Joint Prayers with Non-Orthodox Christians: Canonical Aspect

The article is an analytical reflection on the draft document of the Inter- Council Presence of the Russian Orthodox Church “On Issues of Prayer with Non- Orthodox Christians”, published on October 1st, 2024 for a wide discussion; there is also a reflection on the canonical problem of participation of representatives of the Orthodox Church in ecumenical prayers and services. The relevance of the topic results from the fact that many Orthodox believers perceive such participation as violation of a number of regulations from the corpus of canon law of the Orthodox Church, which prohibit religious communion with heretics and schismatics. The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church proposed to consider this topic at the Inter- Council Presence in 2020. Answering the question if Orthodox participation in certain ecumenical meetings and projects is admissible, it should be taken into consideration that the purpose of such participation must be a firm and steadfast testimony to the Orthodox faith and a desire to bring its truth to the attention of non- Orthodox believers through dialog and discussion. In this case, such participation should be regarded as a type of the missionary ministry of the Church. No canonical norms can be used to limit or harm the preaching of the Orthodox faith to the rest of the world. It should also be taken into account that while the written formulas of the church rules are immutable in the practical application of the canons to each particular life situation, the Church has always been guided by the discrete principles of akrivia (strict literalism) and oikonomia (expediency and reasonable leniency). The article was prepared on the basis of a report presented at the VIII Barsov Readings (December 6, 2024, St. Petersburg Theological Academy).