OK, so a serious question.
How can they be in *full communion* if they refuse to acknowledge the authority of the pope?
I’ve posted before some of what the church fathers have stated about submitting to the authority of the pope, that it’s necessary for salvation.
If they don’t submit, then, they are not saved according to those teachings.
So how can they be in full communion when they don’t accept all of the teachings?
Doesn’t *full communion* imply and mean complete agreement with the church’s teachings?
How can they be in *full communion* if they refuse to acknowledge the authority of the pope?
Sorry for the delay in responding; I just came off a retreat.
There are 14 regional Orthodox Churches that are in communion with each other, and constitute what is called the Orthodox Church. These churches are not in full communion with the Catholic Church and accordingly do not accept the authority of the Pope. The Orthodox of America is the 15th regional church, but is not recognized by several of the Orthodox regional churches.
There are 23 Eastern Catholic churches that are in full communion with each other, and constitute what is called the Eastern Catholic Church. These churches are also in full communion with the Catholic Church and accept the authority of the Pope.
Wikipedia provides a more complete answer to your question:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Catholic_Churches#Papal_supreme_authority