Ekleziologijos savitumai ekumeninėje perspektyvoje
DIFFERENT ECCLESIOLOGY IN THE ECUMENICAL PERSPECTIVE

Summary/Abstract: The notion of the Church was the object of the hottest discussions among Eastern and Western bishops. Western and Eastern Churches from the very beginning differed in liturgical rites, understanding of dogmas, formation of administrative structures. But these differences did not hinder the unity, they even enriched all the Church. The tension because of different understanding of the Church lasted until 1054 when the patriarchy of Constantinople declared his separation from the Church of Rome. The important reason for the separation was the Byzantine caesaro-papism that influenced the notion of the Church. After the Lyon II and Florence Councils followed a long period without an open dialogue which started only in recent times. In the 20th century, discussions on ecumenism appeared in the Christian world. Together with them, efforts to seek for union among different Christian denominations started. Both Churches came very close during the Second Vatican Council. Great preparations were made for that. In 1927 Oriental Institute was founded in Rome. It dealt with oriental problems. Later Pope John XXIII, opening the Vatican II, announced ecumenism as one of the most important priorities of the Council. The second pope of the Council, Paul VI spoke that not only the Eastern Church was guilty for the great separation. They inspired inner changes and new outlook on the separated. The Second Vatican Council was a big breakthrough in the relations of Western and Eastern Churches. In spite of a started nice dialogue, recent situation in the East concerning ecumenism is not very promising. Though Eastern theologians understand Church in a very similar way to the Catholics but they disagree about the Catholic understanding of the Pope’s institution and its jurisdiction. The Church is described as a community of believers, the unity of freedom and love. Such descriptions do not reveal the true essence of the Church. That is the main obstacle to the unity. The renewal of the national ideas in Russia in the context of faith in Orthodox Church makes the dialogue with the West impossible. So the Orthodox got very far from the biblical notion of the Church, leaving no space for the institution of St. Peter and his successors and its jurisdiction over all God’s People.

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