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# 1) At the request of the Orthodox Churches, the normal progression of the theological dialogue with the Catholic Church has been set aside so that immediate attention might be given to the question which is called "uniatism".
# 2) With regard to the method which has been called "uniatism", it was said at Freising (June 1990) that "we reject it as a method for the search for unity because it is opposed to the common tradition of our Churches".
# 3) Concerning the Eastern Catholic Churches, it is clear that they, as part of the Catholic Communion, have the right to exist and to act in response to the spritual needs of their faithful.
# 4) The document prepared at Ariccia by the joint coordinating committee (June 1991) and finished at Balamand (June 1993) states what is our method in the present search for full communion, thus giving the reason for excluding "uniatism" as a method.
# 5) This present document is composed of two parts:
## ::1) Ecclesiological principles, and
## ::2) Practical rules.
Professor Constantine Patelos'''Patriarchate of Antioch'''
Patriarchate :His Eminence Metropolitan George of AntiochByblos and Botrys<br>:Father Archimandrite Youhanna (Yazigi)
His Eminence Metropolitan George '''[[Church of Byblos and BotrysRussia]]'''
Father Archpriest Dumitru Radu'''[[Church of Poland]]'''
Church of Cyprus:Father Hieromonk Barsanuphius (Doroszkiewicz)
His Eminence Metropolitan Chrysanthos '''[[Church of MorphouAlbania]]'''
Father Hieromonk Barsanuphius :His Grace Bishop [[Ambrose (DoroszkiewiczJaaskelainen)of Helsinki|Ambrosius of Joensocu]]
Church of Albania'''Executive Secretary:'''
Professor Theodoros Papapavli Church of Finland His Grace Bishop Ambrosius of Joensocu Executive Secretary: His Eminence Metropolitan Spyridon of Italy
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==Introduction==
{{stubincomplete}}
==Text of the Statement==
Joint International Commission for the Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church VIIth Plenary Session, [[St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology (Tripoli, Lebanon)|Balamand School of Theology ]] (Lebanon), [[June 17]]-[[June 24 June]], 1993: "Uniatism, method of union of the past, and the present search for full communion."
===Introduction===
===Ecclesiological Principles===
8) In the course of the last four centuries, in various parts of the East, initiatives were taken within certain Churches and impelled by outside elements, to restore communion between the Church of the East and the Church of the West. These initiatives led to the union of certain communities with the See of Rome and brought with them, as a consequence, the breaking of communion with their Mother Churches of the East. This took place not without the interference of extra-ecclesial interests. In this way Eastern Catholic Churches came into existence. And so a situation was created which has become a source of conflicts and of suffering in the first instance for the Orthodox but also for Catholics.
9) Whatever may have been the intention and the authenticity of the desire to be faithful to the commandment of Christ: "that all may be one" expressed in these partial unions with the [[See ]] of Rome, it must be recognized that the re-establishment of unity between the Church of the East and the Church of the West was not achieved and that the division remains, embittered by these attempts.
10) The situation thus created resulted in fact in tensions and oppositions.
14) It is in this perspective that the Catholic Churches and the Orthodox Churches recognize each other as Sister Churches, responsible together for maintaining the Church of God in fidelity to the divine purpose, most especially in what concerns unity. According to the words of Pope John Paul II, the ecumenical endeavor of the Sister Churches of East and West, grounded in dialogue and prayer, is the search for perfect and total communion which is neither absorption nor fusion but a meeting in truth and love (cf. Slavorum Apostoli, n. 27).
15) While the inviolable freedom of persons and their obligation to follow the requirements of their conscience remains secure, in the search for re-establishing unity there is no question of [[conversion ]] of people from one Church to the other in order to ensure their salvation. There is a question of achieving together the will of Christ for His own and the design of God for His Church by means of a common quest by the Churches for a full accord on the content of the faith and its implications. This effort is being carried on in the current theological dialogue. The present document is a necessary stage in this dialogue.
16) The Eastern Catholic Churches, who have desired to re-establish full communion with the See of Rome and have remained faithful to it, have the rights and obligations which are connected with this communion. The principles determining their attitude towards Orthodox Churches are those which have been stated by the Second Vatican Council and have been put into practice by the Popes who have clarified the practical consequences flowing from these principles in various documents published since then. These Churches, then, should be inserted, on both local and universal levels, into the dialogue of love, in mutual respect and reciprocal trust found once again, and enter into the theological dialogue, with all its practical implications.
17) In this atmosphere, the considerations already presented and the practical guidelines which follow, insofar as they will be effectively received and faithfully observed, are such as to lead to a just and definitive solution to the difficulties which these Eastern Catholic Churches present to the Orthodox Church.
18) Towards this end, Pope Paul VI affirmed in his address at the [[Phanar ]] in July 1967: "It is on the heads of the Churches, of their hierarchy, that the obligation rests to guide the Churches along the way that leads to finding full communion again. They ought to do this by recognizing and respecting each other as pastors of that part of the flock of Christ entrusted to them, by taking care for the cohesion and growth of the people of God, and avoiding everything that could scatter it or cause confusion in its ranks" (Tomos Agapis, n. 172). In this spirit Pope John Paul II and Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios I together stated clearly: "We reject every form of proselytism, every attitude which would be or could be perceived to be a lack of respect" ([[December 7 December ]], 1987).
===PRACTICAL RULESPractical Rules===
19) Mutual respect between the Churches which find themselves in difficult situations will increase appreciably in the measure that they will observe the following practical rules.
26) That is why it is necessary to seek and to engage in an open dialogue, which in the first place should be between those who have responsibilities for the Churches at the local level. Those in charge of the communities concerned should create joint local commissions or make effective those which already exist, for finding solutions to concrete problems and seeing that these solutions are applied in truth and love, in justice and peace. If agreement cannot be reached on the local level, the question should be brought to mixed commissions established by higher authorities.
27) Suspicion would disappear more easily if the two parties were to condemn violence wherever communities of one Church use it against communities of a Sister Church. As requested by His Holiness Pope John Paul II in his letter of [[May 31 May ]], 1991, it is necessary that all violence and every kind of pressure be absolutely avoided in order that freedom of conscience be respected. It is the task of those in charge of communities to assist their faithful to deepen their loyalty towards their own Church and towards its traditions and to teach them to avoid not only violence, be that physical, verbal or moral, but also all that could lead to contempt for other Christians and to a counter-witness, completely ignoring the work of salvation which is reconciliation in Christ.
28) Faith in sacramental reality implies a respect for the liturgical celebrations of the other Church. The use of violence to occupy a place of worship contradicts this conviction. On the contrary, this conviction sometimes requires that the celebration of other Churches should be made easier by putting at their disposal, by common agreement, one’s own church for alternate celebration at different times in the same building. Still more, the evangelical ethos requires that statements or manifestations which are likely to perpetuate a state of conflict and hinder the dialogue be avoided. Does not St. Paul exhort us to welcome one another as Christ welcomed us, for the glory of God (Romans 15:7)?
30) To pave the way for future relations between the two Churches, passing beyond the out-dated ecclesiology of return to the Catholic Church connected with the problem which is the object of this document, special attention will be given to the preparation of future priests and of all those who, in any way, are involved in an apostolic activity carried on in a place where the other Church traditionally has its roots. Their education should be objectively positive with respect to the other Church. First of all, everyone should be informed of the apostolic succession of the other Church and the authenticity of its sacramental life. One should also offer all a correct and comprehensive knowledge of history aiming at a historiography of the two Churches which is in agreement and even may be common. In this way, the dissipation of prejudices will be helped, and the use of history in a polemical manner will be avoided. This presentation will lead to an awareness that faults leading to separation belong to both sides, leaving deep wounds on each side.
31) The admonition of the [[Apostle Paul ]] to the Corinthians (I Corinthians 6:17) will be recalled. It recommends that Christians resolve their differences through fraternal dialogue, thus avoiding recourse to the intervention of the civil authorities for a practical solution to the problems which arise between Churches or local communities. This applies particularly to the possession or return of ecclesiastical property. These solutions should not be based only on past situations or rely solely on general juridical principles, but they must also take into account the complexity of present realities and local circumstances.
32) It is in this spirit that it will be possible to meet in common the task of re-evangelization of our secularized world. Efforts will also be made to give objective news to the mass-media, especially to the religious press, in order to avoid tendentious and misleading information.
35) By excluding for the future all proselytism and all desire for expansion by Catholics at the expense of the Orthodox Church, the commission hopes that it has overcome the obstacles which impelled certain autocephalous Churches to suspend their participation in the theological dialogue and that the Orthodox Church will be able to find itself together again for continuing the theological work already so happily begun.
Balamand (Lebanon), [[June 23 June ]], 1993
===BALAMAND PARTICIPANTSParticipants===
The following delegates participated in the Seventh Plenary Session of the Joint International Commission for the Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, held at Balamand School of Theology, Lebanon, 17-24 June 1993.
====From the Eastern Orthodox Churches:====
'''Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople'''
:His Eminence Archbishop [[Stylianos (Harkianakis) of Australia |Stylianos of Australia]] Orthodox Co-President of the Joint International Commission<br>
'''Patriarchate of Alexandria'''
:His Eminence Metropolitan Dionysios of Nubia<br>:Professor Constantine Patelos
:Father Archimandrite Youhanna Hegumen Nestor (YazigiZhilyaev)
'''[[Church of RussiaRomania]]'''
:His Eminence Metropolitan Antonie of Transylvania<br>:Father Hegumen Nestor (Zhilyaev)Archpriest Dumitru Radu
'''[[Church of RomaniaCyprus]]'''
:His Eminence Metropolitan Antonie Chrysanthos of TransylvaniaMorphou<br>:Professor Macarius Papachristophorou
:Professor Macarius PapachristophorouTheodoros Papapavli
'''[[Church of PolandFinland]]'''
[The Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and the Churches of Georgia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, and Czechoslovakia were not represented.]
==Discussion of the Balamand Statement==
* [http://www.geocities.com/mcotheotokos/explained.html The Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches: Taking Steps to Overcome Division Controversy Over the Balamand Report] - by the Orthodox Members of the Orthodox/Roman Catholic Consultation in the United States
* [http://www.oca.org/QA.asp?ID=200&SID=3 OCA - Q & A - Validity of Roman Catholic Orders]
[[Category:Inter-Christian]]
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