text: How is “ right-wing governments that will give deference to the hierarchs and grant them some influence” different from “a theocratic type of state”? 
  Encyclopedia Brittanica gives us “Theocracy, government by divine guidance or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided.” Giving deference and influence to hierarchs, presumably because they are guided by God, means that they have a role to play in legislating. That is what theocracy is.
  In any event, Spadaro is saying the meeting is over shared objectives, ie for a political purpose related to the themes. The politicization of the themes, and consequent partisanship, is part of what defines the ecumenism of conflict. It is possible to agree on the themes, while disagreeing over the objectives, ie agree abortion is evil but disagree with outlawing it. Polarization, that says we must outlaw abortion if we believe it is evil, is another of the features that define the ecumenism of conflict. Saying “certainly not” doesnt change that.