Catholicism and Orthodoxy

This article by Catholic theologian Louis Bouyer, an Oratorian priest and specialist in the Greek Fathers, presents itself as a personal testimony on the relations between Catholicism and Orthodoxy. Bouyer argues that the commonly accepted opposition between the two traditions constitutes a myth sustained by mutual ignorance and distorted readings of the sources. Drawing on specific examples — Mariology, the theology of Palamas, monastic spirituality, the icon, and the theme of the imitation of Christ — he shows that the supposed incompatibilities rest on reciprocal caricatures. His theological contribution is to demonstrate that Catholicism and Orthodoxy share a substantial common tradition, and that their divergences reflect complementary perspectives rather than irreducible doctrinal contradictions, thus opening an ecumenical path grounded in a return to patristic sources.