Changes

*ca.1770 About 1,200 Kiev region Uniate churches return to Orthodoxy under political pressure from Russia.

*1793-95 Over 2,300 Uniate churches became Orthodox under Tsarina Catherine the Great.

*1847 Restoration of [[w:Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem|Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem]] by Pope Pius IX.

*1848 ''[[Encyclical of the Eastern Patriarchs]]'' sent by the primates and synods of the four ancient patriarchates of the Orthodox Church, condemning the [[Filioque]] as [[heresy]], declaring the [[Roman Catholic Church]] to be [[heresy|heretical]], [[schism]]atic, and in [[apostasy]], repudiating [[Ultramontanism]] and referring to the Photian Council of 879-880 as the "[[Eighth Ecumenical Council]]."

*2004 Return of relics of Ss. [[John Chrysostom]] and [[Gregory the Theologian]] to Constantinople from Rome (after having been stolen by Crusaders); the [http://www.olconference.com/OL_PastConEE1.html Orientale Lumen EuroEast I] conference is held in Istanbul, May 10-13, 2004.<ref group="note">This was the 11th of a series of Orientale Lumen Conferences, since they began in 1997. ''Orientale Lumen EuroEast I'' was jointly announced by the [[Church of Constantinople|Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople]], the [[w:Pontifical Oriental Institute|Pontifical Oriental Institute]], the [http://orientale-lumen.blogspot.com/ Catholic and Orthodox Society of St. John Chrysostom], and [http://ecpubs.com/ Eastern Christian Publications]. The thematic focus of the 80 participants of [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb3236/is_2_41/ai_n29153469/?tag=content;col1 Orientale Lumen Euro-East I] was ''"Liturgy as the Foundation of Dialogue."'' The meeting transpired over the anniversary of the founding of Constantinople on May 11,330 A.D.</ref>

*2006 Pope Benedict XVI drops title ''Patriarch of the West''; Abp. [[Christodoulos (Paraskevaides) of Athens]] visits Vatican, the first head of the [[Church of Greece]] to visit the Vatican, reciprocating the Pope's visit to Greece in 2001, and signing a ''[http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/speeches/2001/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_20010504_joint-declaration_en.html Joint Declaration on the importance of the Christian roots of Europe]'' and protecting fundamental human rights; the [[Church of Russia|Russian Orthodox]] and [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] Churches confronted [[w:Secular humanism|Secular Humanism]] at the conference ''"[http://www.pro-oriente.at/?site=ps20060511124020 Giving a Soul to Europe]"'' (Vienna, May 3-5, 2006),<ref group="note">The conference was organized jointly by the [[w:Pontifical Council for Culture|Pontifical Council for Culture]] and the [http://www.mospat.ru/en/department/today/ Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate].</ref> discussing the challenges facing Christianity, specifically materialism, consumerism, agnosticism, secularism and relativism, all based on liberal humanist ideology, constituting a real threat to Christianity today.<ref group="note">From the perspective of the Church [[w:Secular humanism|Secular Humanism]] is defined as a religious philosophical worldview based on [[atheism]], [[w:Naturalism (philosophy)|naturalism]], [[evolution]], and [[w:Moral relativism|ethical relativism]], attempting to function as a civilized society with the total exclusion of [[God]] and His moral principles. At the conference Bishop [[Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Vienna|Hilarion Alfeyev]] called in most resolute terms for '''an institutionalized Orthodox-Catholic alliance''', without which, he said, it would not be possible to defend traditional values in Europe: ''"What we are witnessing is the final attack of militant secularism on the remains of Christian civilization in Europe."'' Note that at its 50th anniversary World Humanist Congress in 2002, the [[w:International Humanist and Ethical Union|International Humanist and Ethical Union]] (IHEU) published its ''"[[w:Amsterdam Declaration|Amsterdam Declaration]]",'' the defining statement of worldwide secular Humanism, embracing Humanist, atheist, rationalist, secular, skeptic, Ethical Culture, freethought and similar organisations worldwide.</ref>

*2009 Led by three senior archbishops, a group of Orthodox clergy in Greece published a manifesto, ''[http://www.impantokratoros.gr/FA9AF77F.en.aspx A Confession of Faith Against Ecumenism],'' pledging to resist all ecumenical ties with Roman Catholics and Protestants, amongst its signatories including six metropolitans, as well as 49 archimandrites, 22 hieromonks, and 30 nuns and abbesses, as well as many other priests and church elders; Orthodox-Roman Catholic Joint Commission meets in Paphos, Cyprus, 11th plenary, studying the theme ''"The Role of the Bishop of Rome in the Communion of the Church in the First Millennium;"'' first-ever Russian Orthodox church is consecrated in Rome.

*2010 First ever visit by a pope to Cyprus, as Pope Benedict went on a sensitive three-day day visit to the divided island; Cardinal Walter Kasper stated that there can be no full integration of eastern and western Europe without ecumenical dialogue and the contribution of the eastern European Orthodox churches; at the ''“[http://www.fordham.edu/mvst/conference10/orthodox/index.html Orthodox Constructions of the West]”'' conference at Fordham University (June 28-30), keynote speaker Fr. Robert F. Taft, (S.J) delivered the address ''"Perceptions and Realities in Orthodox-Catholic Relations Today,"'' calling on Catholic and Orthodox Churches to Restore Communion;<ref group="note">Eastern-rite Jesuit scholar Rev. Robert Taft made a similar appeal for union when he delivered the annual Kelly Lecture at the University of Toronto's St. Michael's College in 2000. (''Jesuit slams Catholic-Orthodox rift.'' [[w:Times-Colonist|Victoria Times Colonist]]. December 16, 2000. A12.)</ref> Pope [[Benedict XVI]] proclaims the [[w:Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation|Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation]]; [http://www.olconference.com/OL_FutCon_EuroEast_III Orientale Lumen EuroEast III] conference, July 5-8, 2010 in Istanbul.

==Notes==

<references group="note" />

==Further reading==