The ecclesiality of the baptism of other Christians in the consciousness of the Orthodox Church

This article by Michel Stavrou examines the question of the recognition by the Orthodox Church of baptism administered by other Christian denominations, a theological and canonical problem that has remained without official resolution and constitutes a major obstacle to ecumenical dialogue, particularly with Rome since Balamand (1993). Combining historical, dogmatic and canonical approaches, the study traces the evolution of practices for receiving non-Orthodox Christians from canon 95 of the Quinisext Council to contemporary decisions, analyzing the tensions between Greek and Slavic traditions. The author subjects the neo-Greek theology of sacramental economy, inherited from Saint Nikodemos the Hagiorite, to rigorous critique, judging it incompatible with the great patristic and Byzantine tradition. He argues that a unified pan-Orthodox reflection, grounded in the Tradition of the Fathers, should explicitly recognize a form of ecclesiality in the baptism of the main Christian denominations, a necessary condition for progress toward unity.