This article by the late Fr. Michael Pomazansky (memory eternal!) is a good introduction to the subject. Hope you find that helpful!
The church is the magisterium.
What mechanism within Orthodoxy is actived when some of the Bishops, some of the Priests and a portion of the people…
Depends. What’s the theological matter and what’s the disagreement?
Yes, I just described it.
Yes. See above.
Nope. There are catechisms but they don’t have the authority of the CCC. They’re used to teach catechumens. If an Orthodox has a question, they’d ask their Spiritual Father.
A hypothetical situation whereas a ‘subverting soul’ teaching is being promulgated…
Yes there is - The Faith.
Christ. The Faith.
Python, I can’t follow your question, and the differing colors and extended elipses is confusing me. At any rate, maybe someone else will answer, I think I’m heading to bed tonight, and I don’t know that I’ll be posting again this weekend. God Bless.
Says who?
The Church is the final authority. It’s hard for people of western confessions to understand because they tend to think on such earthly terms, but the Church is a divine institution.
Actually, it happens all the time, at many levels. But, what do you mean by dialog, exactly?
? Seriously, they get together with issues or problems that concern the general welfare of the faith but they don’t often see the need to discuss church practices (like the liturgy, which does not require manipulation) nor discuss theological introductions/innovations (the faith is solid).We don’t call an Ecumenical Council just because we feel like it. If there is no heresy to condemn, by would anyone need it? BTW, there have been councils since the split where all the churches gathered together and there is a council in the works to be convened in a few years to sort of some minor things among all the churches.
Ironically, this is exactly what happened in the West and they had a pope (Avignon papacy, Protestant Reformation, Anglican Schism, Old Catholics, etc.).
The Orthodox have always understood the local church, that is to say the faithful and priests gathered around the bishop in the diocese, to be the fullness of Orthodoxy. The bishops in a given region are organized into a synod, headed by one of their own: a metropolitan or Patriarch. This organization has been faithfully preserved in Orthodoxy and was shared by Rome at one time.The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople is the primus inter pares or ‘first among equals’ in the Orthodox Church. His position is one of honor, given to him after Old Rome left the Orthodox Church; a position that would return to her should she return to Orthodox unity. But the point of unity is our common faith and celebration of the Eucharist
The Holy Spirit.
It is everyone’s job in Orthodox “to hold fast to the traditions” give us, that includes laity, clerics, monastics, etc. What is hard for many to understand is that the pope never exercised authority over the entire church as he does in the modern RCC. He did not interfer outside of his own diocese unless explicitly asked. That is a far cry from how it is today, a la Vatican I & II.You make it sound like you expect us to be like a bunch of unruly children
Ok, I’m back!
Ok I’m getting the picture. I just wasn’t sure how free the movement is for the ROC today. Its Pentecost Michael may the Holy Spirit guide the churchs.Actually, it happens all the time, at many levels. But, what do you mean by dialog, exactly?
I mean, are they supposed to be talking about the weather
I remember that they all got together when the most recent Pope of Alexandria was installed, but that was more of a social gathering. Then they got together to all agree on the status of the Patriarch of Jerusalem. There are regular meetings of committees of delegates for other purposes, such as the Chambesy meetings and the Orthodox-non-Chalcedonian dialogs.
I posted in another place that the mother churches assembled in 2009 to erect a new umbrella organization for the North American Orthodox, it took effect almost immediately and retired the earlier SCOBA organization.
And for smaller matters there is always the telephone …
Well we are supposed to become like children, just not unruly ones.You make it sound like you expect us to be like a bunch of unruly children
Anyway I came from a tradition that recognized very little if any authority(besides the Bible), so maybe I overcompensate by looking for authoritarian leaders and institutions. Does not the Christ instituted structure of bishops and priests imply the need for a visible head? Both the RCC and the OC are aristocratic in government. I was asking who if anyone becomes the Orthodox Pope. From what I understand the closest thing to an Orthodox Pope is the patriarch of Constantinople? How much authority does he have?Really? The whole Orthodox Church got together? Who called the meetings?
The Orthodox have always understood the local church, that is to say the faithful and priests gathered around the bishop in the diocese, to be the fullness of Orthodoxy. The bishops in a given region are organized into a synod, headed by one of their own: a metropolitan or Patriarch. This organization has been faithfully preserved in Orthodoxy and was shared by Rome at one time. It is everyone’s job in Orthodox “to hold fast to the traditions” give us, that includes laity, clerics, monastics, etc. What is hard for many to understand is that the pope never exercised authority over the entire church as he does in the modern RCC. He did not interfer outside of his own diocese unless explicitly asked. That is a far cry from how it is today, a la Vatican I & II.