“Connecting Dialogues”, a new online database for Catholic-Orthodox dialogue

On 3 November 2022 a new online database on the Orthodox-Catholic dialogue was launched by the Pro Oriente Steering Committee for Orthodox-Catholic Dialogue (POSCOCD).

The online database gathers common declarations, documents and texts published since the 1960s on different levels – official and unofficial, national and international – in particular: documents of the official Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church; common statements and texts of theological dialogues on national or regional levels; results of theological dialogues between the Catholic Church and single autocephalous Orthodox Churches; documentary material of meetings between Popes and Primates of Orthodox Churches; common studies of unofficial groups for theological dialogue; Catholic and Orthodox documents relevant for theological dialogue between Catholics and Orthodox. The database includes the texts, when available, in four Western languages (English, French, German, Italian) and four Eastern languages (Greek, Romanian, Russian, Serbian).

The new online platform aims at connecting different commissions and levels of dialogue with a view to fostering exchange between them; facilitating reception of the results of the dialogues in theological education and church life; and encouraging young people to establish a new relationship between Orthodox and Catholics.

The project has been developed by a POSCOCD sub-committee of five members, including Revd Hyacinthe Destivelle, Official of the DPCU, Revd Professor Vladimir Khulap, Revd Professor Ioan Moga, Dr Johannes Oeldemann, and Dr Katerina Pekridou.