A Universal Ministry of Unity: Prospects and Problems in Roman Catholic-Orthodox Dialogue Author Gooley, Anthony John Published 2012 Thesis Type Thesis (PhD Doctorate) School School of Humanities DOI https://doi.org/10.25904/1912/1796 Copyright Statement The author owns the copyright in this thesis, unless stated otherwise. Downloaded from http://hdl.handle.net/10072/367673 Griffith Research Online https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au A Universal Ministry of Unity: Prospects and Problems in Roman Catholic-Orthodox Dialogue. Anthony John Gooley B.A. (Psych), B.Th., B.A. Hons I (Theol), Grad Dip Ed School of Humanities Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Griffith University Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree Doctor of Philosophy January, 2010 Dedication I dedicate this doctoral thesis with love to my wife, Shylaja, and my two children, Meera and Liam, who form for me the koinonia of the domestic church in which my life is enriched daily. Acknowledgement I wish to acknowledge the guidance of my supervisor Rev. Dr David Pascoe, who commenced this journey with me a number of years ago and my co-supervisor Rev Dr. Don Saines. Synopsis This study commences with the invitation made by Pope John Paul II for Churches and theologians to engage with him in a patient and fraternal dialogue on the ministry of unity which he exercises within the new situation in which the Church lives. In particular the study considers the prospects and problems for the reception of a universal ministry of unity in the Roman Catholic-Orthodox theological dialogue. The study contends that uncovering the prospects and problems for the reception of a universal ministry of unity is essentially a hermeneutical task. The study develops a hermeneutical framework through which to evaluate the prospects and problems for reception. The framework developed for the study both extends and offers a critique of the framework proposed by the Faith and Order Commission (Faith and Order paper 182) for reception of statements from ecumenical dialogues, by adding elements which are suited to the Roman Catholic-Orthodox dialogue. Elements are added to the Faith and Order framework from the work of Ormond Rush and another element contributed by the author of the resent study. The concept ‘universal ministry of unity’ is regarded as a symbol or text whose meaning is not yet fully disclosed to either dialogue partner. This text or symbol carries with it meanings from the context in which it emerged and has been interpreted through the lens of the worlds of meaning separately inhabited by Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches and now together through the dialogues. Previous studies have proceeded from a number of different starting points. Some studies focus on Scripture and attempt to identify any sense of a unique Petrine ministry that may justify a universal primacy and specifically that of the Bishops of Rome. Other studies have examined the historical emergence of a variety of forms of primacy and conciliarity to attempt to uncover a primacy of the Bishops of Rome and its scope. A third set of studies attempt to uncover a universal primacy by considering the present role and powers of the Bishop of Rome in the Latin Church and other Churches in full communion with this bishop. In some sense all of these studies attempt to uncover a primacy for the See of Rome that operated in the first millennium and therefore would be acceptable to Catholics and Orthodox sensibilities. Departing from such studies the present study argues that it must be possible to articulate in theological categories from the common paradosis what is meant by the term ‘universal ministry of unity’. Scriptural and historical studies are not likely to expose this concept and may in fact be interpreted as a restorationist project, hoping to recover the ministry which putatively existed in the first millennium. Historical, cultural and theological factors may have distorted the ecclesiology of communion and the exercise of the universal ministry of unity in Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches as well as made positive contributions to the development of a universal ministry suitable for the present situation. This study contends that the meaning of the universal ministry of unity will not be uncovered if the focus of the dialogue is solely on the pope and universal primacy. The central question is; what is the nature of the ‘universal ministry of unity’ found in the common paradosis? The study approaches the universal ministry of unity in three concentric circles. The outer circle is the ministry of unity per se, which is an episcopal ministry found at all levels of the Church, and grounded its Eucharistic constitution. The next concentric circle is the universal ministry of unity exercised by all bishops in union with each other and the head of the episcopal college. The inner circle is the universal ministry of unity which is exercised in a personal manner by the head of the episcopal college always in relation to the college. The universal ministry of unity is both personal and collegial, since the supreme authority in the Church is the college of bishops with its head. The universal ministry of unity is therefore is an ellipse, with two foci, the college of bishops and the head mutually interrelated. The ministry of unity is part of the esse of the Church and not a contingent reality. There are five elements which are derived from the Church’s essential constitution which provide the foundation for the ministry at all levels; episcopacy, conciliarity, the charism of authority, the communion of the local and universal Church and primacy. These elements find different expression at the local, regional and universal levels. A local ministry of unity and a universal ministry of unity are essential for the Church and are grounded in the ecclesial ontology of communion. Throughout history various forms of regional conciliarity have existed, which derive their efficacy from the ministry of unity, but the actual form which these may take is determined by contingent historical and cultural factors. The Church could exist without regional structures of communion but it could not exist without local or universal structures of communion. This study argues that the personal universal ministry exercised by the Bishop of Rome is part of the esse of the Church without which the Church could not be herself and this must always be exercised in relation to the College of Bishops. Application of the hermeneutical framework to the Roman Catholic- Orthodox dialogue reveals positive prospects for the reception of a universal ministry of unity where each focal point is given full expression. There are strong theological foundations emerging for a mutual reception of a universal ministry of unity which includes all of the bishops with the head of the episcopal college. The study reveals that the source of many of the problems, though not all, for mutual reception are to be identified with mostly non- theological factors. The study also reveals that mutual acceptance of the symbol ‘universal ministry of unity’ exposes the Church to what amounts to a reformation in present ecclesial structures and praxis. Further dialogue coupled with some courageous decisions by bishops and a dialogue of trust and hope may open new possibilities. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Invitation: to seek together a ministry of unity 3 What kind of unity 6 Dialogue about what? 10 Broad limitations 13 Methodology 18 Three primary questions 20 A task of hermeneutics and a double reception 26 The structure of the study 32 Chapter One Reception and an Ecumenical Hermeneutic 1.1 Introduction 39 1.2 Developing a framework 45 1.3 Six elements of a hermeneutical framework 50 1.4 Hermeneutic of coherence 51 1.5 Hermeneutic of suspicion 56 1.6 Hermeneutic of confidence 61 1.7 Hermeneutic of rupture 69 1.8 Principle of sacramental priority 84 1.9 Pneumatological hermeneutic 86 Conclusion 91 Chapter Two The Ministry of Unity and its Structures Part I 2.1 Introduction 97 2.2 Episcopal ministry 104 2.3 By divine institution 105 2.4 The rite of episcopal ordination 107 2.5 Apostolic succession 113 2.6 Episcopate and unity among churches 118 2.7 Conciliarity/synodality 122 2.8 Manifestation of communion 124 2.9 Hierarchical communion 127 2.10 The renewal of conciliarity in the Roman Catholic Church 128 2.11 The episcopal conference 129 2.12 Proposed bishops assemblies in the Orthodox Church 136 2.13 The synod of bishops 139 2.14 Differentiated participation of bishops 144 i 2.15 Charism of authority 147 2.16 Diverse bearers of authority 149 2.17 Authority and sacrament 152 2.18 Authority and Communion 154 2.19 Local church/universal church 154 2.20 Necessity of the local and universal 156 2.21 Agreement and disagreement on local and universal 158 2.22 Local church and communion with the Bishop of Rome 161 2.23 Primacy 163 2.24 Primacy in hierarchical communion 166 2.25 Primacy of authority not honour 168 2.26 Conclusion of Part I 169 Part II 2.27 Introduction 169 2.28 Regional structures of communion 173 2.29 Regional conciliarity and ordination of bishops 174 2.30 Contingent nature of regional structures 175 2.31 Autocephaly 176 2.32 Conclusion 179 Chapter The Theological Foundation of the Universal Ministry of Unity in Three the Dialogue Introduction 185 Part I The Universal Ministry of Unity in the Church 3.2 The essence of a personal universal ministry of unity 188 3.3 The Church is understood as a communion of communions 192 3.4