Growth in Criticism? Comparing Orthodox Responses to Vatican II

Reports of global ecumenical conversations are regularly published by the World Council of Churches in a collection of volumes titled Growth in Agreement. The assumption is that the dialogues are not just repeating the same arguments they made half a century ago, but that relations between member churches have grown qualitatively as a result of this process. This paper asks whether Orthodox critique of Roman Catholic ecclesiology reflects signs of growth or continues "traditional" stereotypical thinking about other churches and religions. The paper first examines Orthodox reactions to Lumen Gentium during and immediately after the Second Vatican Council, then compares them with Orthodox reactions to the council's 50th anniversary. The paper concludes by asking whether Pope Francis' endeavour to reform the Catholic Church in the direction of greater synodality is partly the result of the expectations of our sister churches' representatives over the past 50 years.