OODE

Orthodox Outlet for Dogmatic Enquiries	Papism

Basic Points of Difference between the Orthodox = Church and=20 = Papism

By the Reverend Metropolitan of = Nafpaktos, His=20 Eminence IEROTHEOS Vlachos

Translated from Greek by Fr.=20 Patrick B. O=92Grady

The=20 bishops of Old Rome, beside small and non-essential differences, = always=20 held communion with the bishops of New Rome(Constantinople) and = the=20 bishops of the East until the years 1009-1014, when, for the first = time,=20 the Frankish bishops seized the throne of Old Rome. Until = the year=20 1009 the Popes of Rome and the Patriarchs of Constantinople were = unified=20 in a common struggle against the Frankish princes and bishops, = already=20 even at that time heretics.

The=20 Franks at the Synod of Frankfurt in 794 condemned the decrees of = the=20 Seventh Ecumenical Synod and the honorable veneration of the holy=20 icons. Likewise in 809 the Franks introduced into the Symbol = of the=20 Faith the =93Filioque=94 (Latin: =93and the Son=94); namely, the = doctrine=20 concerning the procession of the Holy Spirit both from the Father = and from=20 the Son. Now at that time the Orthodox Pope of Rome = condemned this=20 imposition. At the Synod of Constantinople presided over by = Photios=20 the Great, at which also representatives of the Orthodox Pope of = Rome=20 participated, they condemned as many as had condemned the decrees = of the=20 Seventh Ecumenical Synod and as many as had added the Filioque to = the=20 Symbol of Faith. However, the Frankish Pope Sergius IV, in = the year=20 1009, in his enthronement encyclical for the first time added the = Filioque=20 to the Symbol of Faith. Then Pope Benedict VIII introduced = the Creed=20 with the Filioque into the worship service of the Church, at which = time=20 the Pope was stricken out from the diptychs of the Orthodox=20 Church.

The basic=20 distinction between the Orthodox Church and Papism is found in the = doctrine concerning the uncreated nature and uncreated energy of=20 God. Whereas we Orthodox believe that God possesses an = uncreated=20 nature and uncreated energy and that God comes into communion with = the=20 creation and with man by means of His uncreated energy, the = Papists=20 believe that in God the uncreated nature is identified with His = uncreated=20 energy (acrus purus) and that God holds communion with the = creation and=20 with man through His created energies, even asserting that in God = there=20 exist also created energies. So then the grace of God = through which=20 man is sanctified is seen as created energy. But given this, = one=20 cannot be sanctified.

From this=20 basic doctrine proceeds the teaching concerning the procession of = the Holy=20 Spirit from the Father and from the Son, the cleansing fire, the = primacy=20 of the Pope, etc.

Beside=20 the fundamental difference between the Orthodox Church and Papism, = in the=20 theme of the nature and energy of God, there are other great = differences=20 which have given rise to topics of theological dispute, = namely:

--the Filioque, that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the = Father and=20 from the Son with the result that the monarchy of the Father is=20 diminished, the final equality of the Persons of the Holy = Trinity is=20 compromised, the Son is diminished in His own character in = having been=20 born, if there exists a oneness between Father and Son then the = Holy=20 Spirit is subordinated as not equal in power and of the same = glory with=20 the other Persons of the Holy Trinity, with the result that He = is shown=20 as the =93unproductive (steiro) = Person,=94

--the=20 utilization of unleavened bread in the Divine Eucharist which=20 transgresses the manner with which Christ accomplished the = Mystical=20 Supper,

--the=20 consecration of the =93precious Gifts=94 which takes place not = with the=20 epiclesis, but rather with the proclamation of Christ=92s words = of=20 institution, =93Take, eat . . . drink of it, all of you . . = .,=94

--the=20 view that the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross satisfied the = Divine=20 justice, which presents God the Father as a feudal lord and = which=20 overlooks the resurrection,

--the=20 view about the =93merits=94 of Christ which the Pope dispenses, = along with=20 the =93superabundant=94 grace of the saints,

--the=20 alienation and segmentation placed between the mysteries of = Baptism,=20 Chrismation, and the Divine Eucharist,

--the=20 doctrine concerning the inheritance of guilt from the ancestral=20 sin,

--the=20 liturgical innovations in all of the mysteries of the Church = (Baptism,=20 Chrismation, Ordination, Confession, Marriage, = Anointing),

--the=20 practice of not communing the laity in the =93Blood=94 of = Christ,

--the=20 primacy of the Pope, according to which the Pope is =93episcopus = episcoporum (Latin: the bishop of bishops) and the origin of the = priesthood and of ecclesiastical authority, that he is the = infallible=20 head and the principle leader of the Church, governing it in = monarchical=20 fashion as the vicar of Christ on the earth=94 (I. = Karmires). With=20 this concept the Pope views himself as the successor of the = Apostle=20 Peter, to whom the other Apostles submit themselves, even the = Apostle=20 Paul,

--the=20 non-existence of concelebration in the praxis of worship=20 services,

--the=20 infallibility of the Pope,

--the=20 dogma of the immaculate conception of the Theotokos and the = development=20 of the worship of Mary (mariolatria), according to which the = All-Holy=20 Virgin is elevated to Triune Deity and even becomes a concept = leading to=20 a Holy Quaternity (!),

--the=20 views of analogia entis (analogy of being) and analogia fidei = (analogy=20 of faith) which hold sway in the West,

--the=20 unceasing progress of the Church in the discovery of the = recesses of=20 revelatory truth,

--the=20 concept concerning the single methodology for the knowledge of = God and=20 of creatures, which leads to a blending of theology and=20 epistemology.

Moreover,=20 the great difference in practice, which points out the manner of = theology,=20 is found also in the difference between Scholasticism and = Hesychastic=20 theology. In the West Scholasticism was expounded as an = endeavor to=20 search out the meaning of all the mysteries of the faith by means = of logic=20 (Anselm of Canterbury, Thomas Aquinas). However, in the = Orthodox=20 Church hesychasm prevails; namely, the purification of the heart = and the=20 illumination of the mind (nous), towards the acquisition of the = knowledge=20 of God. The dialogue between St. Gregory Palamas and Barlaam = the=20 scholastic and uniate is characteristic and shows the=20 difference.

A=20 consequence of all the foregoing is that we have in Papism a = decline from=20 Orthodox ecclesiology. Whereas in the Orthodox Church great=20 significance is given to theosis which consists in communion with = God,=20 through the vision of the Uncreated Light, then those who behold = the Light=20 gather in an Ecumenical Synod and accurately define revelatory = truth under=20 conditions of confusion. But in Papism great significance is = given=20 to the edict of the Pope; indeed, the Pope even stands over these=20 Ecumenical Synods. Consistent with Latin theology, =93the = authority of=20 the Church exists only when it is established and put in good = order by the=20 will of the Pope. Under a contrary condition it is=20 annihilated.=94 The Ecumenical Synods are seen as = =93councils of=20 Christianity that are summoned under the authenticity, the = authority, and=20 the presidency of the Pope.=94 Whenever the Pope leaves the = meeting=20 hall of the Ecumenical Synod, it ceases to have power. = Bishop Mare=20 has written, =93There would be no Roman Catholics more accurate as = those=20 exclaiming, =93I believe also in one Pope=94 than who say =93I = believe also in=20 one . . . Church.=94

Furthermore, =93the significance and role of the bishops = within the=20 Roman church is no more than a simple personification of the papal = authority, to which also the bishops themselves submit just as = also do the=20 simple faithful.=94 Towards this papal ecclesiology it is = essentially=20 maintained that =93the apostolic authority left off with the = apostles and=20 was not passed on to their successors, the bishops. Only the = papal=20 authority of Peter, under which all of the others are found, was = passed on=20 to the successors of Peter; namely, the popes.=94 Along with = the=20 foregoing it is maintained by the papal =93church=94 that all the = churches of=20 the East are secessionist and have deficiencies. It receives = us as=20 sister churches into communion by dispensation (kat=92 = oikonomian), since=20 she sees herself as the mother church and sees ourselves as = daughter=20 churches.

The=20 Vatican is an earthly power (kratos) and each pope is the wielder = of the=20 power of the Vatican. It is a matter of a man-centered = organization,=20 a worldly, indeed an especially legalistic and worldly = organization. =20 The earthly power of the Vatican was instituted in the year 755 by = Pepin=20 the Short, the father of Charlemagne =96even in our own time he = was=20 recognized by Mussolini, in 1929. The source of the = proclamation of=20 papal worldly power is significant, as Pope Pius XI maintained, = =93the one=20 who stands in God=92s stead on earth cannot be obedient to earthly = power.=94 Christ was obedient to earthly power, the pope = cannot=20 be! The papal authority establishes a theocracy, since = theocracy is=20 defined as subsuming both worldly and ecclesiastical authority = into one=20 concept. Today we can see theocratic-worldly power in the = Vatican=20 and in Iran.

Pope=20 Innocent IV (1198-1216) maintained the characteristic nature of = these=20 things in his enthronement speech, =93He who has the bride has the = bridegroom. However the bride herself (the church) has not = been=20 coupled with empty hands, but brings therein an incomparably rich = dowry,=20 the fullness of spiritual goods and the expanses of the world=92s = things,=20 the largesse and abundance of both. . . . Your contributions of = the=20 worldly things has given me the diadem, the mitre over the = priesthood, the=20 diadem for kingdom and it has established me as His representative = (antiprosopo), in the garment and on the knee of which it is = written: the=20 King of kings and Lord of lords.=94

Consequently great theological differences exist, which = have been=20 condemned by the Synod of Photios the Great and at the Synod of = Gregory=20 Palamas, just as it appears in the =93Synodikon of = Orthodoxy.=94 In=20 addition also the Fathers of the Church and the local synods down = to the=20 19th century condemn all the deceits of papism. The issue is = not=20 mollified or improved by a certain typical excuse which the pope = would=20 give for an historical error, whenever his theological views were = outside=20 of the revelation and the eccesiology is moved into an enclosed = course,=20 since of course the pope presents himself as leader of the = Christian=20 world, as successor of the Apostle Peter and the = Vicar-representative of=20 Christ over the earth, as if Christ would give His authority to = the pope=20 and He cease ruling in blessing in the=20 = heavens.

Article published in = English on:=20 12-7-2005.

Last update: = 4-8-2005.

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