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6/23/05
Joint
Dialogue
Commission
The
Romanian
Orthodox
Episcopate
of
America
-
The
Romanian
Orthodox
Archdiocese
in
America
&
Canada
COMMUNIQUÉ
The
members
of
the
Joint
Dialogue
Commission
of
The
Romanian
Orthodox
Episcopate
of
America
and
The
Romanian
Orthodox
Archdiocese
in
America
and
Canada
gathered
on
June
23,
2005
at
the
St.
George
Romanian
Orthodox
Cathedral
in
Southfield,
Michigan
to
continue
reflecting
on
the
situation
of
our
two
Eparchies
and
the
ways
in
which
we
might
more
fully
heal
the
division
that
our
Romanian
Orthodox
community
has
suffered
for
over
fifty
years.
Present
for
our
discussion
were
our
respective
Hierarchs:
His
Eminence
Archbishop
NATHANIEL,
His
Eminence
Archbishop
NICOLAE,
and
His
Grace
Auxiliary
Bishop
IRINEU.
Meeting
during
this
celebration
of
the
Feast
of
Pentecost
when
our
Heavenly
Father
sent
His
Holy
Spirit
upon
His
Church,
we
too
felt
His
presence
among
us
and
guiding
us
in
this
Holy
task.
It
has
been
over
ten
years
since
we
chose
to
begin
exploring
the
possibility
of
the
reintegration
of
the
original
Diocese,
led
by
Bishop
POLICARP,
of
thrice-blessed
memory.
It
brings
us
great
joy
to
be
able
to
say
that
we
have
reached
a
broad
consensus
on
the
principles
necessary
for
healing
our
brokenness
and
division
and
reuniting
the
Romanian
Orthodox
community
on
this
continent
while
also
advancing
the
larger
vision
of
Orthodox
Christian
unity
here
in
the
United
States
and
Canada.
In
1993,
at
our
very
first
meeting
we
said:
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The
historical
facts
that
brought
about
our
separation
for
over
four
decades
cannot
be
ignored.
Memories
on
all
sides
are
painful.
We
should
all
recognize
that
the
Church
was
combating
the
demonic
force
of
Communism
that
was
bent
on
its
destruction.
The
effect
of
that
struggle
was
felt
not
only
in
Eastern
Europe,
and
specifically
Romania,
but
here
as
well.
How
each
person
responded
to
this
threat
differed.
That
there
was
disagreement
as
to
the
proper
approach
to
combat
it,
cannot
be
disputed.
People
of
faith
and
goodwill
can
sometime
disagree
and
even
disagree
violently.
We
pray
and
assume
that
each
acted
according
to
their
conscience
for
the
good
of
the
Church
and
the
preservation
of
the
faith.
It
is
beyond
our
power
to
judge
them
and
their
motives.
They
acted
according
to
the
demands
of
the
historical
situation
presented
them. |
We
cannot
turn
back
half
a
century
of
pain
and
injustice,
or
ignore
the
facts
that
brought
us
to
our
present
disunity.
We
thank
God
for
those,
on
all
sides,
who,
like
Bishop
POLICARP,
led
and
suffered
in
the
past.
What
gives
us
courage
to
move
forward
today
is
the
promise
of
the
common
witness
and
mission
that
a
single
Romanian
Orthodox
ecclesiastical
entity
can
provide
toward
the
inevitable
establishment
of
a
united
Orthodox
Church
here.
We
are
building
upon
the
vision
of
the
first
great
missionaries
in
America,
among
these
St.
Tikhon,
Archbishop
in
North
America
and
Confessor
of
the
faith
and
St.
Raphael
of
Brooklyn,
as
well
as
others
who
experienced
and
understood
the
complexity
of
the
Church’s
life
here
even
in
the
earliest
decades
of
the
last
century.
We
have
committed
ourselves
to
resolving
certain
remaining
issues.
In
the
next
months
we
hope
to
present
specific
proposals
for
consideration
by
our
community.
We
ask
all
of
you
to
pray
that
the
Holy
Spirit
continue
to
work
in
and
through
us,
so
that
together,
we
may
serve
and
glorify
the
one
Body
of
our
Lord
and
God
and
Savior,
Jesus
Christ.
Fr.
Nicholas
Apostola
Fr.
Ioan
Ioniţă
Fr.
Ion
Gherman
Fr.
George
Chişcă
Fr.
George
Săndulescu |
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Fr.
Laurence
Lazar
Fr.
Romey
Rosco
Fr.
Remus
Grama
Fr.
Cătălin
Mitescu
Fr.
Ian
Pac-Urar |
Detroit,
Michigan,
USA
23
June
2005 |
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