" You apparently take offense over a claim that Rome has a monopoly on the Holy Spirit, even though Rome never claimed that. But then you do not hesitate to claim that Rome is deprived of the wealth and grace of the Holy Spirit.
Go figure. Double standards all over the place here."
Of course it is offensive to Orthodoxy that the popes claim to have that ultimate monopoly. It also grieves us that by making such a claim Rome has fallen from a beacon of Orthodoxy into heresy. Where is the double standard there?
Again, the red herring. Rome never claimed to have a "monopoly on the Holy Spirit". That is altogether different than claiming that Christ gave to Peter the keys of the kingdom, and the primacy of authority among the Twelve.
It also grieves us that by making such a claim Rome has fallen from a beacon of Orthodoxy into heresy.
When did you start grieving, around 67 AD? Because the Apostlic See has been making that claim since Peter handed it down to Linus. When you study the history of Rome's claims, you see it has claimed Apostolic grounds for this primacy from the very beginning. There is complete continuity on this matter. See my list of quotations from the fathers on the primacy of the bishop of Rome. And no one disputed it for 500 years.
-A8