For Catholics and Orthodox - a discussion

To start the ball rolling, I thought I would list some of the possible obstacles to reunification as I have heard them. My Orthodox brothers are welcome to respond with their own list which I have no doubt will be more complete

1. The Filioque Clause: This is a clause, a phrase in the Nicene Creed which is added in the Catholic Church and was never added in the Orthodox Church.
It is a statement about the Holy Spirit:

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, Who proceeds from the Father and the Son; Who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified; Who has spoken by the prophets.

2. The Pope: The Western or Catholic Church has always had a head, who serves as the vicar of Christ on Earth. He can speak authoritatively on matters of faith and morals only when speaking "ex cathedra" or formally from the Papal Throne and claiming the full authority of the Magisterium. When and ONLY when he does this, his pronouncements are Infallible.

The Orthodox have no Pope, but instead have several Ecumenical Patriarchs governing the various Autocephelous Patriarchies as equals. There is some discussion of the Pope being considered as equivalent to an Ecumenical Patriarch if the churches unify.

3. Mary: The Latin, or Roman Catholic Church, has made two pronouncements about Mary which are not shared by the Orthodox. One is the Immaculate Conception - which is the belief that Mary, through an act of grace, was preserved from the effects of original sin at the time she was conceived. This is a belief which depends on the Catholic definition and logic attached to "original sin." The second is that Mary is considered (again only in the West) to have been, at the end of her life, assumed body and soul into Heaven. In Orthodoxy there is a tradition called the "dormition" of Mary.

4. Married Priests: In the Catholic Church, Deacons may marry, or may elect celibacy. Priests must swear celibacy and so must bishops. However it was not always so. Celibacy once was required only of bishops until an order from Pope Leo III to impose celibacy on the clergy in response to many abuses in Western Europe by bishops and priests of the Middle Ages. Married ministers from Protestant churches who become Catholic priests are allowed to be priests even though they are married.

In Orthodoxy, married men may become priests, but an unmarried priest may never marry. Orthodox bishops are always celibate.

5. Traditions: There are many other customs and traditions which have diverged in the course of almost a millennium. One of the biggest is the way the faithful receive the Holy Eucharist as Catholics or as Orthodox. Another is the way baptisms and confirmation and first communions are administered. And others are more minor, such as types of vestments worn, and art and music.

My own personal view is the items 1 and 2 are the only ones of major significance and can both be overcome. God willing.

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For Catholics and Orthodox - a discussion