Why are the Orthodox unwilling to accept papal authority?
In theory most Orthodox theologians accept the notion of papal primacy, but there is much debate over how it should be exercised. Pope John Paul II explicitly mentioned this in his encyclical “Ut Unum Sint,” and stated that he is open to a “new situation” with regards to how the papacy would function in a reunited Church. I tend to think that many Orthodox Christians are wary of what papal primacy would mean to them. Because of historical injustices, some Orthodox Christians are suspicious that papal primacy would be used as a tool to eliminate their traditions and impose Latin theology, spirituality, and discipline on them. The (sometimes troubled) history of certain Eastern Catholic Churches only confirms this suspicion. It is necessary for the Catholic Church to demonstrate a real and tangible respect for Eastern Christianity, which has been happening more and more during the past century. When the Orthodox are truly convinced that the Catholic Church values and respects them and th
