The riches of the Christian Orient

This article offers an Orthodox reading of John Paul II's apostolic letter *Orientale Lumen* (1995), devoted to the heritage of the Eastern Churches. Michel Stavrou adopts a critical and irenic approach, combining presentation with analytical commentary. He acknowledges the Pope's sincere goodwill toward the Eastern tradition and welcomes his call for mutual knowledge and common conversion. He notes, however, significant shortcomings: the absence of any reflection on the theology of the icon, the silence on the conciliar and eucharistic ecclesiology proper to Orthodoxy, and a persistent ambiguity in the way the Orthodox Churches and the Uniate Churches are placed on the same level. The article shows that this letter, despite its real contributions, falls short of the achievements of the Balamand dialogue (1993) and does not frankly address the doctrinal disagreements that remain at the heart of the division between Rome and Orthodoxy.