Theological differences between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church
Future directions
Future directions
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Jeffrey D. Finch claims that "the future of East–West rapprochement appears to be overcoming the modern polemics of neo\-scholasticism and neo\-Palamism".

The Catholic Church considers that the differences between Eastern and Western theology are complementary rather than contradictory, as stated in the decree *[Unitatis redintegratio](/wiki/Unitatis_Redintegratio "Unitatis Redintegratio")* of the [Second Vatican Council](/wiki/Second_Vatican_Council "Second Vatican Council"), which declared:

The Catholic Church's attitude was also expressed by [Pope John Paul II](/wiki/Pope_John_Paul_II "Pope John Paul II") in the image of the Church "breathing with her two lungs".[*Ut unum sint*](https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_25051995_ut-unum-sint_en.htmlEncyciclical), 54 He meant that there should be a combination of the more rational, juridical, organization\-minded "Latin" temperament with the intuitive, mystical and contemplative spirit found in the East.

The [Catechism of the Catholic Church](/wiki/Catechism_of_the_Catholic_Church "Catechism of the Catholic Church"), citing documents of the Second Vatican Council and of [Pope Paul VI](/wiki/Pope_Paul_VI "Pope Paul VI"), states:

On 10 July 2007 the [Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith](/wiki/Congregation_for_the_Doctrine_of_the_Faith "Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith") published a document,*[Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine on the Church](https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20070629_responsa-quaestiones_en.html) * approved by [Pope Benedict XVI](/wiki/Pope_Benedict_XVI "Pope Benedict XVI"), that stated that the [Eastern churches](/wiki/Eastern_Christianity "Eastern Christianity") are separated from Rome (the member churches of the [Eastern Orthodox Church](/wiki/Eastern_Orthodox_Church "Eastern Orthodox Church"), [Oriental Orthodoxy](/wiki/Oriental_Orthodoxy "Oriental Orthodoxy") and the [Assyrian Church of the East](/wiki/Assyrian_Church_of_the_East "Assyrian Church of the East")) and for that very reason "lack something in their condition as particular churches", and that the division also means that "the fullness of universality, which is proper to the Church governed by the Successor of Peter and the Bishops in communion with him, is not fully realised in history.""Catholic Church only true church, Vatican says" ([CBC News 10 July 2007\)](https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/catholic-church-only-true-church-vatican-says-1.669714)

On 3 July 2019, it was revealed that during a Vatican meeting with Orthodox Archbishop Job of Telmessos, who represented the Orthodox Church's Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, during the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul on 29 June 2019, Pope Francis stated that unity rather than leveling differences should be the goal between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. Pope Francis also gave Bartholomew nine bone fragments which were believed to have belonged to St. Peter and which were displayed at a public Mass which was held in the Vatican in November 2013 to celebrate the "Year of Faith". Despite holding a "cordial" meeting with Russian President [Vladimir Putin](/wiki/Vladimir_Putin "Vladimir Putin"), with whom the Pope has had a history of good relations, on 4 July 2019 tensions between the Vatican and Russian Orthodox churches still remained, with Pope Francis stating that it is unlikely that he will visit Russia unless Putin agrees to not include the Russian Orthodox Church in the visit. Putin also stated to the Pope that he would not invite the Pope to Russia without this condition. Pope Francis also hinted that he was willing to support the concerns of Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, which has expressed opposition to both Putin's intervention in Ukraine and the Vatican's current relationship with Putin.

At the beginning of a two\-day Vatican meeting with Ukrainian Greek\-Catholic leaders on 5 July 2019, Pope Francis hinted that he supported the Church's concerns in Ukraine and called for greater humanitarian aid to Ukraine. The Pope previously expressed dismay over the Russian Orthodox Church's role in the conflict in Ukraine in early 2019 as well. During the 5 July 2019 meeting, Pope Francis also accused the Russian Orthodox Church of attempting to manipulate "other religions" in Ukraine as well.


How does the Catholic Church view the differences between Eastern and Western theology?