Reflections of Orthodox Participants
From the official Orthodox report of the 1991 WCC Assembly in Canberra
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1. Introduction
The Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox delegates and participants at the seventh
assembly of the World Council of Churches, meeting in Canberra, Australia, want to
communicate with all in attendance through this statement in order to express to them some
concerns. We preface our comments with an expression of appreciation to the World Council
of Churches for its many contributions to the development of dialogue among churches, and
to assisting all members in making efforts to overcome disunity. As Orthodox, we
appreciate the assistance given over decades in the process of dialogue leading towards
the full communion of Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches.
We also recognize the contributions of the WCC in the work it has done in its
Commissions on Faith and Order and on Mission and Evangelism (CWME), its contribution to
the Renewal of Congregational Life (RCL), its relief work through the Inter-Church Aid,
Refugees and World Service (CICARWS), and in the Justice, Peace and the Integrity of
Creation programme (JPIC).
Yet, our experience at this assembly has heightened a number of concerns that have been
developing among the Orthodox since the last assembly. We want to share these with the
Canberra assembly and to tell you where these are now leading us.
The Orthodox concern about these issues should not be understood as implying a
reluctance to continue dialogue. The present statement is motivated not by disinterest or
indifference towards our sisters and brothers in other churches and Christian communities,
but by our sincere concern about the future of the ecumenical movement and of its goals
and ideals, as they were formulated by its founders.
II. Orthodox concerns
1. The Orthodox churches want to emphasize that for them, the main aim of the WCC must
be the restoration of the unity of the church. This aim does not exclude relating
church unity with the wider unity of humanity and creation. On the contrary, the
unity of Christians will contribute more effectively to the unity of humanity and the
world. Yet the latter must not happen at the expense of solving issues of faith and order,
which divide Christians. Visible unity, in both the faith and the structure of the
church, constitutes a specific goal and must not be taken for granted.
2. The Orthodox note that there has been an increasing departure from the Basis of
the WCC. The latter has provided the framework for the World Council of Churches. Its text
is: "The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches which confess the Lord
Jesus Christ as God and Saviour according to scriptures and therefore seek to fulfill
together their common calling to the glory of the one God, Father, Son and Holy
Spirit" (Constitution). Should the WCC not direct its future work along these lines,
it would be in danger of ceasing to be an instrument aiming at the restoration of
Christian unity and in that case it would tend to become a forum for an exchange of
opinions without any specific Christian theological basis. In such a forum, common prayer
will be increasingly difficult , and eventually will become impossible, since even a basic
common theological vision will be lacking.
3. The tendency to marginalize the Basis in WCC work has created some dangerous trends
in the WCC. We miss from many WCC documents the affirmation that Jesus Christ is the
world's Saviour. We perceive a growing departure from biblically-based Christian
understanding of: (a) the Trinitarian God; (b) salvation; (c) the "good
news" of the gospel itself ; (d) human beings as created in the image and likeness of
God; and (e) the church, among others.
Our hope is that the results of Faith and Order work will find a more prominent place
in the various expressions of the WCC, and that tendencies in the opposite direction will
not be encouraged. The Orthodox, consequently, attribute special significance to the work
of the Faith and Order Commission of the WCC, and view with concern each tendency to
undermine its place in the structure of the Council.
4. The Orthodox follow with interest, but also with a certain disquiet, the
developments of the WCC towards the broadening of its aims in the direction of relations
with other religions. The Orthodox support dialogue initiatives, particularly those
aiming at the promotion of relations of openness, mutual respect and human cooperation
with neighbours of other faiths. When dialogue takes place, Christians are called to bear
witness to the integrity of their faith. A genuine dialogue involves greater theological
efforts to express the Christian message in ways that speak to the various cultures of our
world. All this, however, must occur on the basis of theological criteria which will
define the limits of diversity. The biblical faith in God must not be changed. The
definition of these criteria is a matter of theological stud and must constitute the first
priority of the WCC in view of its desired broadening of aims.
5. Thus, it is with alarm that the Orthodox have heard some presentations on the theme
of this assembly. With reference to the theme of the assembly, the Orthodox still await
the final texts. However, they observe that some people tend to affirm with very great
ease the presence of the Holy Spirit in many movements and developments without
discernment. The Orthodox wish to stress the factor of sin and error which exists in every
human action, and separate the Holy Spirit from these. We must guard against a tendency to
substitute a "private" spirit, the spirit of the world or other spirits for the
Holy Spirit who proceeds from the Father and rests in the Son. Our tradition is rich
in respect for local and national cultures, but we find it impossible to invoke the
spirits of "earth, air, water and sea creatures". Pneumatology is inseparable
from Christology or from the doctrine of the Holy Trinity confessed by the church on the
basis of divine revelation.
6. The Orthodox are sorry that their position with regard to eucharistic communion has
not been understood by many members of the WCC, who regard the Orthodox as unjustifiably
insisting upon abstinence from eucharistic communion. The Orthodox once more invite
their brothers and sisters in the WCC to understand that it is a matter of unity, in
faith and fundamental Orthodox ecclesiology, and not a question of a triumphalistic
stance.
For the Orthodox, the eucharist is the supreme expression of unity and not a means
towards unity. The present situation in the ecumenical movement is for us an experience of
the cross of Christian division. In this regard, the question of the ordination of women
to the priestly and episcopal offices must also be understood within a theological and
ecclesiological context.
7. Finally, our concern is also directed to the changing process of decision-making in
the WCC. While the system of quotas has benefits, it may also be creating problems. As
Orthodox we see changes that seem to increasingly weaken the possibility of an Orthodox
witness in an otherwise Protestant international organization. We believe that this
tendency is to the harm of the ecumenical effort.
8. For the Orthodox gathered at this assembly, these and other tendencies and
developments question the very nature and identity of the Council, as described in
the Toronto statement. In this sense the present assembly in
Canberra appears to be a crucial point in the history of the ecumenical movement.
We must, therefore ask ourselves: Has the time come for the Orthodox churches and
other member churches to review their relations with the World Council of Churches?
We pray the Holy Spirit to help all Christians to renew their commitment to visible
unity.
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