Colloquia Theologica Ottoniana

In Dumitru Stăniloae’s work, he takes original, albeit sometimes radical, positions on a great variety of ecumenical themes and problems; however, Stăniloae is always in favor of dialogue. Following Stăniloae’s arguments, I will present two themes that summarize Stăniloae’s original ecumenical vision on the union of the Churches: the theme of catholicity or open synodality, and Eucharistic intercommunion. Stăniloae suggests an open synodality or catholicity as a dogmatic and spiritual opening of the Christian Churches to rediscover their unity. At the basis of this open catholicity is the Sacred Scripture where there are diverse traditions and meanings – differences that come from the diversity of God’s actions in the history of salvation. The Catholic or synodal approach can become, in all the senses of the Scripture, the meeting point for all Christians. On the other hand, in Stăniloae’s vision, Eucharistic intercommunion must be a full Eucharistic communion. Orthodoxy considers the unity of the Church as deeply and ontologically anchored in Christ, and it considers the Eucharist as the mean that sustains this unity. This unity cannot bring the Eucharist down to the level of being psychologically and physically lax among Christians. Indeed, without the unity of faith, and without communion with the body and blood of Christ, the Church could not exist in the full sense of the word; just as without unity in faith and without the Church, Eucharistic communion cannot be achieved. Eucharistic intercommunion makes a separation between the unity of faith and the Church, inconceivable because it leads to the dissolution of the Church, of the unity of faith, and of the Eucharist itself. Communion with the body and blood of Christ cannot be separated from unity in faith or from the conviction that the Church represents a profound ontological unity of the faithful in Christ and among them.