“Today, we are called to approach the thorny reality of inter-Christian relations with very specific spiritual realism and conciliar responsibility. This process constitutes an eminently delicate matter, full of demands, because theological dialogue requires exhaustive labour from those who participate. We need to penetrate into a network of historical differences, dense, many times entirely impenetrable, in order to touch the very body of the revealed faith. Exactly there we seek the primary nerves which hold together the existence of the Church. The confrontation with such a heavy historical past imposes that we strictly evaluate our doctrinal arsenal, isolating the life-giving core of the Gospel from the varied historical forms which surrounded it. Thus, we acquire henceforth the possibility to manage the dialogue with terms of authentic mercy.”
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
