We'll see

Episcopal Café has a post up titled "End of Schism in Sight?" The topic is healing a 950-year rift between the Italian Church and the Orthodox Churches as discussed in a Times article by Ruth Gledhill. The Ravenna Document allegedly provides a map toward healing the schism. Trying to stay within the common 3-paragraph practice for fair use, I share the following from the Times:

If the proposals move forward, the Pope would be acknowledged as the universal Primate, as he was before the schism. Although it is not stated outright, he would be expected by the Orthodox churches to relinquish the doctrine of infallibility. The proposals could also allow married priests in the Catholic Church, as already happens in the Orthodox.

...

The document, The Ecclesiological and Canonical Consequences of the Sacramental Nature of the Church, has been produced by a commission of Orthodox and Catholic bishops and theologians that met in Ravenna in western Italy last month. The Russian delegate walked out of the meeting, an indication of the enduring disputes within the Orthodox Church.

...

The document suggests that the Pope, always referred to in the text as “Bishop of Rome”, could be the “first” among the regional patriarchs. But this would be only as a primus inter pares, with his authority resting firmly on the support and consensus of the other patriarchs. “Certainly Rome could not be the absolute centre of administration, with authority over all the others,” Greek Metropolitan Athanasios Chatzopoulos, one of the participants of the Ravenna conference, said. “The ‘primus’ would not be able to do anything without the consent of the other Patriarchs.”

I note with amusement the sentence: "Although it is not stated outright, he would be expected by the Orthodox churches to relinquish the doctrine of infallibility." This is rather like expecting the Bush White House to make substantive compromises in order to work in the bipartisan manner they keep saying should prevail in Washington. Not. Gonna. Happen.

But if it does, I want the popcorn concession as the Vatican out-contorts Chinese gymnasts to undo something they declared as dogma in the First Vatican Council.

Shall we all put on our imagination hats and envision the Pope as something like +Cantuar in the Anglican Communion? Wasn't that fun? You may now untangle your brains.

Frankly, as much as I would like the Great Schism to heal, I don't see why the Orthodox would degrade themselves to have anything to do with the Vatican. It needs a few more Vatican IIs and a few less Vatican Is before it is ready to play with the other children.

I am reminded why my faith is in God and not in any church.

Having said that, let us pray:

Gracious Father, we pray for thy holy Catholic Church. Fill it with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in any thing it is amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of Jesus Christ thy Son our Savior. Amen.

Photo from the Southern Cross

UPDATE: For a humorous look at this and an interesting chat in comments, visit OCICBW. Evidently shoe mojo has a large role to play.
--the BB