Editing Ecumenism (section)

===Catholic–Orthodox dialogue===
The mutual [[anathema]]s (excommunications) of 1054, marking the Great Schism between Western (Catholic) and Eastern (Orthodox) branches of Christianity, a process spanning several centuries, were revoked in 1965 by Pope Paul VI and the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. The Catholic Church does not regard Orthodox Christians as excommunicated, since they personally have no responsibility for the separation of their churches. In fact, Catholic rules admit the Orthodox to communion and the other sacraments in situations where the individuals are in danger of death or no Orthodox churches exist to serve the needs of their faithful. However, Orthodox churches still generally regard Roman Catholics as excluded from the sacraments and some may even not regard Catholic sacraments such as baptism and ordination as valid.<ref>{{cite web|author=Metropolitan Philaret|title=A Protest to Patriarch Athenagoras: On the Lifting of the Anathemas of 1054|date=December 1965|publisher=Orthodox Christian Information Center|url=http://orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/philaret_lifting.aspx}}</ref>

In November 2006, [[Pope Benedict XVI]] traveled to Istanbul at the invitation of [[Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople]] and participated in the feast day services of St. Andrew the First Apostle, the patron saint of the Church of Constantinople. The Ecumenical Patriarch and Pope Benedict had another historic meeting in Ravenna, Italy in 2007. The [[Declaration of Ravenna]] marked a significant rapprochement between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox positions. The declaration recognized the bishop of Rome as the Protos, or first among equals of the Patriarchs. This acceptance and the entire agreement was hotly contested by the Russian Orthodox Church. The signing of the declaration highlighted the pre-existing tensions between the Patriarch of Constantinople and the Moscow Patriarchate. Besides their theological concerns, the Russian Orthodox have continuing concerns over the question of the [[Eastern Catholic Churches]] that operate in what they regard as Orthodox territory. This question has been exacerbated by disputes over churches and other property that the Communist authorities once assigned to the Orthodox Church but whose restoration these Churches have obtained from the present authorities.

A major obstacle to improved relations between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches has been the insertion of the Latin term [[filioque]] into the [[Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed]] in the 8th and 11th centuries.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_P17.HTM#XTCatechism |title= Cathecism of the Catholic Church, 247 |publisher=Vatican.va |access-date=2013-04-25}}</ref> This obstacle has now been effectively resolved. The Catholic Church now recognizes that the Creed, as confessed at the [[First Council of Constantinople]], did not add "and the Son", when it spoke of the Holy Spirit as proceeding from the Father. When quoting the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, as in the 6 August 2000 document ''[[Dominus Iesus]]'', it does not include ''filioque''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20000806_dominus-iesus_en.html |title=Dominus Iesus |publisher=Vatican.va |access-date=2013-04-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130411015820/https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20000806_dominus-iesus_en.html |archive-date=2013-04-11 }}</ref> It views as complementary the Eastern-tradition expression "who proceeds from the Father" (profession of which it sees as affirming that he comes from the Father through the Son) and the Western-tradition expression "who proceeds from the Father and the Son", with the Eastern tradition expressing firstly the Father's character as first origin of the Spirit, and the Western tradition giving expression firstly to the consubstantial communion between Father and Son; and it believes that, provided this legitimate complementarity does not become rigid, it does not affect the identity of faith in the reality of the same mystery confessed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ewtn.com/library/COUNCILS/TREATBR.HTM |title=Article 1 of the Treaty of Brest |publisher=Ewtn.com |access-date=2013-04-25}}</ref>

Continuing dialogues at both international and national level continues between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches. A particularly close relationship has grown up between Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. Both church leaders have in particular emphasized their common concern for refugees and persecuted Christians in the Middle East. The 2016 [[Pan-Orthodox Council]] that was held in Crete aroused great expectations for advances in Church unity. However, not all Orthodox churches participated and, as a result, the Russian Patriarch refused to recognize the council as a truly ecumenical gathering. A major milestone in the growing rapprochement between the Catholic and Orthodox churches was the 12 February 2016 meeting held in Havana, Cuba between Patriarch Kirill and Pope Francis. The two church leaders issued a [[Joint Declaration of Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill]] at the conclusion of their discussions.