I'm not trying to "bash" or be critical here, and I'm all for the Schismatic Easterners returning to the fold, but I've always been honestly curious about the "two lungs" statement. How can it not be seen to be an insult to Eastern Catholics? Doesn't it imply that they are inconsequential? Shouldn't they be considered the other lung? Aren't the Schismatic Easterners separated from the Body of Christ, as many of the Popes and Councils have stated?
I really can’t answer to that. Fortunately for humanity, I am not arbiter of these distinctions. If I were, there would scarcely be anybody called Catholic, myself included. I just accept that I have to submit my thinking to the pope on these matters.
I still cannot explain why the Orthodox are not considered heretics, because they deny the papal supremacy and infallibility, etc. The Church says that they are not heretical and just schismatic (separated, etc.), so I submit to that and view them as such. What I do know is that the pope is everybody’s pope whether they accept him or not, and the pope is the one ultimately responsible for gathering the flock together.
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