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Mickey
Guest
I believe it was–as shown in Acts 15.
All bishops are equal.
…and a huge one at that.
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Mickey
Guest
Matt 28:18-20
And Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying: All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: **and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world. **
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ralphinal
Guest
How does a bishop become a bishop? Who decides where an episcopacy is needed?
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rad
Guest
Thats addressing his human person only …before crucifixion…since the Most Holy Trinity is God …and the Father sends The Holy Spirit when the Lord Ascends after Crucifixion to sit at the right Hand of the Father ,God is still guiding the church he never surrenders it…God is still in control…Mk 14:7 For the poor you have always with you: and whensoever you will, you may do them good:** but me you have not always**
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Mickey
Guest
Are you asking me to explain the sacrament of Holy Orders?
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ralphinal
Guest
No. Gosh, it almost feels like talking to a Muslim or Mormon.
WHo decides where a new see is needed? How does one get there? Who chooses the new bishops? Who appoints them to their seat?
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jimmy
Guest
The synod.No. Gosh, it almost feels like talking to a Muslim or Mormon.
WHo decides where a new see is needed? How does one get there? Who chooses the new bishops? Who appoints them to their seat?
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ralphinal
Guest
Thanks. So is it open to a vote? Is there a website with the rules spelled out for me?
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Mickey
Guest
Is this some type of veiled insult?
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StMarina303ad
Guest
Reading is a great start. I hope that within your reading you have included a few titles:
THE TRUTH: What Every Roman Catholic Should Know About the Orthodox Church by Clark Carlton (also recommended by the same author: THE LIFE, THE FAITH and THE WAY)
TWO PATHS: Papal Monarchy - Collegial Tradition by Michael Whelton
POPES AND PATRIARCHS: An Orthodox Perspective on Roman Catholic Claims also by Michael Whelton
My hope for you is that you not only read, but also begin attending both Roman Catholic Masses and Eastern Catholic Divine Liturgies as well as Vespers, Orthros (Matins) & Divine Liturgy Services in the Orthodox Church - you can locate a nearby Orthodox parish at: scoba.us/directory.html.
In the Catholic Church you will find that depending on the parish you attend the Worship Service may be completely different: some only speak in Latin, others in English, some in Spanish, some only in Korean - but not only is the Language itself different, but Liturgy itself is different - Roman Catholic includes at least two different ways, Byzantine Catholic another, Melkite Greek Catholic another, Coptic Catholic another, etc. - the worship and beliefs differ, even in the Creed.
In the Orthodox Church you will find that regardless of which parish you attend, the Worship Service, the Creed, the beliefs and teachings are all the same. You will find some use to a larger or lesser extend of the original language from which that Church came into the United States from: Greek Orthodox, you’ll hear some Greek, Russian Orthodox, you’ll hear some Russian, in the OCA (Orthodox Church of America) you pretty much only hear English. At my Greek Orthodox Church we have mostly Greek membership, but also African Amercian, East Indians, and plenty of us American Mutts (Scottish, German, Irish, Italin, etc.).
With prayer and study and experience of the Worship Services, your Heart which is the throne of the Most Holy Trinity will lead you to the True Faith. Ask your local Orthodox Priest to recommend you to a Spiritual Father who can direct you in your prayer life (you can also ask your local Catholic Priest to direct you to a Spiritual Director, but in most cases that is simply unavailable to the Catholic Laity). It is also recommended that you take a trip to a Monastery of both Faiths as well. I don’t know of a Catholic on to refer you to, but I would recommend St. Anthony’s in AZ - it will only take time and money to get there as the stay itself is free of cost for up to 10 days. stanthonysmonastery.org/index.php
A few websites you’ll want for reference:
www.goarch.org
ORTHODOX PATRIARCHATES - AUTOCEPHALOUS AND OTHER CHURCHES
Ecumenical Patriarchate www.patriarchate.org
Patriarchate of Alexandria www.greekorthodox-alexandria.org
Patriarchate of Antioch www.antiochpat.org
Patriarchate of Jerusalem www.jerusalem-patriarchate.info
Patriarchate of Moscow www.mospat.ru
Patriarchate of Serbia www.spc.yu
Patriarchate of Romania www.patriarhia.ro
Patriarchate of Bulgaria bulch.tripod.com/boc/
Patriarchate of Georgia www.patriarchate.ge/
Church of Cyprus www.churchofcyprus.org.cy
Church of Greece www.ecclesia.gr
Church of Albania www.orthodoxalbania.org
Church of Poland www.orthodox.pl
Church of Czech - Slovakia www.pravoslav.gts.cz
Church of Finland www.ort.fi
Church of Estonia www.orthodoxa.org
CATHOLIC PATRIARCHATES
Roman Catholic www.vatican.va
Melkite Greek Catholic pgc-lb.org/english/index.shtml
Ukrainian Catholic ?
Byzantine Catholic ?
Maronite Catholic bkerkelb.org/
Alexandrian Catholic
Ge’ez Catholic
Malankar Catholic
Syrian Catholic
Chaldean Catholic
I don’t know the names of the rest of the Catholic Churches in union with the Pope of Rome. I am sorry, I could not find all of their websites.
Should you opt to become Catholic rather than Orthodox, you will need to investigate the Catholic Churches 12 different “Particular Churches” to determine which one has the teachings, beliefs, doctrine, Liturgy, etc. that you agree and feel the most comfortable with. Next you will need to reconcile within yourself how is it that these Particular Churches all in union with Rome have so many different Liturgies, teachings and beliefs and you will have to decide for youself why it is alright to be in full communion with these other Particular Churches you decided not to join. (A difficulty you will not have, should you opt to become an Orthodox Christian).
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ralphinal
Guest
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cazayoux
Guest
I don’t think our feelings and comfort are what we are called to.
We are called to the truth … regardless of our feelings or comfort.
Differences in liturgy, vestments, et cetera are not a problem.
I am curious about you mentioning the different doctrines between the 12 different particular Catholic Churches.
What are the *doctrinal *differences?
michel
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StMarina303ad
Guest
Depends on which two of the Particular Churches you are comparing:I don’t think our feelings and comfort are what we are called to.
We are called to the truth … regardless of our feelings or comfort.
Which is exactly why one should become an Orthodox Christian rather than a Catholic Christian because of Truth!
I am curious about you mentioning the different doctrines between the 12 different particular Catholic Churches.
What are the *doctrinal *differences?
michel
Filioque
Supremacy/Infallibility of the Pope
Christ having 1 Nature or 2 Natures
etc.
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cazayoux
Guest
I didn’t realize that among Catholics there were different doctrines.
Which Catholics don’t agree that the pope has supremacy?
Which Catholics don’t agree that Jesus is one person with a human and a divine nature (100% both)?
Which Catholics don’t agree that the Holy Spirit comes from the Father and the Son?
Which Catholics don’t agree that the pope, when speaking on faith and moral from the chair of Peter to the whole church, is doing so infallibly?
Help me to these Catholics that don’t agree on Catholic Doctrine.
michel
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StMarina303ad
Guest
Become Orthodox, then you won’t have to deal with attempting to reconcile differing doctrines believed by the more than a dozen Particular Churches in union with Rome. Come home to Orthodoxy!
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Peter_J
Guest
After studying the resistance to papal infallibility/supremacy in the Roman Catholic councils of Basle and Constance—and then seeing it pushed through by Pius IX in 1870—I am convinced that it is innovation.
Hi Mickey,
First, I would point out that, although Catholics often use the term “supremacy”, the official (dogmatic) term is “universal ordinary jurisdiction”.
Second, your argument supports the idea that those dogma definitions were unwise (and I agree, btw), but you haven’t said anything to convince me that the dogmas were doctrinal innovations (i.e. teachings not contained in the original Deposit of Faith).
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Peter_J
Guest
The Catholic Church doesn’t allow for disagreement with those dogmas. What is allowed is disagreement of a historical nature: for example, the Vatican says that Vatican I was an ecumenical council, and it dogmatically defined Papal Infallibility. The Melkite Catholic patriarch might say (and, I think, does say) that Vatican I was not an ecumenical council and therefore had no authority to dogmatically define Papal Infallibility. (Which is completely different from saying “Papal Infallibility is false”.)
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jam070406
Guest
Our Lady of Good Success (Church approved) prophesized, 200 years beforehand, that infallibility and the Immaculate Conception would be defined as dogma.
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tdgesq
Guest
Really. Then why is it that some Orthodox require rebaptism of Catholic converts and others don’t? Why is it that some teach that none of the Catholic sacraments are valid (Cyprianic theory of apostolic succession) and others do not? Why is it that some permit belief in aerial tollhouses and others do not? You either don’t know or don’t care what the other EO Churches you claim to be in communion with teach.
And please name the sui juris Church that is in Catholic communion which teaches that Christ has only one nature. You can’t because there isn’t one. You have as much to learn about your own faith as you do about the Catholic faith. In other words, a lot.
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rad
Guest
Didn’t the children of israel forsake God as sovereign ruler over them ,and chose a earthly king to rule them…arn’t the catholics doing like wise by putting a earthly fallable human being as supreme pontiff over them…
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