Patriarch Athenagoras: love as a criterion for inter-ecclesial relations

This article examines the figure of Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople and his conception of inter-ecclesial relations, through an unpublished text by Metropolitan Damaskinos Papandreou (1936-2011), an Orthodox theologian and committed participant in ecumenical dialogue. The study analyzes Patriarch Athenagoras's deliberate choice to place the "dialogue of charity" at the foundation of rapprochements between Churches, distinguishing it from strictly theological dialogue. The author interprets this priority given to love not as a doctrinal renunciation, but as a conscious and responsible pastoral act, bearing a coherent ecclesiological vision. On the theological level, the article contributes to reflection on the conditions and methods of inter-ecclesial dialogue by showing how charity can constitute a structuring criterion for relations between separated Christian communities, independently of prior dogmatic convergences.