Posted on 02/23/2015 5:01:49 PM PST by NRx
Pope Francis has declared Gregory of Narek to be a "Doctor of the Church." This is one of the highest honors conferred by the Catholic Church on saints. Only a handful have been so honored. The only problem is that as far as I am able to tell, Gregory of Narek was not Catholic. He was a monk of the Armenian Apostolic Church, which is part of the non-Chalcedonian (Oriental Orthodox) communion. The Armenian Church has not been in communion with the Pope of Rome since at least the sixth century. The very small Armenian Catholic (Eastern Rite) Church did not come into existence until many centuries after St. Gregory's death. Clearly this man was an Oriental Orthodox saint.
So, what's going on?
Ping
“St. Gregory of Narek is venerated as a saint both in the Catholic Church and the Armenian Apostolic Church, which is not in full communion with Rome. The Armenian Catholic Church, an Eastern Church in union with Rome, has about 1 million members.”
The only problem is that St. Gregory was not a member of the Armenian Catholic Church. He was Oriental Orthodox. Not that I am complaining about the honor. I just find it stunning.
This is the non-Pope Pope. He is our Catholic version of Obama.
What's the difference? Aren't catholics and all those "other" related sects really all the same I? think you're splitting hairs here.
It’s not unusual for Eastern Rite Catholic churches to lay claim to saints from their tradition who lived before those church’s formal union (or re-union) with Rome. The argument is that the separation wasn’t necessarily something they had any say in; sometimes, as in India, it seemed to most be due to distance and poor communication. There were indeed several attempts to re-unite Rome with the Armenian Church prior to the 18th century which failed for one reason or another.
By the way, the Eparchy for the Armenian Catholic Church in Argentina is called the San Gregorio de Narek en Buenos Aires.
The current pope is from Buenos Aires and ministered to Eastern Rite Catholics there and probably knew the Armenian Catholic clergy well and probably became very familiar with St Gregory of Narek and his writings.
No one is perfect.
I have heard of Russian Rite Catholics commemorating saints from the Russian Orthodox Church. But as far as I am aware that was a local thing with special permission granted by Rome. Again, I am not objecting to the honor. But the guy was definitely Oriental Orthodox.
Imminently Appointable
[to the tune of Simply Irresistible by Robert Palmer]
How can it be possible?
Did we miss an encyclical?
That kind of choice is heretical
He’s anything but typical
He’s a doc you’ll endorse, he’s a powerful force
You’re obliged to conform, and there’s no other choice
The NO used to look good to me, but now I find him
Imminently Appointable, Imminently Appointable!
He’s so fine, there’s no tellin’ where Mahoney went
He’s got spine, those poofsters have to go!
Imminently Appointable!
“No one is perfect.”
In this case, johniegrad found someone who is.
I’m just saying. . .
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“Apply the Holy Flame and they won’t be the same!”
“The only problem is that St. Gregory was not a member of the Armenian Catholic Church.”
Well, not if the Armenian Catholics took him with them so to speak. And that’s clearly what happened. The Catholic Church is INCREDIBLY generous about saints from breakaway churches that re-established communion later on. This case is NOTHING compared to that of St. Photios - who appears in the Ruthenian Typicon (a Catholic document). But it looks like he - Photios - did die in union with the Church: https://thebananarepublican1.wordpress.com/2009/10/16/st-photios-the-great-died-in-communion-with-rome/
“Nah. There are plenty of Papists who function at a far closer level to perfection than I.”
Actually, none. The title is all yours.
Well, after 27 years in the military I have been called worse by better.
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