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To: Forest Keeper; Agrarian
Given what Catholics say about clerical celibacy, is this a matter of contention between Catholics and Orthodox, and did it play a role in the split?

Yes it was, to a small extent. Frankish monks who came to Bulgaria, which was ecclesiastically under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Constantinople, taught that the Greeks were in error for having married clergy, having long beards, and long hair, and for having "removed" the Filioque from the Creed. They came to Bulgaria because the Bulgarian king wanted to be crowned an Emperor and was shopping for a Church that would crown him, so he invited the Franks.

Incidentally, one of the reasons for the anathema given that makred the unofficial split between the east and the west in 1050 cited that Greeks refused to shave and look like the Latin priests, thereby causing disunity!

Then what are the career advancement possibilities for a married priest? Are all monastics already priests, but don't "run a church"?

Well, they are limited, of course. A priest has no power outside of a bishopric. He is bishop's assistant, lieutenant, proxy, etc. The ecclesiastical authority rests with the hishop, which was the problem with Luther's rebellion. He, as a priest, had no authority in the Church unless the bishop granted it to him.

I know this wasn't pinged to me, but I thought I would "spice" up the answer a bit. Hope none of you minds.

3,606 posted on 03/15/2006 3:19:07 PM PST by kosta50 (Eastern Orthodoxy is pure Christianity)
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To: kosta50; Agrarian
Incidentally, one of the reasons for the anathema given that marked the unofficial split between the east and the west in 1050 cited that Greeks refused to shave and look like the Latin priests, thereby causing disunity!

That's pretty funny. "Shavenness is next to Godliness"? :) Plus, wouldn't Jesus, as a Jew, normally have worn a beard?

3,715 posted on 03/18/2006 11:23:20 AM PST by Forest Keeper
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