− | The '''Balamand Agreement''' is a joint communique between the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Pope John Paul II, signed on [[June 29]], 1995. This document states that: ''"Our Churches are recognized mutually as Sister Churches, responsible together for the preservation of the One Church of God."'' This agreement has been widely protested by many Orthodox groups, ''The Sacred Communities of Mt. Athos'' among these. The prevailing thought is that no "Sister Church" status can exist until the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Western Church are in full communion.
| + | #REDIRECT [[Balamand Statement]] |
− | * From the official publication of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, "Episkepsis," No. 520, July 31, 1995, p. 19.
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