Congress of the Orthodox Youth of the South

This article by Father Cyrille Argenti constitutes a critical commentary on the pre-conciliar introductory resolution concerning the participation of the laity in the life of the Orthodox Church. Adopting both a theological and pastoral approach, the author contests the claim that this subject is not of particular concern to the Orthodox Church. He argues on the contrary that the question of the royal priesthood of the baptized is central, both to the internal coherence of Orthodox ecclesiology and to ecumenical dialogue. The article identifies the shortcomings of the pre-conciliar document, notably its division of the Church into two "classes," and formulates a series of precise theological questions on the relationships between ministerial priesthood, charisms, and the laity. The contribution of the article lies in its demonstration that the development of a balanced Orthodox theology of the priesthood conditions both the evangelization of the modern world and the ecumenical vocation of the Orthodox Church.