Relations of the Pope and the Eastern Catholic Churches

[Anastasia13]

I recently read this “Melkite Catholics do not believe that our Church is “subject to” or in “submission to” the bishop of Rome” and “The pope has no authority over the other sui juris Churches, because any concept of supreme authority of one bishop over another bishop, or of one Church over another Church, destroys the reality of communion, which is not about power over others, but about reciprocity and sharing in the common divine life of the body of Christ.” elsewhere online by out Apotheoun on an old thread. I’m curious then how the eastern Catholics relate to the Pope. Are there any official church documents that describe this?

 

[Vico]

I recently read this “Melkite Catholics do not believe that our Church is “subject to” or in “submission to” the bishop of Rome” and “The pope has no authority over the other sui juris Churches, because any concept of supreme authority of one bishop over another bishop, or of one Church over another Church, destroys the reality of communion, which is not about power over others, but about reciprocity and sharing in the common divine life of the body of Christ.” elsewhere online by out Apotheoun on an old thread. I’m curious then how the eastern Catholics relate to the Pope. Are there any official church documents that describe this?

CCEO (eastern canon law)

Canon 43
The bishop of the Church of Rome, in whom resides the office (munus) given in special way by the Lord to Peter, first of the Apostles and to be transmitted to his successors, is head of the college of bishops, the Vicar of Christ and Pastor of the entire Church on earth; therefore, in virtue of his office (munus) he enjoys supreme, full, immediate and universal ordinary power in the Church which he can always freely exercise.

Canon 44

1. The Roman Pontiff obtains full and supreme power in the Church by means of legitimate election accepted by him together with episcopal consecration; therefore, one who is already a bishop obtains this same power from the moment he accepts his election to the pontificate, but if the one elected lacks the episcopal character, he is to be ordained a bishop immediately.
2. If it should happen that the Roman Pontiff resigns his office (munus), it is required for validity that he makes the resignation freely and that it be duly manifested, but not that it be accepted by anyone.

Canon 45

1. The Roman Pontiff, by virtue of his office (munus), not only has power over the entire Church but also possesses a primacy of ordinary power over all the eparchies and groupings of them by which the proper, ordinary and immediate power which bishops possess in the eparchy entrusted to their care is both strengthened and safeguarded.
2. The Roman Pontiff, in fulfilling the office (munus) of the supreme pastor of the Church is always united in communion with the other bishops and with the entire Church; however, he has the right, according to the needs of the church, to determine the manner, either personal or collegial, of exercising this function.
3. There is neither appeal nor recourse against a sentence or decree of the Roman Pontiff.

Canon 46

1. In exercising his office (munus) the Roman Pontiff is assisted by the bishops who aid him in various ways and among these is the synod of bishops; moreover the cardinals, the Roman curia, pontifical legates and other persons and various institutes assist him according to the needs of the times; all these persons and institutes carry out the task committed to them in his name and by his authority for the good of all the Churches, according to the norm of law established by the Roman Pontiff himself.
2. The participation of patriarchs and other hierarchs who preside over Churches sui iuris in the synod of bishops is regulated by special norms established by the Roman Pontiff.

…

Canon 49
The college of bishops, whose head is the Roman Pontiff and whose members are the bishops by virtue of sacramental ordination and hierarchical communion with the head and members of the college, and in which the apostolic body continually endures, together with its head, and never without its head, is also the subject of supreme and full power over the universal Church.

 

[chaldobyzantine]

“The pope has no authority over the other sui juris Churches, because any concept of supreme authority of one bishop over another bishop, or of one Church over another Church, destroys the reality of communion, which is not about power over others, but about reciprocity and sharing in the common divine life of the body of Christ.”

If only that were really the case. Unfortunately it is not. Officially, all Eastern Catholic Churches agree with the ecclesiology set forth by the Vatican, just as Vico stated. Many Eastern Catholics, myself included, have that opinion of the Pope being the Ecumenical Pontiff and the First Among Equals, just as he was in the first millennium of Christianity or as the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople is now. Our Catholic Patriarchs in the past have opposed major official doctrines regarding the Papacy, such as Pastor Aeternus from Vatican I declaring Papal Infallibility, only to be reprimanded and punished for disagreeing by having their Eastern mindset. The focus is now that Papal primacy viewpoints are the major dividing issue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches, and a stumbling block towards a true unity.

God Bless.

 

[theistgal]

And just FWIW, it’s not because of any problem with the last few Popes, who have actually done a lot of good things for East/West relations, that some (not all!) Eastern Catholics feel this way; just that they have some concerns based on actions of other Popes and Bishops, in the not-all-that-distant past.