Jon Mallory #25
The fact that the Orthodox Churches do not need a council every few hundred years tells me they have a great fidelity to their tradition. You have to remember, when the Church has to have an ecumenical council, it’s not a good thing. It means the Church is in trouble.
False reasoning throughout.
Councils do not mean, and have never meant, that “the Church is in trouble”. Councils mean that, errors can be exposed, and doctrine and dogma can develop as Christ mandated.
It would have been better if there hadn’t been a need for Trent in the first place. Similarly, Vatican I and II took place during times of great unrest. Would that we had fewer councils than more councils!
As Christ mandated:
All four promises to Peter alone
“You are Peter and on this rock I will build My Church.” (Mt 16:18)
“The gates of hell will not prevail against it.”(Mt 16:18)
“I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of heaven." ( Mt 16:19)
“Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven.” (Mt 16:19) [Later to the Twelve, also].
Sole authority
“Strengthen your brethren.” (Lk 22:32)
“Feed My sheep.”(Jn 21:17).
The “need” for Ecumenical Councils is vital and arises precisely because of challenges to the faith and morals of the teaching Church.
Thus, for instance, Vatican II also developed doctrine profoundly, as the revered Fr John a Hardon, S.J., affirms. Vatican II confirmed that even non-infallible doctrine must be received with assent: “This loyal submission of the will and intellect must be given, in a special way, to the authentic teaching authority of the Roman Pontiff, even when he does not speak ex cathedra”…when doctrine is proposed or formulated. *Lumen Gentium *(
Dogmatic Constitution on the Church), 25].
Similarly, “collegial infallibility…marks a turning point in doctrinal history.” [See *The Catholic Catechism, 1975, Doubleday, p 232-233]. This refers to the bishops around the world when teaching in accord with the Pope; when reflecting historical continuity of teaching; and in an Ecumenical Council when approved by a Pope.
The *Dogmatic Constitution On The Church *#8 (Vatican II) teaches that “The one mediator, Christ, established and ever sustains here on earth His holy Church…(T)his is the sole Church of Christ which in the Creed we profess to be one, holy, catholic and apostolic.” Fr John Hardon, S.J., describes as “unequivocal” (= clearly defined), “for the first time in conciliar history — the Church is not one of many branches.” [See *The Catholic Catechism, 1975, Doubleday, p 213].
In contrast, the Orthodox Churches have succumbed to the age in some respects such as, while having the priesthood and thus the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and sacraments, they fell into error by jettisoning Christ’s Magisterium and the infallible teaching against contraception, denying the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception, and permitting divorce and remarriage.
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