G
Gabriel_of_12
Guest
How can one seek re-unification with language you have implied to exist in the Roman church, that does not exist such as you have stated above; “must affirm the absulte authority of the Bishop of Rome”? That is a misleading statement. “total and utter subjection to the Papacy”? I don’t find one Roman Catholic who believes such a statement. You have been misinformed about what Jesus has established in his Church. All Roman Catholics follow and give witness to what Jesus commands, teaches and built his Church upon Peter and his apostles. Your language is foreign to our Roman Catholic apostolic faith in Jesus Christ.
Roman Catholics follow Jesus “infallible statements” here, not men. When Jesus told the apostles “When they hear you, they hear me”. When Jesus commissioned the apostles to forgive sins, do you reject Jesus infallible statements? When Jesus gave Peter the keys to bind and loose on earth, Jesus promises never to leave Peter here, because when the Popes follow Jesus commands, Jesus will bind and loose in heaven. This union between Jesus and Peter is never broken, that is what prevents the Pope’s from teaching error (infallible) because Jesus himself is with Peter always in the binding and loosing. The only case you speak of, is when the Pope’s speak “ex-Cathedra” from the chair of Peter. Any thing else, you have fallen for an illusion that does not exist in the Roman Catholic church.
The Roman Catholic Church has only adhered to Jesus Christ when he speaks infallibly to Peter. Mt.16;16-18, Jn.21:15-17. Every Pope in all Church history can trace it’s apostolic union with Peter unbroken to the time of Christ. The disunity you speak of between East and West deals with Jesus commands and commissioning of Peter, not necessarily the Obedience of the Roman Church being faithful to Jesus commissioning of Peter.
Remember recorded history proves that all of the Eastern Catholic Church’s have fallen in and out of heresy, the only apostolic see that has never taught heresy is the bishop’s of Rome, thus Jesus words to Peter alone come to pass, “The gates of hell will come against you, Peter, but the gates of hell will never prevail”. Jesus has kept his word upon building his church on Peter.
If you follow the early church fathers who wrote before the seven councils you adhere too, all of them are holding the Bishop’s of Rome Peter’s apostolic successor in high esteem and pre-eminent to which all church’s are to follow.
You do know how difficult it was for all these councils to be approved by the bishop of Rome? Although most of these councils settled the Eastern Heretics and heresies that affected the Church in the East, not necessarily in the West. The Eastern Emperor’s required the Popes approval. To be clear here, most of these 7 ecumenical councils never attach themselves to your Western Christian faith, for the exception of the result which is the Nicene Creed, the Trinity, Mary Mother of God (theotokos), and each one in succession kept approving what the previous council approved with new terminology and new faith expressions.
Yet when the Pope’s and councils in the west did the same without ever changing any of Jesus commands and commissioning of Peter, you object to this apostolic faith, and yet accept only the 7 councils approved by the Pope’s that almost had nothing to do with the West. Because we were not infected with these Eastern Catholic heresies for example Nestorius.
Correction; Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, Peter and the apostolic successors which makes up the Church that possesses the Pillar and foundation of Truth see 1Tim.3:15. Not a prayer book.
We can reach for re-unification when we have mutual understanding and correct interpretations of what each side believes.
Peace be with you
