Posted on 06/16/2016 4:44:22 AM PDT by marshmallow
For some even the slightest change in relations with Rome will end up with tradition being swept away
The fate of the Pan-Orthodox Council, which is due to start its deliberations in Crete this Sunday, hangs in the balance. At present it seems that the Bulgarians will definitely not be there, neither will the Antiochenes, and it looks as if the Serbs, Georgians and the Russians are pulling out as well. There is a useful summary of what is going on in this article at the Guardian website.
The trouble, for us outsiders, is that it is very difficult to understand why this is happening. The Council has been over five decades in preparation, so the idea that it needs more time to prepare really seems unreasonable. Again, the Bulgarian objections to the seating plan look like a pretext. Again, the objection to the way the documents of the Council were drawn up, being made now, when the way they were drawn up was supposedly approved by all parties, seems suspect at this late stage. But one thing is clear: five out of the 14 Orthodox churches do not want to meet. And one of those five, Russia, is the biggest of the Churches, which means that a meeting, if it does take place, will hardly be able to speak for all Orthodox.
But why don’t they want to meet? Trawling round the many Orthodox websites, what emerges, it seems to me, is a fear that the Council, if it meets, will open some sort of floodgate to modernity, which will result in the sweeping away of tradition. In fact, as observers have noted, the tone and content of the documents is extremely conservative, clearly designed to calm any such fears; but the slightest hint of change – and in.......
(Excerpt) Read more at catholicherald.co.uk ...
I can hardly blame them.
The Roman church today is headed by an activist bishop whose core belief is Socialism and whose words and deeds indicate that he esteems pagan religions as equal to Christianity. Nothing good will come from any alliance at any level with Bergoglio or the bishops who elected him.
One of the weird things is that the Arian heresy actually got worse after the Council than it was before, because even the good-guy bishops (except for the holy and utterly obstinate Athanasius) were casting about trying to finesse the main issue, trying to find a way to compromise by not saying quite, exactly what needed to be said.
I mean, God's Truth wins in the end, but even practically up to the time of Athanasius' death --- well, it was a near-run thing.
So what I'm learning from all this, is: God wins, God wins! The Catholic Church emerges shiny & sparkly! In God's time. --- but in the meantime, hang on until your knuckles get white, our life is all struggle.
Lord, have mercy.
If that FIRST Council had failed there would probably have been no following councils. The Holy Spirit guided those people back then. I believe that He will guide current ones.
Just my opinion and belief.
God protects His Church. I believe that. But like I said, we may see only struggle in our lifetimes.
Be strong.
As I said on another post, the eastern churches are as liberal and rotten as the western ones. It's just that the quaint ceremonies and costumes distract people from noticing.
It's easy to be strong when I see who is on the other side, that is, Satan, his minions and those here on earth who refuse God.
The destination I strive for is heaven with our good Lord...not the "other" place, that is, eternity withOUT God. WHO, in his right mind, would ever choose the Great Liar?
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