This was inspired by Iconodule's formula for reunion on another thread. I wrote this plan for reunion up and was wondering what you all thought of it.
Formula of Reunion
Byzantine Orthodox-Oriental Orthodox
1. Both families, after 1500 years of schism, have decided to pursue unity. Both families feel said unity is the desire of the All-Holy Trinity and is being guided by the Holy Spirit.
2. The Byzantine Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox both formally apologize for mutual persecutions against each other. Both families recognize that these acts of murder were not a fruit of the Holy Spirit, but, rather were led by men influenced by the socio-political circumstances of their day.
3. Both families recognize each other’s Christological phraseology as orthodox and equally valid. The Byzantine Orthodox confession of “in two natures” will be recognized as orthodox by the Oriental Orthodox because this distinction of two natures is in “theoria mono” (in theory only). The Oriental Orthodox confession of “ from two natures” and “one incarnate nature” will be recognized as orthodox by the Byzantine Orthodox because the Oriental Orthodox affirm the dynamic presence of Christ’s full divinity and full humanity and because the previously mentioned terminology was used by the Blessed Saint Cyril to guard the Church from Nestorianism.
4. Both families recognize each others theletic beliefs as orthodox. When the Oriental Orthodox speak of “one will” they are referring to Christ as being one subject of willing, so as to preclude the Nestorian heresy, they also use it to affirm Christ as having one object of willing (I.e. to obey the will of his Father), their belief is orthodox because they affirm that Christ has a complete and distinct human faculty of willing and a complete and distinct divine faculty of willing which he shares with the Father and Holy Spirit. The Oriental Orthodox will accept the Byzantine expression of “two wills” as orthodox. When the Byzantine Orthodox speak of “two wills”, they do so to express the completeness of Christ’s divine and human wills, they do not teach that Christ has two schizophrenic and contradictory faculties of willing. Both parties agree that his human will is always in conformity with his divine will, as Maximus the Confessor taught.
5. Both families recognize each others “energetic” beliefs as orthodox. When the Oriental Orthodox speak of “one energy” they mean that Christ has one theandric activity (e.g. healing with human spit). When the Byzantine Orthodox speak of “two energies” they simply emphasize the distinct fullness of Christ’s divine and human energies.
6. Both families have agreed to lift anathemas off of each others Saints and Fathers. The Byzantines will lift the anathemas off of Dioscoros, Severus, Timothy Aelurus, et al and the Orientals will lift the anathemas off of Flavian, Leo, Theodoret, et al. They have agreed to do this on the basis that the teachings of the aforementioned figures are amenable to an orthodox interpretation even though in the past both families have felt that their respective theologies were incomplete and imperfect.
(CONTROVERSIAL) 7. The Oriental Orthodox will accept the latter four councils of the Byzantines as ecumenical, they will not, however, have to commemorate said councils liturgically. They have decided to do this on the basis that these councils, as interpreted by the Byzantine Orthodox, are completely dogmatically orthodox. The Byzantine Orthodox will have to accept the Council of Ephesus II as orthodox even though they have labeled it a “robber-synod” for centuries, it condemned the three chapters a century before Constantinople II and it affirmed that Christ was “consubstantial with his mother”.
8. Neither party will have to admit being guilty of the schism, because in the eyes of both families, both parties are renouncing what the other family considers to be the contentious material which caused the schism in the first place.
9. The Greek Patriarchate of Alexandria will merge into the Coptic Patriarchate, the staff of the Greek Patriarchate will keep their positions and will continue to practice the Byzantine rite. The Syriac Patriarchate of Antioch will merge into the Antiochian-Greek Patriarchate of Antioch, the staff of the Syriac Patriarchate will keep their positions and will continue to practice the West Syrian rite.
10. Both families will recognize each others sacraments as having always been mutually grace-filled.
11. Both families, after reviewing the doctrinal content of the other family, recognize this glorious reunion not as a reunion of the Orientals into the Byzantine fold or vice-versa, but, rather as a reunion of equals being brought together in one faith, one lord, and one baptism.
12. Finally, through the prayers of our common Christological father Saint Cyril, we hope to complete and finalize the unity of both venerable communions of Orthodox Churches in one Lord Jesus Christ who is God and man fully & completely, without mixture, without change, and without separation or division. At the same time we anathematize the doctrines of Nestorius and Eutyches.
13. *Eucharistic concelebration commences*
PLEASE NO POLEMICS!!! As always, I want a discussion
not a debate. Please conduct yourselves in a Christian manner.
Seeking your prayers,
Severian
