the future
conform better to the will of Christ for his own. 24. It
will also be necessary--and this on the part of both
Churches--that the bishops and all those with pastoral
responsibilities in them scrupulously respect the
religious liberty of the faithful. These, in turn, must
be able to express freely their opinion by being
consulted and by organizing themselves to this end. In
fact, religious liberty requires that, particularly in
situations of conflict, the faithful are able to express
their opinion and to decide without pressure from
outside if they wish to be in communion either with the
Orthodox Church or with the Catholic Church. Religious
freedom would be violated when, under the cover of
financial assistance, the faithful of one Church would
be attracted to the other, by promises, for example, of
education and material benefits that may be lacking in
their own Church. In this context, it will be necessary
that social assistance, as well as every form of
philanthropic activity, be organized with common
agreement so as to avoid creating new suspicions. 25.
Furthermore, the necessary respect for Christian freedom
- one of the most precious gifts received from Christ -
should not become an occasion for undertaking a pastoral
project which way also involve the faithful of other
Churches, without previous consultation with the pastors
of these Churches. Not only should every form of
pressure, of any kind whatsoever, be excluded, but
respect for consciences, motivated by an authentic
exigency of faith, is one of the principles guiding the
pastoral concern of those responsible in the two
Churches and should be the object of their common
reflection (cf. Gal 5:13). 26. That is why it is
necessary to seek and to engage in an open dialogue,
which in the first place should be between those who
have responsibilities for the Churches. Those in charge
of the communities concerned should create joint local
commissions or make effective those which already exist,
for finding solutions to concrete problems and seeing
that these solutions are applied in truth and love, in
justice and peace. If agreement cannot be reached on the
local level, the question should be brought to mixed
commissions established by higher authorities. 27.
Suspicion would disappear more easily if the two parties
were to condemn violence wherever communities of one
Church use it against communities of a sister Church. As
requested by His Holiness Pope John Paul II in his
letter of 31 May 1991 (*d), it is necessary that all
violence and every kind of pressure be absolutely
avoided in order that freedom of conscience be
respected. It is the task of those in charge of
communities to assist their faithful to deepen their
loyalty towards its traditions and to teach them to
avoid not only violence, be that physical or verbal, but
also all that could lead to contempt for other
Christians and to counter-witness, completely ignoring
the work of salvation which is reconciliation in Christ.
28. Faith in sacramental reality implies a respect for
the liturgical celebrations of the other Church. The use
of violence to occupy a place of worship contradicts
this conviction, On the contrary, this conviction
sometimes requires that the celebration of other
Churches should be made easier by putting at their
disposal, by common agreement, one's own church for
alternate celebration at different times in the same
building. Still more, the evangelical ethos requires
that statements or manifestations which are likely to
perpetuate a state of conflict and hinder the dialogue
be avoided. Does not Saint Paul exhort us to welcome one
another as Christ has welcomed us, for the glory of God
(Rom 15:7)? 29. Bishops and priests have the duty before
God to respect the authority which the Holy Spirit has
given to the bishops and priests of the other Church and
for that reason to avoid interfering in the spiritual
life of the faithful of that Church. When cooperation
becomes necessary for the good of the faithful, it is
then required that those responsible to an agreement
among themselves, establish for this mutual assistance
clear principles which are known to all, and act
subsequently with frankness, clarity, and with respect
for the sacramental discipline of the other Church. In
this context, to avoid all misunderstanding and to
develop confidence between the two Churches, it is
necessary that Catholic and Orthodox bishops of the same
territory consult with each other before establishing
pastoral Catholic projects which imply the creation of
new structures in regions which traditionally form part
of the jurisdiction of the Orthodox Church, in view to
avoid parallel pastoral activities which would risk
rapidly degenerating into rivalry and even conflicts.
30. To pave the way for future relations between the two
Churches, passing beyond the out-dated ecclesiology of
return to the Catholic Church connected with the problem
which is the object of this document, special attention
will be given to the preparation of future priests and
of all those who, in any way, are involved in an
apostolic activity carried on in a place where the other
Church traditionally has its roots. Their education
should be objectively positive with respect of the other
Church. First of all, everyone should be informed of the
apostolic succession of the other Church and the
authenticity of its sacramental life. One should also
offer all correct and comprehensive knowledge of history
aiming at a historiography of the two Churches which is
in agreement and even may be in common. In this way, the
dissipation of prejudices will be helped, and the use of
history in a polemical manner will be avoided. This
presentation will lead to an awareness that faults
leading to separation belong to both sides, leaving deep
wounds on each side. 31. The admonition of the Apostle
Paul to the Corinthians (I Cor 6:1-7) will be recalled.
It recommends that Christians resolve their differences
through fraternal dialogue, thus avoiding recourse to
the intervention of the civil authorities for a
practical solution to the problems which arise between
Churches or local communities. This applies particularly
to the possession or return of ecclesiastical property.
These solutions should not be based only on past
situations or rely solely on general juridical
principles, but they must also take into account the
complexity of present realities and local circumstances.
32. It is in this spirit that it will be possible to
meet in common the task of re-evangelization of our
secularized world. Efforts will also be made to give
objective news to the mass media, especially to the
religious press, in order to avoid tendentious and
misleading information. 33. It is necessary that the
Churches come together in order to express gratitude and
respect towards all, known and unknown - bishops,
priests or faithful, Orthodox, Catholic whether Oriental
or Latin - who suffered, confessed their faith,
witnessed their fidelity to the Church, and, in general,
towards all Christians, without discrimination, who
underwent persecution. Their sufferings call us to unity
and, on our part, to give common witness in response to
the prayer of Christ "that all may be one, so that the
world may believe" (Jn 17:21). 34. The International
Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue Between the
Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, at the plenary
meeting in Balamand, strongly recommends that these
practical rules be put into practice by our Churches,
including the Oriental Catholic Churches who are called
to take part in this dialogue which should be carried on
in the serene atmosphere necessary for its progress,
towards the re-establishment of full communion. 35. By
excluding for the future all proselytism and all desire
for expansion by Catholics at the expense of the
Orthodox Church, the commission hopes that it has
overcome the obstacles which impelled certain
autocephalous Churches to suspend their participation in
the theological dialogue and that the Orthodox Church
will be able to find itself altogether again for
continuing the theological work already happily begun.
June 24, 1993 Courtesy of Catholic Information Network (CIN)
Sponsored by St. Gabriel Gift & Book Nook 12/21/2000
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"Thus
says the LORD of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the East
country and from the West country; and I will bring them to dwell in the
midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be my people and I will be their God,
in faithfulness and in righteousness." -Zech 8:7-8
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