"... the True Church" is the title of a recent Homiletic & Pastoral Review article by James Likoudis. Here is part of the opening:
There is need for Catholics, especially priests, to engage in a convincing Apologetics when confronted by Catholics tempted to become Eastern Orthodox, or by members of the Eastern Orthodox Churches claiming to represent the orthodoxy of the Church before the tragic Schism between East and West, developing after 1054 A.D. Certainly, well-informed Catholics are able to present formidable arguments drawn from the Scriptures, Fathers, and Councils in favor of the Roman Pontiff’s universal authority in the Church, the legitimacy of the doctrine of the Filioque, purgatory, and the Immaculate Conception, not to mention other doctrines questioned or denied by Eastern Orthodox, who assume they constitute the “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church,” signified in the Nicene-Constantinople Creed of 381 A.D., indulglng themselves with the repeated assertion made to Catholics.
The question arises: Is there an easy resolution to the conflicting claims of Catholics and Orthodox? The ordinary layman can become bewildered by the study of the complex argument and counter-argument drawn from the appeal to history, and diverse interpretations of Scripture, Fathers, and Councils presented by Catholic and Orthodox writers. As one Orthodox, seeking to end his intellectual agony, stated, “I just keep bouncing back and forth from Catholic to Orthodox and Orthodox to Catholic, feeling myself unable to resolve the dogmatic issues. I do not know Latin or Greek, or much history, who is right and who is wrong.” There must be a simpler and easier way for the ordinary person, who is not a scholar of Church history and patristic theology, and who is confronted by similar Catholic and Orthodox claims—to resolve the question of which is the true Church.
It should be noted that in this matter between Catholics and Orthodox, there is, fortunately, much common ground by which to resolve the issue. In this matter, those seeking the one true Church would obviously hold that there are only two plausible contenders to be the “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.” Both hold that the property of visibility is essential to the true Church. Both Catholics and Orthodox agree that Christian doctrine is something taught by the one, visible Church, not something the individual determines for himself in Protestant fashion, and teaches the Church. Both agree on an objective, visible criterion that served in the first millennium to identify the true Church, i.e., the Church’s necessary rule by Bishops, who are the legitimate successors of the Apostles, and guided by the Holy Spirit, to correctly interpret the Holy Scriptures and apostolic tradition. The great St. Cyprian had already noted in the third century that the Church is essentially built on the bishops: “Does he fancy himself to be with Christ who acts against the Bishops of Christ?” (On the Unity of the Catholic Church §17)
The key question then comes down to this : Which communion of Bishops (Catholic or Eastern Orthodox) constitutes that hierarchy of the Church, founded by Christ to “make disciples of all nations” Matt. 28:19)?
I wonder if some Catholics are tempted to become Eastern Orthodox because of the Orthodox stance on abortion, divorce and contraception.
Posted by: Sharon | Saturday, February 04, 2012 at 02:39 PM
I would not be so quick to dismiss the "aesthetic" argument. With the current collapse of the liturgy, "spirituality" such as the enneagram and centering prayer, and widespread dissent on fundamental beliefs such as the divinity of Christ among religious and academics to name just a few problems in contemporary Catholicism, I have sympathy for Catholics that look for safe refuge in Orthodoxy.
Posted by: Ryan | Saturday, February 04, 2012 at 05:11 PM
I wonder if some Catholics are tempted to become Eastern Orthodox because of the Orthodox stance on abortion, divorce and contraception.
I doubt it - there is not much difference between Catholics and Orthodox on these matters.
As to the key question: Which communion of Bishops (Catholic or Eastern Orthodox) constitutes that hierarchy of the Church, founded by Christ to “make disciples of all nations” Matt. 28:19)?
They both are
Posted by: andrei | Saturday, February 04, 2012 at 11:50 PM
I wonder if some Catholics are tempted to become Eastern Orthodox because of the Orthodox stance on abortion, divorce and contraception.
I doubt it - there is not much difference between Catholics and Orthodox on these matters
There is a huge difference between what the Catholic Church teaches on abortion, divorce and artificial contraception and what the Orthodox teach. Orthodox give permission for two divorces I think, abortion under certain circumstances and contraception if both spouses agree. There is no one central set of teachings in the area of morals in the Orthodox Church.
Posted by: Sharon | Monday, February 06, 2012 at 02:33 AM
To me the Council of Florence in 1439 needs to be mentioned. If the east claims to accept ecumenical councils as authoritative then why didn't they accept that one? Just because they didn't like what it said? But that rejects the authority of any ecumenical council as an ecumenical council. It would put the true authority into the individual or at best the local bishop. That makes unity impossible. If agreement with the patriarchs is enough then we got that in Florence and it should just be respected. If we need to get a separate agreement with everyone that simply is not going to happen.
Posted by: Randy | Monday, February 06, 2012 at 06:55 AM
You are wrong Sharon.
It is true that you can obtain a divorce from your Bishop and get permission to remarry in the Church. I have never known anybody who has done this but I do know that if this happens a different service is used and it is expected to be a subdued and quiet affair.
On the other hand I attended a Wedding in the Catholic Cathedral in my town of a Catholic woman who had obtained an annulment of her first marriage and who had three children resulting from it - the hows whys and wherefores of this I do not know but she is a woman of wealth and importance which I'm sure helped smooth the path for this to occur.
Indeed in our tradition we see many women, widowed who wear black for ever more and would not even consider remarrying as an option. My daughter's godmother was widowed at 32 and wore black in public until the day she died.
Contraception too is hardly welcomed -it may be if you have a large family or known genetic problem that after consultation with your confessor use of contraceptives just might be given a green light - I have heard priests talk against it but never ever for it
Our Church is against abortion just as the Catholic Church is - what reception do you think a Catholic woman would receive from an Orthodox Priest if she came to him seeking blessing for an abortion? Really?
Posted by: andrei | Monday, February 06, 2012 at 03:30 PM
I think that Catholics "tempted to become Eastern Orthodox," as Sharon poses, might simply be finding in Orthodoxy a sublimnity of worship and a stability that are lacking in Latin Rite Catholic churches. The Divine Liturgy is unsurpassed in beauty, dignity, and profundity, and it hasn't changed in 2000 years. Yet, most cities that have Orthodox churches also have Greek Catholic churches that have everything the Orthodox have -- plus Pope Benedict.
Posted by: Ann Applegarth | Monday, February 06, 2012 at 07:22 PM
Andrei will you please provide me with a link to the official teaching of the Orthodox Church on abortion, divorce and contraception.
See below a link to the official teaching of the Catholic Church on abortion, divorce and contraception:
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM
Posted by: Sharon | Monday, February 06, 2012 at 08:40 PM
Notwithstanding the point of the article, that there are serious theological and ecclesiogical differences between Roman Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity - I have always been struck by the narrowness of the various Orthodox churches in that they are always affiliated with a particular ethnic group; e.g., Russian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, etc....
In a multi ethnic nation like the USA, this indivisible tie with a respective ethnicity is problematic. Efforts among differing Orthodox churches to establish some unified, or more prperly joint, governance structure in the US have all been to naught.
Can one properly claim to be "Catholic" while restricting oneself to a particular ethnic group?
Posted by: Blake Konczal | Tuesday, February 07, 2012 at 07:49 AM