Can we hope for Christian unity between Catholics and Orthodox?

The Catholic Church in fact started its heavy involvement in the ecumenical movement since the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) known as Vatican II. In early 1963, Paul VI embraced the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Athenagoras, in his historical visit to the Holy Land. In 1965, closing Vatican II, Pope Paul VI, simultaneously with the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople and his Synod, removed the anathemas between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church of Constantinople. In 1973, Paul VI received, in Rome, Pope Shenouda III of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria where they signed a dogmatic declaration agreeing on the issue of the humanity and divinity of Christ being perfect and united in his person. John Paul II followed his immediate predecessors' policy of opening to the Orthodox Churches. He visited Dimitrius I in Constantinople in 1979 and more visits ensued between Rome and Constantinople. In 2000, in his pligrimage to the Middle East, he visited Shenouda III and proposed more efforts to remove the only hard problem remaining, the primacy of the Roman Pontiff. He also met with Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Patriarchs in Syria. Meanwhile a theological dialogue was already under way with both Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches (who in 1989 reached a theological agreement on all doctrines). John Paul II desired strongly the achievement of Christian unity asnd reunion with the Eastern Orthodox by the third millenium for which he worked tirelessly. He coined the phrase that the Church must breath with both her lungs. Since Benedict XVI has been elected to the Holy See of Rome, much ecumenical efforts have been directed to move towards the East. In Benedict, we find the same movement, if not more. His recent writings indicate a desire to "reform" the reform of Vatican II in the liturgy. Benedict XVI is adamant, so it seems, that the priest in the Mass should face the altar not the people. He further wants to have the altar built towards the East from which our Sun of Righteousness, Christ, came. The theological dialogue between Catholic and Orthodox theologians this year seems also to have resulted at a preliminary recommendation to recognize the primacy of the Pope of Rome. I think we can, and should, hope for Christian unity between Catholics and Orthodox Churches.This is the prayer which Christ himself uttered to his Father (John 17). Let us make it our prayer too!