The schism between the Orthodox Churches and the Roman Catholic Church make the Protestant/Catholic split look like a minor disagreement. It surprised me, then to see the recent news about Pope John Paul II returning Orthodox relics to the leaders of the Orthodox Church.

For those of you who don’t have the Christian Schism scorecard, a good place to start is at the Hall of Church History, and you can read about things like the Great Schism of 1054. Contrary to popular understanding, Muslims were not the only recipients of the Roman Catholic Church’s wrath during the Crusades. The Fourth Crusade was “diverted” from their perpetual attempt to “reclaim the holy land” into Constantinople, attacking the Orthodox Christians for their indifference, and even their support of Saladin during the Third Crusade.

Anyway, needless to say, the RCs and the Orthodox Christians haven’t liked each other for a long time. Pope John Paul II had made it a goal of his tenure to encourage unity with the Orthodox Church, but his recent actions were the first real concrete actions taken.

Bartholomew I, the leader (Ecumenical Patriarch) of the Orthodox Church has said in response, “This brotherly gesture by the Church of Old Rome confirms that there are no insurmountable problems in the church of Christ.”

I agree that all things are possible through Christ, and that we should strive for unity (contrary to those who have a rally cry “No Peace with Rome”). However, our unity needs to be centered on Christ and His truth, and not simply a desire to “all get along”. While many Protestants seem to have the strength to hold fast to the Truth, oftentimes we fail to have the humility to even sit face to face with a Christian brother and talk to them. Until we can do that, unity will never happen.