Council for Orthodox Heresy

[CopticChristian]

There has been talk about a Holy Council for the Orthodox…

I find this…concerning a topic of importance for discussion, the Orthodox diaspora…and other issues of autocephaly…

orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/stjustin_council.aspx

1. Most Venerable Fathers! All the Orthodox behold and realise how important, how significant today is the question of the Orthodox diaspora both for the Orthodox Church in general and for all the Orthodox Churches individually. Can this question be decided, as Constantinople or Moscow desires, without referring to, without the participation of the Orthodox faithful, pastors and theologians of the diaspora itself, which is increasing every day? The problem of the diaspora, without doubt, is a church question of exceptional importance; it is a question that has risen to the surface for the first time in history with such force and significance. For its solution there would be cause indeed to convoke a truly ecumenical council in which all the Orthodox bishops of all the Orthodox Churches would truly participate. Another question that, in our view, could and should be considered at an authentic ecumenical council of the Orthodox Church is the question of ecumenism. This, properly speaking, is an ecclesiological question concerning the Church as theandric unity and organism, a unity and organism that are placed in doubt by contemporary ecumenical syncretism. It is also related to the question of man, for whom the nihilism of contemporary, and especially atheistic, ideologies has dug a grave without hope of resurrection. Both questions can be resolved correctly and in an Orthodox manner only by proceeding from the theandric foundations of the ancient and true ecumenical councils. For the present, however, I leave these problems aside so as not to overburden this appeal with new discussions and expand it unduly.The question of the diaspora is, then, both grievous and extremely important in contemporary Orthodoxy.

The United States Bishops have thrown their two cents in found here…

usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/ecumenical-and-interreligious/ecumenical/orthodox/reaction-orthodox-council.cfm

Topic 4. It seems to us that the resolution of the Diaspora problem might serve to better express the communion ecclesiology of the Orthodox Church. The question of the Diaspora should be investigated against the background of the idea of the catholicity of the church. An attempt in this regard has already been made at the Second World Conference of the Orthodox School of Theology, Penteli, Athens, August 19-29, 1976.

and I find controversy over whether there should be a Holy Council…

orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/towards.aspx

If the Orthodox hierarchs wanted a true Ecumenical Council, and if the times were favorable for it, there might be cause enough to convoke it. A1though there is actually no new heresy that has not been already defined at earlier Councils, such a Council could still give a diagnosis of the spiritual disease of ecumenism and tell why it is totally alien to Orthodoxy; it could declare to the faithful that the Church remains as much as ever the enemy of the world that lies in evil, and that every compromise of the Orthodox conscience with the spirit of worldliness is a sin for which pastors and faithful are responsible before God; it could make clear for the faithful that the “charismatic” and other pseudo-spiritual movements are not from the Holy Spirit of God, but are rather symptoms precisely of the loss of the Holy Spirit; it could call for increased prayer against the scourge of atheism now afflicting humanity; it could make clear the chiliast and anti-Christian character of modern movements as diverse as Communism and Protestantism; it could proclaim for the last time that the Orthodox Church is the one True Church of Christ and the only hope of salvation for a world perishing for the want of God’s grace.

I often read Orthodox saying that the only way to settle the division in Christianity is to have everyone become Orthodox, as I look at it, thinking, if I were to become Orthodox, where do I go…Is the Orthodox Church in American The Orthodox Church in America or can you become Orthodox with some other brand of Orthodoxy, and why are there 7 Orthodox Bishops in New York? How do I understand the Orthodox diaspora, autocephaly, the cross fire among Orthodox to consider ecumenism a heresy…

Maybe we need a new heresy for Orthodox to convene with the Roman Catholic Latin/East to settle a dispute…

Are councils only for heresy…??

Any thoughts are welcome…

 

[sharpag]

I often read Orthodox saying that the only way to settle the division in Christianity is to have everyone become Orthodox

Just as the Catholics think the way to solve the divisions within Christianity is for everyone to become Catholic. It’s not a bad idea but what else are the Catholics or Orthodox supposed to think? To think otherwise for either Catholics or the Orthodox would be tantamount to accepting a divided Christianity which cannot be accepted.

if I were to become Orthodox, where do I go…Is the Orthodox Church in American The Orthodox Church in America or can you become Orthodox with some other brand of Orthodoxy, and why are there 7 Orthodox Bishops in New York?

The Orthodox would consider any form of Orthodoxy (Greek, Romanian, Russian, ROCOR, or OCA) to be acceptable and Orthodox in every way. Until the Bolshevik Revolution the United States was under the Patriarch of Moscow. But the revolution greatly affected the Russian Church to the point that ROCOR (Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia) came into being. Volumes could be written on this so for the sake of brevity it suffices to say the Russian Orthodox leaders outside of Russia were concerned about the ability of the Russian Church to handle the United States. The other Orthodox churches, wanting to ensure their faithful were not neglected because of the revolution and not wanting to get caught up in any disputes between Moscow and ROCOR, began to engage more directly in the affairs of their religious communities. As a result, there is still currently an issue of jurisdiction. I would think that eventually the OCA will handle most, if not all, parishes in the US.

Maybe we need a new heresy for Orthodox to convene with the Roman Catholic Latin/East to settle a dispute…

The Orthodox would not do this as they still consider the Catholic Church to have departed from the Apostolic faith.

the cross fire among Orthodox to consider ecumenism a heresy

The Orthodox have a tendency to be less nuanced than Catholics or Protestants with respect to discussing those who do not share their faith. As ecumenism is based on meeting with people who generally have views one might consider to be heretical the Orthodox are merely more willing to call a heretic a heretic (from their point of view).