Authority in the Church flows like this. God first then the Church. Within the Church Authority rest with the Pope. Under the Pope there is the universal Synod, we call this a council in the west. A council does not trump the Pope and to believe such is a heresy.
Then the whole Early Church, especially the Second (not in communion with Rome), the Fifth (convened over Pope Vigilius’ objections, it struck him from the diptychs) and the Sixth Ecumenical Council (anathematized Pope Honorius), are heretics.
Under a Council there are the various Bishops of the Church at all levels. Some are Patriarchs, some archbishops or Cardinals but all are Bishops, successors to the Apostles and we faithfull must be loyal to them. Under Bishops are of course our priest who is given charge over our souls. Please note, diacons do not have authority in themselves, they only serve as helpers of the Bishop. Priest do have some authority of their own but may only exersise that authority with the permission of the Bishop.
According to the Orthodox ecclesiosology, the priest resembles the diakon more than the bishop in this.
Just as a Bishop has authority, he must only exersise that authority when he is in communion with the Pope because only then is he in communion with the Church.
ex papam ecclesia non est. The Ecumenical Councils know nothing of this, in particular the Second (the one who wrote our Creed), which was not in communion with Rome.
Where the bishop is, there is the Catholic Church. In this first recorded use of the word Catholic, St. Ignatius, successor of St. Peter in Antioch without reference to Rome, says NOTHING about “the bishop sent by Rome.”
Also note, political leaders have no place in the line of authority within the Church or without.
Then why did pope Benedict VIII insert filioque at the insistance of
the emeperor?
And why do you all make so much of the councils of Lyons II and Florence, when the “Orthodox” who signed (by far not all) did so at the insistence (and force) of the emperor?
And what’s the fuss over the Formula of Hormisdas, which the Pope told the emperor to use force to have every in the bishop sign (the bishop of Thessalonica, then under Rome, himself tore the documetn in two, and the patriarch of Constantinople signed only after appending an preface stating the equality between Old and New Rome)?
Under the Church, there is the authority of the Bible. The Bible’s authority depends on the Church’s authority, which depends on God’s authority.
What was a big part of Eve’s sin. She tried to invert the natural order of authority. In the garden of eden authority went from God, to Adam, to Eve to creation. But then Satan came in the form of a created animal and he tricked Eve to accept a snake’s authority. She then tried to impose that authority onto Adam and he accepted it. This was a huge part in their sin.
Setting herself up as God was the sin. Hmmm.
Scripture, no matter how true and holy, does not trump the Church. Priest do not trump the Bishop. Bishops do not by themselves trump a Council and councils do not ever trump a Pope.
See above.
The Church never trumps the will of Almighty God. In fact, we know we are in the one and only true church because we give our will over to the will of Almighty God. The Church is here to be holy and do the will of God.
If reunion ever really does happen, it will come about because Catholics and those in schism from the Catholic Church seek to be holy and do the will of God. It will come about by holy men leading the faithful to the truth, full truth of Lord Jesus with not accepting of this or that. Full Truth, no cafateria. No divorce, no contraception, no skipping Mass on Sunday, no giving in to political presure. The one Church worships the One God as that God has commanded us to do.
I basically have not problem with all of the above.
