Question on Oriental Orthodoxy

[Bill6]

I hear that the Catholic Church recognizes the validity of Eastern Orthodox sacraments. Is there a distinction between Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox? Does the Church teach that Oriential Orthodox Chruches have valid orders and other sacraments? Also, I have heard that the Eastern Orthodox recognize seven ecumenical councils, but Oriental Orthodox only recognize three or four (I could be wrong here). Any clarification would help.

Merry Christmas and God bless.

 

[Salibi]

Is there a distinction between Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox

Yes. The Oriental Orthodox rejected the Council of Chalcedon and split from the rest of Christianity in the 5th century. The Christian Church later split into Eastern Orthodoxy and Catholicism during the Great Schism.

Does the Church teach that Oriential Orthodox Chruches have valid orders and other sacraments?

Yes, although this is recent as the Church used to consider them heretics because of a misunderstanding of Christology. The Church has found that the Christology of the OO is compatible with Catholicism.

Also, I have heard that the Eastern Orthodox recognize seven ecumenical councils, but Oriental Orthodox only recognize three or four (I

Correct.

Merry Christma to you too. Hope this helps.

 

[Bill6]

Thank you for your answer. It is a big help. It appears that Pope Saint John Paul the Great declared that Oriental Orthodox Christology is compatible with Catholic Christology.
God bless and have a Merry Christmas.

 

[Bill6]

Yes, there are efforts to bring about full Communion with the OO and Rome. Recently, for example, Pope Francis and the Coptic Orthodox Pope came to an agreement and recognized the validity of the baptisms of each Church. I am not very knowledgeable on this topic, however. Here is some information which will help: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/p...stuni/sub-index/index_ancient-oriental-ch.htm

God bless and have a Merry Christmas.

 

[Salibi]

We are closer to re-establishing communion with the OO than with the EO.

 

[ziapueblo]

Here is a document worth reading:

GUIDELINES FOR ADMISSION TO THE EUCHARIST
BETWEEN THE CHALDEAN CHURCH
AND THE ASSYRIAN CHURCH OF THE EAST

ZP

 

[Bill6]

@ziapueblo Thank you so much. The document is very helpful.
God bless and Merry Christmas.

 

[ziapueblo]

Christ is born! Glorify Him!

You’re welcome

ZP

 

[do_justly_love_mercy]

I have heard that the Eastern Orthodox recognize seven ecumenical councils, but Oriental Orthodox only recognize three or four (I could be wrong here).

That is, essentially, the difference. The Oriental Orthodox Churches recognize the first three ecumenical councils and broke from other Churches by rejecting the fourth. @ziapueblo: The Assyrian Church of the East, together with the Ancient Church of the East, derive from the Church of the East, which accepted only the first two ecumenical councils and broke from other Churches earlier than the Oriental Orthodox by rejecting the third ecumenical council. The Assyrian Church of the East is therefore not Oriental Orthodox. I appreciate that you didn’t say that it was Oriental Orthodox, but from your post the OP could have misunderstood and thought that it was.

 

[ziapueblo]

Thanks for that!

ZP

 

[dochawk]

Yes. The Oriental Orthodox rejected the Council of Chalcedon and split from the rest of Christianity in the 5th century.

It might be more fairly put the the council rejected them: it had discussed the issues in dispute before they arrived, and refused to reopen discussion . . .

 

[Salibi]

Indeed. Lots of underhandedness accompagnied the issue.

 

[Salibi]

The council was convened before they could arrive. They travelled by caravan back then. It was a purposeful decision to exclude them, and the Council had already reached its conclusion when they got there.

 

[Salibi]

I’m sure there are, but unfortunately I don’t know any.

 

[George720]

The EOC and the OOC met together to discuss their dogmatic differences, and were unable to figure out just how they were different - Antioch met with the Copts, and issued a joint statement saying: “Just because we are unable to figure out the difference in our doctrines, and are not in Clerical Communion, we do not see any reason for the Laity to not be Communed in each others’ Churches when indicated by distances from our own Churches…”

This for the Middle East in Egypt and Syria…

geo

 

[YHWH_Christ]

The Oriental Orthodox are a separate communion from the Orthodox Catholic Church (what is commonly called the Eastern Orthodox Church by westerners). What separates us is misunderstandings about the Council of Chalcedon.

 

[George720]

The EOC and the OOC met together

I don’t have the date, but several years ago, maybe 5-7, or maybe 15-20…

I just don’t know - forgive me…

geo

 

[YHWH_Christ]

No. (10 characters)

 

[Fuerza]

The Church has always held the sacraments of the Oriental Orthodox to be valid, though you are correct that no longer viewing them as heretics is more recent.

 

[dochawk]

Thank you. What does it mean?

It means that they finally spoke in a language that both understood, and realized that all that separated then (as well as the OO from the west) was that they were talking past one another before Chalcedon, putting the wrong words in one another’s mouths as to what the other believed, instead of actually discussing. (and the same likely would have happened at Chalcedon, but the OO arrived after the matter had been discussed, with the wrongly inserted positions attributed to the OO, and those who would later be known as the EO and RCC refused to reopen the subject)