Heysechios, Rawb, and Harpazo......-What unites the Orthodox?

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Ok, according to Lumen Gentum the Roman pontiff is the Church’s visible center and principle of unity. Since the Orthodox reject this principle, what unites them? What single thing do all the Orthodox share in common that keeps them united and prevents schism? Thanks in advance:)
 
I can’t speak for all, but it is my opinion that Roman Catholics and Orthodox Catholics are motivated by the same desire to be one ‘In Christ’.

Roman Catholics necessarily see this as being in communion with Rome, but really nothing holds them there but desire. No one can make one be in communion with the Pope (and hence in communion with others), not even the Pope himself can command it, one has to want it.

For Orthodox it is likewise, we want to be in communion with one another, we desire it. That desire and that ideal compels us to consciously conform ourselves (as much as we are able). That same self-imposed pressure is on the bishops, it is a choice we make because we want it.

Of course, all this with the help of God.
 
Hesychios said:
I can’t speak for all, but it is my opinion that Roman Catholics and Orthodox Catholics are motivated by the same desire to be one ‘In Christ’.

Roman Catholics necessarily see this as being in communion with Rome, but really nothing holds them there but desire. No one can make one be in communion with the Pope (and hence in communion with others), not even the Pope himself can command it, one has to want it.

For Orthodox it is likewise, we want to be in communion with one another, we desire it. That desire and that ideal compels us to consciously conform ourselves (as much as we are able). That same self-imposed pressure is on the bishops, it is a choice we make because we want it.

Of course, all this with the help of God.
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You speak rightly. 🙂 Can’t disagree. I’m convinced that it’s the Holy Spirit that has held us together, considering all that’s been stacked against us. “Surprisingly,” we’ve done quite well without a Supreme Pontiff (though I do have tremendous respect for Benedict XVI). 😉

In Christ,
Andrew
 
What is the method that the Orthodox churches address differences or questions about doctrine that arise?
 
Harpazo? Surprised to see you here…😛

What unites us is The Faith.
 
Hesychios said:
I can’t speak for all, but it is my opinion that Roman Catholics and Orthodox Catholics are motivated by the same desire to be one ‘In Christ’.

Roman Catholics necessarily see this as being in communion with Rome, but really nothing holds them there but desire. No one can make one be in communion with the Pope (and hence in communion with others), not even the Pope himself can command it, one has to want it.

For Orthodox it is likewise, we want to be in communion with one another, we desire it. That desire and that ideal compels us to consciously conform ourselves (as much as we are able). That same self-imposed pressure is on the bishops, it is a choice we make because we want it.

Of course, all this with the help of God.
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I thought the answer might be shared theology, but I remember you saying this in another thread. It is the desire to be one along with God that holds the Orthodox together.

But on that note, I’ve heard a rumor. Is it true that Orthodox church A can be in communion with church B but not C, and that C can be in communion with church B but not A? Each of the 15 or so churches is autonomous so does intercommunion between them ever hit trouble. I remember just a while back that the Church of Jerusalem broke communion with the Church of Romania because in essence one was building stuff on the other’d turf without permission. Are things like this a recurring problem or a fluke? Just wondering…
 
josephback said:
Ok, according to Lumen Gentum the Roman pontiff is the Church’s visible center and principle of unity. Since the Orthodox reject this principle, what unites them? What single thing do all the Orthodox share in common that keeps them united and prevents schism? Thanks in advance:)
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I would say the visible head of the Church and His purpose is to bring all people to salvation through Jesus Christ.All you speaking of one orthodox church in particular?I believe that their are many different denominations who claim to be orthodox.Also they aren’t all the same.There beliefs differ in one church from another.What keeps one church together which claims to be orthodox maybe that they agree with certain beliefs which vary slightly from an other.your going to have to be more specific.There are Eastern Orthodox Catholic Churches also.Im assuming that your referring to non Catholic orthodox churches.
 
I think Harpazo is correct in saying Orthodox united, guided and maintained by Holy Spirit. Just as Our Lord Jesus Christ has promised to send to his Holy Church. Holy Spirit is alive in His Church. Source of its unity, faith and prayer. He is our Soul, our Head is Jesus Christ. We have no Vicar for Christ - He is, as he promise, still with us.
 
josephback said:
I thought the answer might be shared theology,
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Well, yes it is. It is the received theology.

But it is the desire to conform to this theology which we recived from our Lord through the apostles. We don’t join a club when we become Orthodox, we convert.

It is through this common Faith that we are one, so our desire is to conform. I don’t understand how that can work for so long unless with the assistance of the Holy Spirit. But the outward goal is to conserve and preserve the faith handed to us, neither adding nor subtracting.
josephback said:
… but I remember you saying this in another thread. It is the desire to be one along with God that holds the Orthodox together.
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Which essentially means we desire to learn our received Faith, our common Faith, and learn how to worship together.

It makes one stubbornly conservative in religious matters, which I think becomes obvious from some of the discussions we have here.
josephback said:
But on that note, I’ve heard a rumor. Is it true that Orthodox church A can be in communion with church B but not C, and that C can be in communion with church B but not A?
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It does sometimes happen.

In which case those are generally matters of discipline, and the breaking of communion hardly impacts the laity. It is more significant to the hierarchy who cannot concelebrate.

In fact it definitely happened in the early church in the east and the west. I know that Saint Ambrose of Milan excommunicateds some Spanish bishops (yet both he and they were in communion with the same other bishops in the church).

And if one reads the fragmentary history of the Great schism most athorities will agree that the break (between the Cardinals and the Patriarch at first, then the entire Roman church and the EP) did not happen all at once, it sort of fell apart over time and the process is hard to pin down in detail. So I am not sure when we can say that Antioch and Rome separated, the patriarch there apparently tried hard not to let the affair affect his church.
josephback said:
Each of the 15 or so churches is autonomous so does intercommunion between them ever hit trouble. I remember just a while back that the Church of Jerusalem broke communion with the Church of Romania because in essence one was building stuff on the other’d turf without permission. Are things like this a recurring problem or a fluke? Just wondering…
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It is basically a fluke.

The Romanians could have had a ‘Representation’ parish if they received permission, but they didn’t get it, so they should not have built it.

That would be like the Archbishop of New York putting up a parish for Americans in Paris. It just isn’t done. The Jerusalem church has finally elevated it about as high as they can go, but in fact it has not caused a split in Orthodoxy, everyone else is in communion with both parties while they continue to dialog (or argue, as the case may be). As a practical matter nothing has really changed except the Romanian church and the Jerusalem church will not be concelebrating any liturgies any time soon, and their Primates will not be honored in one another’s dyptichs.

This is all about church discipline.
 
You can speak about the Orthodox Churches (Plural), but they all are One in spirit, and so you can speak of the Orthodox Church (singular). You can’t quite do the same for protestant communities. It would be akin to speaking about the “Byzantine Catholic Churches” which differ from the “Oriental Catholic Churches” or the Catholic Church as a whole, one unified body. They have their own unique traditions, but they are One in spirit. The Holy Spirit.
 
Hesychios said:
It is basically a fluke.

The Romanians could have had a ‘Representation’ parish if they received permission, but they didn’t get it, so they should not have built it.

That would be like the Archbishop of New York putting up a parish for Americans in Paris. It just isn’t done. The Jerusalem church has finally elevated it about as high as they can go, but in fact it has not caused a split in Orthodoxy, everyone else is in communion with both parties while they continue to dialog (or argue, as the case may be). As a practical matter nothing has really changed except the Romanian church and the Jerusalem church will not be concelebrating any liturgies any time soon, and their Primates will not be honored in one another’s dyptichs.

This is all about church discipline.
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I see. Thanks:)
 
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