Orthodox Priest.
Photo: Orthodoxworld.ru

Worshipping together

The Orthodox liturgical tradition is rich in symbols which may seem strange to western Christians. Conversely the worship practices of certain other churches, notably those of the Reformation heritage, are so far from those to which the East is accustomed that an Orthodox may have a hard time feeling comfortable with them. Among the Special Commission’s recommendations, one concerns common worship, and recommends especially that more space be given at ecumenical gatherings to worship services according to specific confessional traditions, to which members of other traditions are invited. This is seen as an occasion to immerse oneself in other traditions, to discover them from the inside.

The Orthodox participants at this Faith and Order meeting greatly regretted the lack of such worship services during this meeting, although they appreciated the effort made to prepare interconfessional prayers by bringing together elements drawn from different traditions.

Dialogue with other religions needed

A majority of Orthodox churches live in multi-religious contexts. Quite a few are minorities in countries with non-Christian majorities, for example the Copts in Egypt and others in the Middle East. This makes them particularly sensitive to the need to develop dialogue with other religions. For Anastasia Vassiliadou, “Interreligious dialogue is not intended simply to maintain good relations with the other religions; it has a direct impact on our faith.” Consequently, she thinks that the interreligious issue should be integrated into the various Faith and Order studies. The definition of the church’s missionary activity should also be reconsidered.

Demand for exactness

What is the Orthodox churches’ particular contribution to the ecumenical movement?

For Metropolitan Gennadios, the Orthodox have contributed for many years to providing food for Faith and Order’s theological reflection. In particular, they have brought to it all their reflections on the role of the Holy Spirit.

“The Orthodox bring a rigour, they demand that ideas be precise, that matters be followed through all the way,” added Father Huttunen.

The Russian Orthodox Church contributes in this spirit. Bishop Hilarion of Vienna and Austria, one of its representatives, insisted on the fact that “the tragedy of the divisions among Christians must be taken more seriously”. He also spoke of new divisions, not between churches but within them, between traditional and liberal trends.

The conclusions of the Special Commission, initiated at the request of the Orthodox, are counted among Orthodoxy’s contributions to the ecumenical movement. They propose real changes which will enable the WCC to be even more ecumenical.

Finally, Anastasia Vassiliadou concluded, “They bring the riches of their tradition. Like the others, they must participate fully in the ecumenical movement. They bring something and receive something. They challenge the ecumenical movement not to take the easy way, but to deal with matters honestly and seriously.”

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Kuala Lumpur features: Although written according to the usual journalistic standards of accuracy and balance, since this article is intended for the general public it should not be read as a formal academic or theological text, nor should it be considered an official statement of the Faith and Order commission.

Opinions expressed in WCC Features do not necessarily reflect WCC policy. This material may be reprinted freely, providing credit is given to the author.

Additional information: Juan Michel, +41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363