Relations of the Orthodox Church with the Rest of the Christian World

The text was put together before the council from two older drafts, one on relations with other Christians and one on the ecumenical movement, as the council’s own history of its preparation records. Paragraph 1 states that the Orthodox Church is the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church. Paragraph 6 says that her unity cannot be disturbed and that she nevertheless “accepts the historical name” of other Christian churches and confessions not in communion with her. Later paragraphs commit the Orthodox churches to theological dialogue and set conditions for their part in the World Council of Churches.

The draft was contested before the council met. The Georgian synod called it unacceptable in its minutes of 10 June 2016, and the Bulgarian synod had published proposals for changes to it in April; see the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church.