Presentation of the Document

THE BISHOP OF ROME

PRIMACY AND SYNODALITY IN THE ECUMENICAL DIALOGUES
AND IN THE RESPONSES TO THE ENCYCLICAL UT UNUM SINT

Intervention of His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian
Representative of the Armenian Apostolic Church to the Holy See
Catholicossate of Etchmiadzin

Holy See Press Office, 13 June 2024

I would like to begin by congratulating Cardinal Kurt Koch and the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity on the publication of this document, which will be a reference text for ecumenical dialogue for the years to come. As Cardinal Koch pointed out, this is the first time that the ecumenical discussion on primacy and synodality has been summarised systematically and in such depth. As such, it could be considered as a valuable point of departure for a renewed discussion on the exercise of primacy and synodality.

Personally, as representative of the Armenian Apostolic Church to the Holy See, I find it particularly interesting to note how the remarkable theological dialogue between the Oriental Orthodox Churches and the Catholic Church, the twentieth anniversary of which we are celebrating this year, has been a source of inspiration for this text. In particular, the second document of this theological dialogue, on the exercise of communion in the life of the early Church, shows how the early centuries can be a source of inspiration for today. As affirmed by the Study Document, at that time, expressions of communion were not primarily juridical and there was a great diversity of ecclesial models. It is the conviction of the Oriental Orthodox Churches’ family that these forms of communion must remain paradigmatic as we reflect on the nature and mission of the Church in the third millennium. I would also like to mention the theological dialogue with the Eastern Orthodox Church, which has dedicated three entire documents to the theme of primacy and synodality, in particular the most recent document agreed in Alexandria in 2023.

As a fraternal delegate of the Armenian Apostolic Church to the Catholic Synod on Synodality, I also welcome the proposals contained in this text for strengthening internal synodality within the Catholic Church. Undoubtedly, the synodality of the Catholic Church is an important criterion for the Oriental Orthodox Churches on our way to full communion. The Oriental Orthodox Churches can also contribute to this reflection through their centuries-old experience of synodality. In this regard, I would also like to publicly acknowledge the initiative of the symposium Listening to the East, to which I contributed, organised by the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity in collaboration with the Institute for Ecumenical Studies of the Angelicum in Rome in 2022.

Likewise, the various proposals of the document to strengthen synodality "ad extra" seem promising to me, because a certain synodality can be practised between our Churches even if we are not yet in full communion. In this regard, the initiatives of Pope Francis, such as the Bari meeting on the Middle East in 2018 or, more recently, the ecumenical vigil “Together” on the eve of the Synod of 2023, should encourage us to organise other meetings of this kind.

I am particularly pleased with the proposal, taken up again in the document, to distinguish more clearly between the different functions of the Pope, on the one hand, as Patriarch of the Latin Church, on the other, as minister of unity between the different Churches, and, finally, as Head of State. In this regard, the recent reinstatement of the title of “Patriarch of the West” among the Pope's historical titles is important, since this title, inherited from the first millennium, evidences his brotherhood with the other Patriarchs. Undoubtedly, Pope Francis' insistence on his ministry as Bishop of Rome is also essential, because it is as Bishop of Rome, the Church “which presides over charity”, as Ignatius of Antioch says in his Letter to the Romans, that the Pope is called to serve the communion of Churches.

As the text rightly points out, what is most lacking today in the ecumenical journey is a model of full communion. All the theological dialogues with the Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches emphasise that the present relationship of the Eastern Catholic Churches with Rome cannot be considered a model for future communion. We hope that this document will give new impetus to reflect together on a new model, a model not of jurisdiction but of communion.

Finally, I would like to express the hope that this document will be shared with the various Christian Churches so that we can continue our reflection. The anniversary of the Council of Nicaea next year will certainly be a good opportunity to do so.