VATICAN, May 17, 01 (CWNews.com) -- The dramatic gesture made by Pope John Paul II during his visit to Greece-- a request for pardon for Catholic offenses against the Orthodox-- has given major impetus to the cause of ecumenism, according to the theologian of the papal household.
Father Georges Cottier, OP, told the Roman news agency I Media that the papal expression of regret for "past and present controversies," and in particular for the sack of Constantinople in 1204, opened the way for dialogue between the Holy See and the Greek Orthodox Church. The Greek Church had previously been cool, if not actively hostile, to Vatican ecumenical efforts.
The Pope's gesture, Father Cottier said, has already had the desired effect of allowing a "purification of memory." The apology, he explained, helped to break down psychological barriers that kept the Orthodox leadership from engaging in ecumenical dialogue. The Dominican theologian said that theological discussions were now "on the right track." He hastened to add, however, that "one cannot put a timetable" on the process.
Father Cottier added that the Pope's coming trips to Ukraine and Armenia will also have a crucial bearing on the ecumenical situation. He noted that by asking pardon for the faults committed by Catholics, the Pope was making it easier for Orthodox leaders to begin opening doors to the Church. The new open attitude toward the Catholic Church will also make for a warmer welcome when the Pope visits predominantly Orthodox lands such as Ukraine.
The Swiss-born theologian rejected complaints that such apologies weaken the position of the Catholic Church. "The Pope knows what he wants to do; he has no fears," Father Cottier remarked. He suggested that much of the discomfort felt by certain Catholics about such apologies could be attributed to the way in which the media have portrayed the Pope's statements.
Father Cottier, in his position as theologian of the papal household, was instrumental in preparing the November 1998 statement entitled Memory and Repentance. That document explained the sense in which the Church can ask for pardon on behalf of her children. While the Church herself is the spotless bride of Christ, free of faults, the people who make up the Catholic community are sinners, prone to weakness and error, the document explained.
"For the most part, these requests for pardon have been very well accepted," Father Cottier observed. He saw especially positive results from the Pope's remarks on the Holocaust, and the act of repentance he made in Jerusalem during his Jubilee pilgrimage there. The solemn ceremony in which the Pope and members of the Roman Curia asked pardon for the offenses of the Catholic community, on March 12, 2000, was the "most complete" fulfillment of the Pope's desire to acknowledge past faults, Father Cottier said. "Even if it was not explicit in naming particular cases," he explained, that ceremony "made allusion to divisions and injustices on the part of Christians during the history of the Church." The ceremony included a special request for God's pardon for the divisions among the Christian faithful-- a topic that the Pope raised once again during his stay in Greece earlier this month.
Papal Apology Boosts Ecumenical Dialogue 
PAPAL APOLOGY TO GREEK ORTHODOX (Matthew Tan Yew Hock)
Read What Christodoulos Says to John Paul II (Christopher Yip)
to: 
Outline:
Beware of those who ADD to Jesus' Salvation Under the Pretense of Unity! by Christopher Yip, 2001, Jun 05 
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