UNITY OF LOCAL ORTHODOX CHURCHES IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CONCILIAR TRADITION

Abstract

The article is devoted to the religious and theological understanding of the unity of the Local Orthodox Churches in the light of the conciliar tradition as the fundamental way of existence of the Church. Conciliarity is considered not as an exclusively administrative principle, but as an ontological reality that flows from the triune nature of God and is manifested in the Eucharistic life of the Church as the Body of Christ. The study analyzes the biblical, patristic and canonical foundations of conciliarity, in particular the importance of apostolic practice, Ecumenical and Local Councils in preserving the unity of faith and church order. Special attention is paid to modern inter-Orthodox challenges that arise as a result of the weakening or violation of the conciliar principle, in particular the problems of jurisdiction, autocephaly and Eucharistic communion. The conclusions substantiate the thesis that the restoration of a full-fledged conciliar consciousness, based on the teaching of Christ, the canonical order and Eucharistic unity, is a necessary condition for overcoming modern inter-Orthodox discord and preserving the integrity of the Orthodox Church in the 21st century.