Popes influence in the Eastern Churches

[Paul_theApostle]

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What influence has the Pope had amongst or over the Eastern Churches since the Great schism?

With the first millenium ,from the Catholic perspective,it seems the Pope exercised his Papal Primacy over the East and was the last council of appeal,and was head over Ecumenical councils also.

I know the Orthodox believe the Popes powers have been abused,but from the Catholic perspective it seems the Pope in the first millenium was head of the entire church of east and west and was the Highest shepherd of the early church and had plenty of say and authority in the matters of the Eastern churches.

So Has the Pope had any influence or say in the matters of the East over the last 1000 years?

 

[ciero]

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What influence has the Pope had amongst or over the Eastern Churches since the Great schism?

With the first millenium ,from the Catholic perspective,it seems the Pope exercised his Papal Primacy over the East and was the last council of appeal,and was head over Ecumenical councils also.

I know the Orthodox believe the Popes powers have been abused,but from the Catholic perspective it seems the Pope in the first millenium was head of the entire church of east and west and was the Highest shepherd of the early church and had plenty of say and authority in the matters of the Eastern churches.

Are you referring to His Holiness Pope Shanouda of Alexandria or some other Pope?

So Has the Pope had any influence or say in the matters of the East over the last 1000 years?

 

[Alexander_Roman]

If by “papal influence,” we mean “Latinization,” then really Rome has always sought to maintain the Eastern Catholic Churches in communion with her from being Latinized.

Latinization always came from local Roman Catholic authorities and then from EC bishops and priests who were trained in RC seminaries.

Rome did place the Eastern Catholic Churches under the wing of a Congregation which is today the Congregation for the Eastern Catholic Churches and which was formerly the administrative unit of the RC Church that looked after the conversion of pagans etc.

If anything, Rome’s suspicions of the East had more to do with the spreading of Eastern influences on Roman Catholics . . . this is why RC’s could not go to Communion in EC Churches but EC’s could always attend Communion in Latin Churches - I have a copy of the Slavonic rescript in this regard).

In RC Poland, there were two local “Synods” according to the Rev. Fr. Dr Ireneaus Nazarko OSBM, which condemned . . . Eastern Catholics as a “contaminating influence.”

They noted with particular disdain how their own RC seminarians began taking up Eastern ways, growing beards, wearing long-sleeved robes etc. etc. They affirmed that EC’s were worse (a “worse yazva”) than the Orthodox since their influence affected the RC church from within.

I don’t know why it is that RC’s were so affected by Orthodox and Eastern ways. But they were then and they are now. An EC priest friend of mine told me half of his parish are traditionalist Roman Catholics who have even learned the Divine Liturgy in Ukrainian . . .

Alex