Post by Pacelli on Jul 16, 2017 20:31:04 GMT -5
Many of those promoting ecumenism treat the so called "Orthodox" as merely schismatics, as though they have the same Faith with Catholics but just lack the unity of the Faith through their schism.
This may, once upon a time, have been true, but as the schism has persisted for such a long time, close to a 1,000 years now, the schism has moved on to heresy.
Leaving aside the contentious issue of the Filioque, who some claim is just a matter of semantics, there are many other areas where the so called "orthodox" have embraced heretical propositions against the one true Faith.
I hope that the priests of the eastern rites will read this and realize that the so called "orthodox" are a sect, that they are both schismatics and heretics, and to give them Holy Communion or hear their confessions without them abjuring their heretical sect and entering the Church is objectively a grave sin on the part of the priest.
I may also add that due to the heresies against the Faith held by the "Orthodox," their return to the Church is not just a simple submission to the Pope, they must also abandon all of their heretical ideas taught by their sect.
I list some of the heretical beliefs directly from their sources below. I realize that so called "Orthodoxy" is made up of separate sects depending on nationality, but generally, they agree on doctrine, so these sources can be taken as the common heresies of the orthodox. This list is not an exhaustive list, but publicly captures many of the heretical assertions in their own words. (All emphasis added)
Heresies and Errors of the "Orthodox":
Heresy against the Immaculate Conception:
Heretical Beliefs on Original Sin:
Heretical Beliefs and Practices on Marriage and Divorce:
Heretical Beliefs on Papal Infallibility:
Heretical Beliefs on Contraception:
False Claims of, and Heretical Belief on Apostolic Succession:
Apostolic succession is the tracing of a direct line of apostolic ordination, Orthodox doctrine, and full communion from the Apostles to the current episcopacy of the Orthodox Church. All three elements are constitutive of apostolic succession.
It is through apostolic succession that the Orthodox Christian Church is the spiritual successor to the original body of believers in Christ that was composed of the Apostles. This succession manifests itself through the unbroken succession of its bishops back to the apostles.
The unbrokenness of apostolic succession is significant because of Jesus Christ's promise that the "gates of hell" (Matthew 16:18) would not prevail against the Church, and his promise that he himself would be with the apostles to "the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). According to this interpretation, a complete disruption or end of such apostolic succession would mean that these promises were not kept as would an apostolic succession which, while formally intact, completely abandoned the teachings of the Apostles and their immediate successors; as, for example, if all the bishops of the world agreed to abrogate the Nicene Creed or repudiate the Holy Scripture.
Orthodox teachings today are the same as that of the first apostles, though their mode of expression has adapted over the centuries to deal with heresies, changes in culture and so forth. This form of the doctrine was first formulated by St. Irenaeus of Lyons in the second century, in response to certain Gnostics. These Gnostics claimed that Christ or the Apostles passed on some teachings secretly, or that there were some secret apostles, and that they (the Gnostics) were passing on these otherwise secret teachings. Irenaeus responded that the identity of the original Apostles was well known, as was the main content of their teaching and the identity of the Apostles' successors. Therefore, anyone teaching something contrary to what was known to be apostolic teaching was not, in any sense, a successor to the Apostles or to Christ.
In addition to a line of historic transmission, Orthodox Christian churches additionally require that a hierarch maintain Orthodox doctrine as well as full communion with other Orthodox bishops. As such, the Orthodox do not recognize the existence of apostolic succession outside the Orthodox Church, precisely because the episcopacy is a ministry within the Church.
orthodoxwiki.org/Apostolic_succession
This may, once upon a time, have been true, but as the schism has persisted for such a long time, close to a 1,000 years now, the schism has moved on to heresy.
Leaving aside the contentious issue of the Filioque, who some claim is just a matter of semantics, there are many other areas where the so called "orthodox" have embraced heretical propositions against the one true Faith.
I hope that the priests of the eastern rites will read this and realize that the so called "orthodox" are a sect, that they are both schismatics and heretics, and to give them Holy Communion or hear their confessions without them abjuring their heretical sect and entering the Church is objectively a grave sin on the part of the priest.
I may also add that due to the heresies against the Faith held by the "Orthodox," their return to the Church is not just a simple submission to the Pope, they must also abandon all of their heretical ideas taught by their sect.
I list some of the heretical beliefs directly from their sources below. I realize that so called "Orthodoxy" is made up of separate sects depending on nationality, but generally, they agree on doctrine, so these sources can be taken as the common heresies of the orthodox. This list is not an exhaustive list, but publicly captures many of the heretical assertions in their own words. (All emphasis added)
Heresies and Errors of the "Orthodox":
Heresy against the Immaculate Conception:
The Orthodox church does not accept the Catholic dogma of 1854 -- the dogma of the immaculate conception of the Virgin, in the sense that she was exempt at birth from original sin. This would separate her from the human race, and she would then have been unable to transmit to her Son humanity. But Orthodoxy does not admit in the all-pure Virgin any individual sin, for that would be unworthy of the dignity of the Mother of God." (Sergius Bulgakov, The Orthodox Church. Crestwood: St Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1997.)
However, the Orthodox reject the Roman Catholic "dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary," which was defined as "of the faith" by Pope Pius IX, on the 8th of December 1854. This dogma holds that from the first instant of her conception, the Blessed Virgin Mary was, by a most singular grace and privilege of Almighty God, and in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of the human race, preserved from all stain of Original Sin. It is a doctrine revealed by God, and therefore to be firmly and steadfastly believed by all the faithful (from the Bull Ineffabilis Deus). (Michael Azkoul, "WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ORTHODOXY AND ROMAN CATHOLICISM?" oca.org/questions/romancatholicism/the-pope-christian-unity
Heretical Beliefs on Original Sin:
Concerning the original—or “first”—sin, that commited by Adam and Eve, Orthodoxy believes that, while everyone bears the consequences of the first sin, the foremost of which is death, only Adam and Eve are guilty of that sin. Roman Catholicism teaches that everyone bears not only the consequence, but also the guilt, of that sin. In the article by Fr. Azkoul, he deals with this quite clearly in the sections above the quote which you sent in your email. There is nothing wrong with his statement. Orthodox Church of America, oca.org/questions/teaching/original-sin
Heretical Beliefs and Practices on Marriage and Divorce:
Q. "What is the church’s stance on divorce?
How many times may one remarry? Are there differencesin the service."
A. The Orthodox Church recognizes the sanctity of marriage and sees it as a life-long commitment. However, there are certain circumstances in which it becomes evident that there is no love or commitment in a relationship.
While the Church stands opposed to divorce, the Church, in its concern for the salvation of its people, does permit divorced individuals to marry a second and even a third time.
The Order of the Second or Third Marriage is somewhat different than that celebrated as a first marriage and it bears a penitential character. Second or third marriages are performed by “economy”—that is, out of concern for the spiritual well being of the parties involved and as an exception to the rule, so to speak.
oca.org/questions/sacramentmarriage/divorce-and-remarriage
How many times may one remarry? Are there differencesin the service."
A. The Orthodox Church recognizes the sanctity of marriage and sees it as a life-long commitment. However, there are certain circumstances in which it becomes evident that there is no love or commitment in a relationship.
While the Church stands opposed to divorce, the Church, in its concern for the salvation of its people, does permit divorced individuals to marry a second and even a third time.
The Order of the Second or Third Marriage is somewhat different than that celebrated as a first marriage and it bears a penitential character. Second or third marriages are performed by “economy”—that is, out of concern for the spiritual well being of the parties involved and as an exception to the rule, so to speak.
oca.org/questions/sacramentmarriage/divorce-and-remarriage
The church will permit up to, but not more than, three marriages for any Orthodox Christian. If both partners are entering a second or third marriage, another form of the marriage ceremony is conducted, much more subdued and penitential in character. Marriages end either through the death of one of the partners or through ecclesiastical recognition of divorce. The Church grants "ecclesiastical divorces" on the basis of the exception given by Christ to his general prohibition of the practice. The Church has frequently deplored the rise of divorce and generally sees divorce as a tragic failure. Yet, the Orthodox Church also recognizes that sometimes the spiritual well-being of Christians caught in a broken and essentially nonexistent marriage justifies a divorce, with the right of one or both of the partners to remarry. Each parish priest is required to do all he can to help couples resolve their differences. If they cannot, and they obtain a civil divorce, they may apply for an ecclesiastical divorce in some jurisdictions of the Orthodox Church. In others, the judgment is left to the parish priest when and if a civilly divorced person seeks to remarry. (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, www.goarch.org/-/the-stand-of-the-orthodox-church-on-controversial-issues. )
Heretical Beliefs on Papal Infallibility:
Q. I was wondering if you could please help me with a question.
A. Orthodox obviously do not believe in the infallibility of the Bishop (Pope) of Rome. However, is it true that Orthodox believe that infallibility resides in the first seven ecumenical councils? That is, that these councils made infallible pronoucements on matters of faith and doctrine?
oca.org/questions/romancatholicism/infallibility
A. Orthodox obviously do not believe in the infallibility of the Bishop (Pope) of Rome. However, is it true that Orthodox believe that infallibility resides in the first seven ecumenical councils? That is, that these councils made infallible pronoucements on matters of faith and doctrine?
oca.org/questions/romancatholicism/infallibility
Heretical Beliefs on Contraception:
1. The possible exception to the above affirmation of continuity of teaching is the view of the Orthodox Church on the issue of contraception. Because of the lack of a full understanding of the implications of the biology of reproduction, earlier writers tended to identify abortion with contraception. However, of late a new view has taken hold among Orthodox writers and thinkers on this topic, which permits the use of certain contraceptive practices within marriage for the purpose of spacing children, enhancing the expression of marital love, and protecting health. (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, www.goarch.org/-/the-stand-of-the-orthodox-church-on-controversial-issues. )
The Russian Orthodox View on Contraception
Although the ideal of the Orthodox Church is not to use contraception, we also know that in reality, through dispensation or ‘economy’, the use of strictly non-abortive contraceptives is permitted within the Orthodox Churches. Given the recent declaration of Pope Benedict XVI, a spokesman for the Russian Orthodox Church has issued the following statement:
Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Church and Society, in commentary on the statement of Pope Benedict XVI on the admissibility of the use of condoms, said that the Russian Orthodox Church permits the use of non-abortive contraception. The Basic Social Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church differentiates between abortion and non-abortive contraception. In the case of the latter, a priest can use economy in shepherding his flock’, Fr Vsevolod told Interfax-Religion on Monday 22 November. However, this does not mean that the Church endorses ‘in any way the selfish refusal of a couple to have children’. Speaking about the permissibility of the use of condoms for the HIV-infected, which was referred to by the Pope of Rome, Fr Vsevolod urged those who are HIV-Positive to ‘think seriously about whether they should be sexually active, because the infection may spread through other channels, not only through direct sexual intercourse’.
22 November 2010 Interfax-Religion
orthodoxengland.org.uk/contracep.htm
Although the ideal of the Orthodox Church is not to use contraception, we also know that in reality, through dispensation or ‘economy’, the use of strictly non-abortive contraceptives is permitted within the Orthodox Churches. Given the recent declaration of Pope Benedict XVI, a spokesman for the Russian Orthodox Church has issued the following statement:
Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Church and Society, in commentary on the statement of Pope Benedict XVI on the admissibility of the use of condoms, said that the Russian Orthodox Church permits the use of non-abortive contraception. The Basic Social Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church differentiates between abortion and non-abortive contraception. In the case of the latter, a priest can use economy in shepherding his flock’, Fr Vsevolod told Interfax-Religion on Monday 22 November. However, this does not mean that the Church endorses ‘in any way the selfish refusal of a couple to have children’. Speaking about the permissibility of the use of condoms for the HIV-infected, which was referred to by the Pope of Rome, Fr Vsevolod urged those who are HIV-Positive to ‘think seriously about whether they should be sexually active, because the infection may spread through other channels, not only through direct sexual intercourse’.
22 November 2010 Interfax-Religion
orthodoxengland.org.uk/contracep.htm
False Claims of, and Heretical Belief on Apostolic Succession:
Apostolic succession is the tracing of a direct line of apostolic ordination, Orthodox doctrine, and full communion from the Apostles to the current episcopacy of the Orthodox Church. All three elements are constitutive of apostolic succession.
It is through apostolic succession that the Orthodox Christian Church is the spiritual successor to the original body of believers in Christ that was composed of the Apostles. This succession manifests itself through the unbroken succession of its bishops back to the apostles.
The unbrokenness of apostolic succession is significant because of Jesus Christ's promise that the "gates of hell" (Matthew 16:18) would not prevail against the Church, and his promise that he himself would be with the apostles to "the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). According to this interpretation, a complete disruption or end of such apostolic succession would mean that these promises were not kept as would an apostolic succession which, while formally intact, completely abandoned the teachings of the Apostles and their immediate successors; as, for example, if all the bishops of the world agreed to abrogate the Nicene Creed or repudiate the Holy Scripture.
Orthodox teachings today are the same as that of the first apostles, though their mode of expression has adapted over the centuries to deal with heresies, changes in culture and so forth. This form of the doctrine was first formulated by St. Irenaeus of Lyons in the second century, in response to certain Gnostics. These Gnostics claimed that Christ or the Apostles passed on some teachings secretly, or that there were some secret apostles, and that they (the Gnostics) were passing on these otherwise secret teachings. Irenaeus responded that the identity of the original Apostles was well known, as was the main content of their teaching and the identity of the Apostles' successors. Therefore, anyone teaching something contrary to what was known to be apostolic teaching was not, in any sense, a successor to the Apostles or to Christ.
In addition to a line of historic transmission, Orthodox Christian churches additionally require that a hierarch maintain Orthodox doctrine as well as full communion with other Orthodox bishops. As such, the Orthodox do not recognize the existence of apostolic succession outside the Orthodox Church, precisely because the episcopacy is a ministry within the Church.
orthodoxwiki.org/Apostolic_succession