Commission mixte internationale pour le dialogue théologique entre l’Église catholique romaine et l’Église orthodoxe

This article presents the French translation of the document adopted in June 2023 at the 15th session of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, held in Alexandria. It is an official ecumenical agreement text dealing with the notions of synodality and primacy in the Church. The study examines the way in which these two ecclesiological principles have been articulated in the East and the West over the course of the second millennium, up to the contemporary period. The major theological contribution lies in the formulation of a common vision of ecclesial structure, which rejects both the pyramidal model centered on a single primate and the federative model of independent Churches. This document constitutes a significant step in the doctrinal rapprochement between the two Christian traditions on questions of organization and authority in the Church.

This article reproduces the agreement document adopted in Munich in July 1982 at the second plenary meeting of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church. It is a joint doctrinal text articulated in three parts. The first establishes the Trinitarian and pneumatological foundation of the Eucharist, showing how the Son and the Spirit cooperate in the sacramental actualization of the paschal mystery. The second examines the structure of the local Church, the role of the bishop in eucharistic presidency, and the organic nature of apostolic succession. The third deals with communion between local Churches, their catholicity, and episcopal collegiality. The main contribution of the document lies in the formulation of a bilateral agreement on eucharistic ecclesiology, laying the groundwork for further dialogue on points still in dispute between the two traditions.