Does the Pope view Eastern Orthodox as fellow Christians?

  • Thread starter Thread starter seeker632007
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
seeker632007 said:
Hello my question is Does the Pope of Rome view Eastern Orthodox as fellow Christians ?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Orthodox_Church
Click to expand...
The Catholic Church views both Orthodox and Protestants as fellow Christians. However, it also believes that the True Faith rests within the Catholic Church. It holds that all other churches are imperfect in their faith and therefore should not be in communion until such a time when they turn towards the True Faith. A similar attitude is shared by the Orthodox towards the Catholics and Protestants as well.

The Orthodox and Catholic do not offend each other by these statements. It is simply a fact of each side wishing to be not just Christians but right-believing Christians. 🙂
 
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
838 "The Church knows that she is joined in many ways to the baptized who are honored by the name of Christian, but do not profess the Catholic faith in its entirety or have not preserved unity or communion under the successor of Peter."322 Those "who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are put in a certain, although imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church."323 With the Orthodox Churches, this communion is so profound "that it lacks little to attain the fullness that would permit a common celebration of the Lord’s Eucharist."324
Click to expand...
 
Good day everyone,

I’m aware that the orthodox christians sometimes refers to themselves as catholics, since they profess the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church. Does rome regard, recognise or refer to othodox christians as catholic? Links to church documents will be appreciated.
Thanks.
 
CCC 838 "The Church knows that she is joined in many ways to the baptized who are honored by the name of Christian, but do not profess the Catholic faith in its entirety or have not preserved unity or communion under the successor of Peter."322 Those "who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are put in a certain, although imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church."323 With the Orthodox Churches, this communion is so profound "that it lacks little to attain the fullness that would permit a common celebration of the Lord’s Eucharist."324

scborromeo.org/ccc/p123a9p3.htm#838

Peace
 
hazcompat said:
CCC 838 "The Church knows that she is joined in many ways to the baptized who are honored by the name of Christian, but do not profess the Catholic faith in its entirety or have not preserved unity or communion under the successor of Peter."322 Those "who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are put in a certain, although imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church."323 With the Orthodox Churches, this communion is so profound "that it lacks little to attain the fullness that would permit a common celebration of the Lord’s Eucharist."324

scborromeo.org/ccc/p123a9p3.htm#838

Peace
Click to expand...
thanks for taking the time to respond.
I looked at those quotes before asking the above question, those quote talk about the orthodox christians in terms of communion (partial), it doesn’t say if they can be called catholics. Or I’m I missing something?
It is also interesting to note that protestants also have partial communion.
 
your question is very subjective. Small C “catholic” means “universal.”
By that definition, what if any church is truly SMALL C “catholic?”
What does it even mean?

If it means the one true Church of Jesus Christ, it’s a moot point. Every Church will say they are, and then they will say that every other church is NOT.
 
RKO said:
your question is very subjective. Small C “catholic” means “universal.”
By that definition, what if any church is truly SMALL C “catholic?”
What does it even mean?

If it means the one true Church of Jesus Christ, it’s a moot point. Every Church will say they are, and then they will say that every other church is NOT.
Click to expand...
(emphasis mine)
I specified, what a particular church (Catholic church) thinks of the other (Orthodox church). Can we call the orthodox christians catholic as we call ourselves?
 
Ubenedictus said:
(emphasis mine)
I specified, what a particular church (Catholic church) thinks of the other (Orthodox church). Can we call the orthodox christians catholic as we call ourselves?
Click to expand...
Not exactly, as we cannot share communion with them (ordinarily). We think they’re close, but I don’t think we’d call them Catholic. To be Catholic requires being in communion with Rome.
 
Iron_Donkey said:
Not exactly, as we cannot share communion with them (ordinarily). We think they’re close, but I don’t think we’d call them Catholic. To be Catholic requires being in communion with Rome.
Click to expand...
The front of the missal in Roman Catholic churches says that there is no objection to the Orthodox receiving communion, but to respect the discipline of their church, which of course forbids us from receiving.
 
Rdunbar123 said:
The front of the missal in Roman Catholic churches says that there is no objection to the Orthodox receiving communion, but to respect the discipline of their church, which of course forbids us from receiving.
Click to expand...
Really? Odd, since the CCC says that there is little to prevent it - which implies that there is something. Still, I suppose something could have changed since it was published. It’s the not in communion with Rome, under the Pope, that keeps us from calling Orthodox “Catholics” though, or at least so I believe. I say this because there are several Eastern Churches that are in communion with Rome and are called Catholic.

In any case, we are fairly close.
 
The Catholic Encyclopedia (s.v. “Catholic”, para. 2) cites Church Fathers and scholars in support of the assertion that “the word … implies sound doctrine as opposed to heresy, and unity of organization as opposed to schism.”
 
Ubenedictus said:
(emphasis mine)
I specified, what a particular church (Catholic church) thinks of the other (Orthodox church). Can we call the orthodox christians catholic as we call ourselves?
Click to expand...
No. We call them Orthodox instead of Catholic, and we don’t call them Catholic because they are in schism–they refuse obedience to the Pope (specifically). AFAICT, the Orthodox believe that the Bishop of Rome should be first among equals, but not the head of the Church, much less infallible.
 
More than that; we are brothers in every sense of the word, even to the bickering!

Catholics can receive Holy Communion there; they are not as ‘completely’ reciprical as ‘us.’

:cool:
 
Iron_Donkey said:
Really? Odd, since the CCC says that there is little to prevent it - which implies that there is something. Still, I suppose something could have changed since it was published. It’s the not in communion with Rome, under the Pope, that keeps us from calling Orthodox “Catholics” though, or at least so I believe. I say this because there are several Eastern Churches that are in communion with Rome and are called Catholic.

In any case, we are fairly close.
Click to expand...
Not to be argumentative , but that statement is still in the front of the missalette at least in the diocese of Galveston /Houston. Exactly the way I stated it.
 
Rdunbar123 said:
Not to be argumentative , but that statement is still in the front of the missalette at least in the diocese of Galveston /Houston. Exactly the way I stated it.
Click to expand...
Awesome. I won’t dispute it, I actually meant something might have changed since the CCC was published, or there may be something else I’m not aware of. Wasn’t trying to argue against what you said is there, I’m just confused.
 
seeker632007 said:
Hello my question is Does the Pope of Rome view Eastern Orthodox as fellow Christians ?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Orthodox_Church
Click to expand...
To put a hat to the other answers you’ve received, see this video news report from Romereports.com, a reliable Catholic news service.

It shows Patriarch Bartholomew I of the Greek Orthodox Church meeting with the pope just shortly after the pontiff’s installation. No Greek Orthodox bishop has attended a papal installation in a thousand years (that’s not a typo).

Several other Orthodox dignitataries were present as well. Relations between the Catholic and Orthodox families appear very cordial, some may say very warm. Bartholemew invited the pontiff to join him in a Holy Land visit in the near future.
 
Ubenedictus said:
thanks for taking the time to respond.
I looked at those quotes before asking the above question, those quote talk about the orthodox christians in terms of communion (partial), it doesn’t say if they can be called catholics. Or I’m I missing something?
It is also interesting to note that protestants also have partial communion.
Click to expand...
Re: Orthodox, oOn this forum they are refered to as non Catholics.

Here is a Melkite Bishop answering that very question Re: Orthodox
melkite.org/eparchy/bishop-john/are-we-orthodox-united-with-rome

through baptism Protestants can be called Christian. But there is no confusion they are not in union with the Catholic Church.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top