Orthodox – Old Catholic Dialogue (Negotiations for Unification)

Abstract

Ivan Yovchev, Orthodox – Old Catholic Dialogue (Negotiations for Unification). Negotiations for unification between the Old Catholics and the Orthodox Church began shortly after the establishment of the Old Catholic Church as an independent entity, which originated from the Roman Catholic Church. The primary reason for its separation from Roman Catholicism was the newly accepted dogmas of the First Vatican Council by Roman Catholics, which contradicted what was established by the ancient Church, such as the dogma of the "infallibility of the pope." The negotiations have been a long process, lasting almost a hundred years. Despite the progress made in aligning dogmatic teachings, the desired unification has not been realized. Today, the dialogue is at a standstill, and the distance between the Orthodox and Old Catholics appears to be insurmountable and final.