If one Patriarch refuses to commemorate or commune with another because of a power struggle – eg, Jerusalem and Antioch – how long before that excommunication (which is what it is) becomes Schism?
If one synod declares another invalid – eg, ROCOR and Moscow – how long before that Schism becomes irreparable?
We are sisters who don’t talk to each other: not different churches. The Church is one.
I get that we don’t commemorate or commune one with another yet. But I pray that will end. The Church is one. We just don’t all talk to each other. The east lung doesn’t know what the west lung is doing. Nearly biblical.
I know it upsets our bullied-little-brother/victim attitude to say so, as well as our traditional, American Anti-Romanism, but yeah: them’s us in them thar churches. We just gotta get over our issues. The Church is one. It’s also more than a bit dysfunctional.
