PING!
Ignoring “Thou art Peter” etc. as though it were meaningless and died with Peter is typical protestant blather that does NOT withstand the test of logic.
Very well organized and written!
Another key difference among the priesthood is that Orthodox priests are allowed to marry and have families whereas Orthodox Monks are not. You may explain separately in a life contrasts section how this affects living among orthodox and roman catholic.
You may want to expound on differences of how divorce is treated.
You may also point out differences in how orthodox and roman catholics view and treat jewish history and people.
Your list does include human anthropology such as icons, chants/music, so I would think the items above would find relevance.
Although you wanted to limit your list to 12 items for the symbolism (which I think is a great idea), I would think to organize along philosophical differences, anthropological differences, and make lists according to these categories so that you are not ‘boxed’ in to 12 items.
Thank you for your expose’, it is very revealing.
MarkBsnr,
From a RC point of view, does this
comparison seem accurate to you?
best,
ampu
When Messiah returns, he will take His place as King of the Jews and reside in Jerusalem; and rule from his throne on Mount Zion, in the temple, in the holy of holies on the place of the name of YHWH Tsabaoth. Israel will finally recognize Messiah and will be exalted. And we Gentile Christians will have the glorious privelege of participating in that grand kingdom.
The RCC and Orthodox and any other largely predominately gentile Christian organizations need to get off their high horses and realize that they aren't central ... Israel is...at least according to the holy, inspired scriptures we all claim to revere.
Ping to read later
That’s really quite good, T.
Yes, as a Catholic vividly interested in the Eastern Orthodox matters, I think you listed important fundamental distinctions with great lucidity. Even better, you managed to steer clear from superficial differences of praxis that often cloud the discussion.
Point #5: Why stop at the Seven Ecumenical Councils and ignore the Western ones? Is this a similar line of thinking to that attached to Scripture which says that revelation ceased with the death of the last apostle? Did the authority of councils cease with the end of the last of the seven?
Point #7: The Orthodox deny that we are born in Original sin? Really? This is heresy, no? Then what's the point of Baptism? What sin is being removed from the soul with the sacrament? None? Then why bother?
Point #12: While Catholics would say that the “end of man is to serve God in this life to be reasonably happy in this life and completely happy in the next,......
"Be reasonably happy in this life"?? I'm not sure which Catholics would say this is an "end of man". The Church doesn't.
Very well done, Teófilo. The Orthodox Church also beieves, and has apparently aleways believed, that Mary died and was asssmed to heaven on the third day, body and soul. The Eastern Church even has the ancient Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos. The Catholic Church is silent on whether she died or not. The dogma of the IC complicates that issue immensly. From the Orthodox point of view, her death is a manifestation that she was not created a pre-fall human.
You and she should both visit any one of the 22 Eastern Catholic Churches. There you can enjoy the Catholic liturgy with an 'eastern' flavor.
Thanks for the post. I’m Baptist, but the more I learn about the Orthodox Church, the more I respect it. It used to be that ‘other church no one understands’...
For later read
This should be an interesting thread.
Thanks. I think of the Orthodox Church as less adulterated by man.
Instead we should be praying for that happy reunion which will be so pleasing to Our Lord. What form that reunion will take should be of no concern to us as it will be as He wills. Pray mightily that the wounds which have divided Christendom for a millenium be healed.
On a quick skim this jumped out...
12: “While Catholics would say that the “end of man is to serve God in this life to be reasonably happy in this life and completely happy in the next...””
It looks like something a kid made up.
Catholic Catechism:
460 - The Word became flesh to make us “partakers of the divine nature”: “For this is why the Word became man, and the Son of God became the Son of man: so that man, by entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving divine sonship, might become a son of God.” “For the Son of God became man so that we might become God.” “The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods.”
1129 - “The Church affirms that for believers the sacraments of the New Covenant are necessary for salvation. “Sacramental grace” is the grace of the Holy Spirit, given by Christ and proper to each sacrament. The Spirit heals and transforms those who receive him by conforming them to the Son of God. **The fruit of the sacramental life is that the Spirit of adoption makes the faithful partakers in the divine nature by uniting them in a living union with the only Son, the Savior.**”
“The consequences of such a view are rich, unfathomable, and rarely studied by Catholic Christians.”
That’s news to me...
HOLY MASS:
The Offertory at Mass, in both the old and the new Roman rite, contains the prayer:
“By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity.”
If we did not share in his divinity, then there would be only actual grace. But from Baptism onwards we receive Supernatural Graces—graces above our human nature.
If we did not share in his divinity, then we would be capable of only human faith, hope and charity as a result of our own strength of character. But we receive Supernatural Virtues— Faith, Hope and Charity by the power of God.
If we did not share in his divinity, then we would receive only his humanity in Holy Communion. But we receive the whole Christ, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.
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Obama Says A Baby Is A Punishment
Obama: “If they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby.”
I don’t know if these other two differences were posted simply because I’m not inclined to read all 246.
I”ve noticed that the Orthodox cross has equal arms as opposed to the Latin and the Orthodox cross themselves right to left with three fingers and the Latin left to right with two fingers. Right?