In my previous post, I mentioned some of the internal problems besetting the Orthodox Church, causing dysfunction (which I termed “implosion”). I noted how it affects the Great Commission and how our relationship with Rome is part of that larger picture (for a unified front between these truly-mega-churches would give strength in spreading the Gospel). I noted how Moscow currently rejects the Ecumenical Patriarch’s (legitimate) claim to primacy, in wanting to convoke a pan-Orthodox council and in engaging in serious dialogue with Rome. It doesn’t take a very long search for someone to see that many Orthodox Christians agree with Moscow, calling Rome heretical and, furthermore, expressing not a little invective (or at least heated rhetoric) when taking that stance.Read the rest here.
An important factor in this is that the kind of careful historical and theological analysis (not to mention humility) that occurs within official Orthodox-Catholic dialogues is not seeping into the Orthodox groundwater. Many Orthodox prefer to dismiss Catholicism and Protestantism as two sides of the same coin, as though Orthodoxy is completely separate from them. If it weren’t for the fact that such an attitude is based on ignorance, it would be audacious in the extreme. Take, for example the North American Catholic-Orthodox dialogue. They haven’t skirted the issues that need to be addressed and yet they have produced helpful starting points, free from anti-Westernism (based, ironically, on rather Western models):
Please leave your comments there.
I think you might be a closet Catholic.
ReplyDeleteFor what its worth I think you care about the spiritual well being of 1 billion souls who are struggling to live towards God and you want to see us Catholics saved and in communion with you.
ReplyDeleteThanks.
If there is ever going to be reunion, or unity between Orthodoxy and the RCC, I think there must be agreement on some fundamental issues, or it will be a lip-service unity.
ReplyDeleteIt's one thing to say, "We Orthodox (or Catholics) are the One, True, Church, and you Catholic (or Orthodox) lot are all going to hell." It is another to say, "O, gee, aren't we all just the same? Why can't we just hug and come back together?"
As a Roman Catholic myself, I see the latter sentiment in the RCC very often, and it drives me up a wall. If the fundamental differences don't matter, then people on both sides of the Schism have lived, died, and been martyred for nothing, and Jesus wasted His time on the Cross. Go to any RCIA class and you'll find a seedbed of bad teaching, resulting in malformed Catholics. And I do not mean every single last RCIA class, but I do indeed mean very, very many.
Didn't one of the Orthodox saints say, "Let there be unity, but in the way Christ wills it"?
As much as I appreciate the article you provided, John, I can say with some certitude, at least, that there is still a rampant attitude of "self-congratulatory and self-centered" perception on the part of the RCC, particularly amongst some of the "We are Church" set, believing that the RCC began with Vatican 2. Last time I checked, wasn't it Pentecost?
John, and others, please correct me if I am taking this article out of context, which is easy to do, and which I've been guilty of before. It's easy to get caught up in hot-button issues and sound bites, and I hope I'm not doing that here.
Love to everyone reading - I mean it.
Seeing this post gives me hope, John, as I have long considered you to be an exemplar of the caustic hostility toward Catholicism by the Orthodox. I hope we can grow together toward the Lord.
ReplyDeleteFr. J
ReplyDeleteIf you think I am an example of caustic hostility towards Catholicism by the Orthodox, I can only conclude you don't spend much time here. It's rare for me to get through a week without being accused of being a closet Catholic or crypto papist.
You are right. I used to several years ago. It seems your tone has changed, which makes me happy. Maybe I should visit more often.
ReplyDelete