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For decades, Ladouceur blessed the Canadian Council of Churches with his breadth of scholarship and his deep theological and ecumenical insights.
He represented the Archdiocese of Canada of the Orthodox Church in America on the Canadian Council of Churches Commission on Faith and Witness and Governing Board. He also served on the Commission on Faith and Witness Steering Committee for many years.
“Ladouceur will be remembered for his faithful articulation of the Orthodox faith and positions, his gentle spirit, incisive intellect, wide historical knowledge, and profound respect for all Christian traditions,” wrote Dr Maria Simakova, associate general secretary of the Canadian Council of Churches.
Ladouceur was a distinguished theologian, teacher, and writer in the Orthodox Christian tradition. His well-known Modern Orthodox Theology: ‘Behold, I Make All Things New’ (T&T Clark, 2019) was a landmark synthesis of theological currents from the 15th c. through Russian religious renaissance, the neopatristic revival, and into contemporary debates on theosis, ecclesiology, and anthropology. He authored many articles on Orthodox theology and spirituality, comparative theology, and ecumenism.
Ladouceur was also a prolific translator and editor and helped English- and French-speaking readers to engage with the writings of Orthodox theologians Fr Sergius Bulgakov, Fr Georges Florovsky, Fr Lev Gillet, Saint Maria of Paris, and Myrrha Lot-Borodin.
Ladouceur was a leading Orthodox ecumenist in Canada and globally. He was the Orthodox co-chair of the Orthodox-Pentecostal Academic Dialogue in North America and gave presentations at ecumenical conferences and events around the world.
He also made a profound impact on generations of colleagues and students at the Faculty of Divinity of Trinity College (Toronto School of Theology, University of Toronto), l’Institut de théologie orthodoxe de Montréal, and theological faculties around the globe where he taught and gave presentations.
“We will remember Dr Ladouceur as a beloved friend and colleague, a mentor for whom ecumenical dialogue was a profound spiritual calling, a gifted conversationalist with a gentle and wry sense of humour, and a generous soul who was always willing to listen, to engage, to cherish differences, and to strive towards mutual understanding and unity,” wrote Simakova. “As many of us know, Paul’s emails always began with, ‘Christ est parmi nous ! // Christ is amongst us!’ This ancient Christian greeting vividly expresses our joyful faith and hope in the Resurrection. Paul was a true witness to this gospel message.”
