C
CatherineofA
Guest
Do the Orthodox pray to saints?
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L
LDNCatholic
Guest
Hi Catherine, yes the Orthodox do believe in the Communion of Saints and ask for their intercession.
C
CatherineofA
Guest
Do they pray to all the saints as Catholics? Example-Would they consider Joan of Arc a saint? Do they have their own Catholics don’t recognize as saints?
B
bpbasilphx
Guest
Of course, Orthodox invoke and venerate saints. Who do you think invented the practice?
Obviously, while most of the saints of the first 10 centuries would be the same between Orthodox and Catholics, those who lived after the schism would NOT be the same.
That means that Joan of Arc would not be officially venerated as a saint by Orthodox, though there is nothing to stop individual Orthodox from admiring her.
OTOH, St. Seraphim of Sarov was referred to with his honorific by beloved John Paul the Great. And St. Sergius of Radonezh, who technically is post-schism, is included in the latest Roman Martyrology.
Keep in mind that the Roman Martyrology does not pretend to be an exhaustive list, because every day’s entry concludes, “And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.”
Obviously, while most of the saints of the first 10 centuries would be the same between Orthodox and Catholics, those who lived after the schism would NOT be the same.
That means that Joan of Arc would not be officially venerated as a saint by Orthodox, though there is nothing to stop individual Orthodox from admiring her.
OTOH, St. Seraphim of Sarov was referred to with his honorific by beloved John Paul the Great. And St. Sergius of Radonezh, who technically is post-schism, is included in the latest Roman Martyrology.
Keep in mind that the Roman Martyrology does not pretend to be an exhaustive list, because every day’s entry concludes, “And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.”
C
CatherineofA
Guest
Why do you think the Orthodox invented the practice? Wouldn’t a Catholic feel the same way?
E
Eleve
Guest
The practice originated while the Churches were in union; there were no Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches, only the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church comprising the patriarchates that would eventually go their separate ways.
C
CatherineofA
Guest
Do the Orthodox believe that they were all called the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church before the Schism?
E
Eleve
Guest
Of course. It’s in the pre-Schism Nicene Creed.
L
LDNCatholic
Guest
Both Orthodox and Catholic opinions are right here. After all when the practice came into being they were one Church.
H
Hesychios
Guest
Hello Catherine,
I would only add that the Orthodox have always considered themselves Catholic to this very day (and of course, Catholics would consider themselves orthodox), so it’s just that we are following a convention for labeling.
Orthodox use the word Catholic in their own church names and documents.
However, here at CAF the proprietors would prefer that we not make a big issue of it (to avoid confusion). This is in keeping with the Roman Catholic belief that to be a Catholic is to be under the Pope. We disagree but comply with our host’s request.
For a bit of history, the church arose in a big way the east first (naturally, being close to Palestine), the economy was more developed and the population was much greater in the east than in the west. Western Europe was not highly developed and as the empire declined infrastructure collapsed, the population was rather thinly spread.
The Roman Empire survived in the east for another 1000 years as a Christian State with the roads, schools, courts and all pretty well maintained. Thus for the first four or five centuries the majority of the Christians and bishops were in the east as well as the majority of the Patristic authors. Monasticism arose originally in the east and was carried west later. Many of the common practices and beliefs of our two churches gained currency first in the east.
The seven churches of Revelation all grew to be significant Orthodox Catholic dioceses.
Later, western Europe was fully converted and the western population exploded while the east was overrun by various unpleasant sorts, so the Christian population in the east declined as a percentage and the ‘balance’ shifted to the western church.
But in origins one should see the two as of a common source.
All the responses thus far have been good ones.
I would only add that the Orthodox have always considered themselves Catholic to this very day (and of course, Catholics would consider themselves orthodox), so it’s just that we are following a convention for labeling.
Orthodox use the word Catholic in their own church names and documents.
However, here at CAF the proprietors would prefer that we not make a big issue of it (to avoid confusion). This is in keeping with the Roman Catholic belief that to be a Catholic is to be under the Pope. We disagree but comply with our host’s request.
For a bit of history, the church arose in a big way the east first (naturally, being close to Palestine), the economy was more developed and the population was much greater in the east than in the west. Western Europe was not highly developed and as the empire declined infrastructure collapsed, the population was rather thinly spread.
The Roman Empire survived in the east for another 1000 years as a Christian State with the roads, schools, courts and all pretty well maintained. Thus for the first four or five centuries the majority of the Christians and bishops were in the east as well as the majority of the Patristic authors. Monasticism arose originally in the east and was carried west later. Many of the common practices and beliefs of our two churches gained currency first in the east.
The seven churches of Revelation all grew to be significant Orthodox Catholic dioceses.
Later, western Europe was fully converted and the western population exploded while the east was overrun by various unpleasant sorts, so the Christian population in the east declined as a percentage and the ‘balance’ shifted to the western church.
But in origins one should see the two as of a common source.
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