The Filioque as an Over-Thousand-Year-Old Aporia in Orthodox–Catholic Relations: The Vatican’s 1995 Clarification on the Procession of the Holy Spirit as a Source of Hope for Changes in the Doctrine and Liturgical Practice of the Roman Catholic Churc

This article examines the Filioque controversy as a thousand-year-old aporia in Roman Catholic–Orthodox relations, focusing on the 1995 Vatican Clarification, The Greek and Latin Traditions about the Procession of the Holy Spirit. It explores whether the dispute is a fundamental ontological disagreement regarding the hypostatic origin of the Spirit or a linguistic byproduct of translating the Greek term ekporeusis into the Latin processio. The study analyzes diverse theological responses to “the Clarification”. Roman Catholic perspectives investigate contemporary “reconceptions”—including simultaneous, nonsequential models and nonlinear geometric metaphors—while attempting to reconcile the “Monarchy of the Father” with the dogmatic authority of the Councils of Lyon II and Florence. Conversely, Orthodox theologians emphasize patristic rigor, insisting on a strict distinction between “Theology” (eternal life) and “Economy” (historical actions) while rejecting “Rahner’s Rule”. Ultimately, the research highlights that the unilateral canonical addition of the Filioque remains the primary ecclesiological barrier to unity. The article asserts that only deep, synodal dialogue, rather than administrative clarifications, can resolve this historical impasse and restore a common confession of faith.