Asked what the next steps will be in this process of dialogue with the churches, Cardinal Koch stated that during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (celebrated from January 18 to 25, 2024), the Joint Commission will meet in Rome International between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox churches.
“We have the plenary assembly of the Eastern Orthodox here in Rome just next week, and they have already announced that they can speak on these issues,” the Swiss prelate told EWTN.
Koch also indicated that, in light of the responses he has received from the Orthodox churches, he wrote to Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and now a new member of the Dicastery he leads, to ask for clarifications before this meeting, in order to “have some explanations.”