Archbishop Elias Zoghby and his efforts at Orthodox-Catholic reconciliation within the Patriarchate of Antioch: An exposition in the light of contemporary ecumenical thought

Abstract

This thesis studies Archbishop Elias Zoghby and his efforts at Orthodox-Catholic reconciliation within the Patriarchate of Antioch in the light of contemporary ecumenical thought. He has spent the past forty years promoting the cause of unity among the Catholic and Orthodox Churches and has written several articles and books on the unification of the Byzantine Churches of Antioch. Kyr Elias encountered many challenges and criticisms for his project of Double Communion and received much attention for his theological contributions. Although his ideas have been set aside as impractical, it is argued that his treatment of the subject of ecumenism is based on the experiences of everyday life of the lay faithful of Antioch. As such it is a viable representation of lived communion. Chapter One examines briefly the history of the Church of Antioch its experience of the tragedy of schism, and its special vocation to breaking new ground, all from a perspective that helps to better understand the present ecumenical climate within that Church and the milieu from which Archbishop Zoghby emerged. Chapter Two introduces the man himself, his life and his ministry. In the third chapter the written ecumenical works of Archbishop Zoghby are examined chronologically. In Chapter Four is an analysis of his ideas, explored by means of the reactions of both the Catholic and the Orthodox authorities to his initiatives. Furthermore, this chapter sets Kyr Elias's writings alongside the ecumenical ideas of Pope John Paul II's encyclical Ut Unum Sint in order to compare and contrast the two. The conclusion notes some of the weaknesses of Archbishop Zoghby's initiative, but also highlights some aspects of his proposals that have not yet been fully accepted and perhaps not even fully understood by the ecumenical movement at large.