This affirmation by Catholics and Orthodox of each other as Sister Churches was given papal direction in 1967 when Pope Paul VI handed to Patriarch Athenagoras the brief Anno Ineunte (25 July). The brief affirmed that Orthodox and Catholics were already brothers "in very fact" by virtue of their common baptism, apostolic succession, priesthood, eucharist and participation in the gifts of God to His Church, and acceptance of the "fundamental dogmas of the Christian faith on the Trinity, on the Word of God who took flesh of the Virgin Mary". The Pope explicitly espoused a Sister-Church ecclesiology for our day:
For centuries we lived this life of "sister Churches," and together held the Ecumenical Councils which guarded the deposit of faith against all corruption. And now, after a long period of division and mutual misunderstanding, the Lord in enabling us to discover ourselves as "sister Churches" once more, in spite of the obstacles which were once raised between us.
2006-11-02
08:34:49
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