Catholicity...not Catholicism
“And the Church is called ‘catholic’ for being in the entire world from one end of the earth to the other and for teaching wholly “KATHOLIKOS” and lacking nothing of all the doctrines that must become part of man’s knowledge… and for subjecting every race of men… to godliness and for curing completely (KATHOLIKOS) and healing every sort of sin, commited either through the soul or the body, and for being of possession of every notion of virtue in word or in deed that can be named, as well as every spiritual gift.” - St. Cyril of Jerusalem (stolen from here...image stolen from here)
The Church is Catholic, but not Roman. Can we be one Church confessing the same creeds and professing the same doctrine while also remaining relevant on a local basis? I do not blame the Pope for making no secret that the Roman Catholics believe that their Church is the one true Church. In a position of power, I imagine we Orthodox would do the same.
No, my major complaint with the Roman Catholics, and with many MANY Orthodox in general is the belief that one particular bishop would have a unique preeminence over all others. Orthodox would complain about the monarchical position of the Pope in the Catholic Church in the face of the collegiality of all bishops. However I am also convinced that many Orthodox would like to overthrow the cult of the Pope in favor of another cult of some other Patriarch/Catholicos.
The heart of Orthodoxy is and has always been that the head of the Church is first and foremost Christ who sent the Holy Spirit at Pentecost over all his Apostles equally, allowing the fullness of the Church to be experienced completely in the Eucharistic community built around each Apostle and their successors. To be a successor to an apostle, however, means to assume overseership (episkopos), but not the individual characteristics of that apostle. St. John the Beloved of Christ outlived all the other of the original 12, but does that mean that the successors to Peter could claim preeminence over the Apostle who followed Christ to his Crucifixion?
St. Ignatius wrote that the Catholic Church is wherever the Bishop is. In the book of Acts, we find that the Apostles met together collegially (ie as a synod) in the case of major cross cutting Church issues. It is my opinion that the fullness of the Church can be contextualized on a local basis in a Church built around a local bishop who reports to the authority of the Church as manifested by the congress of bishops. In doing so, we can maintain Oneness and Catholicity while also being direct, local, and relevant; keeping to our call to bring the Faith to all nations.
In saying all this, it is my hope and dream for there to be a unique, English speaking, autonomous, and vigorously evangelistic American Orthodox Church growing out of the Indian Orthodox communities here in this nation. We have all the resources we need at our disposal. The need is not something for tomorrow, but developing an American face to our Church must be the end all to everything we do. We are after all Americans?
When will we be independent? When we start acting like it!
-Steve K
The Church is Catholic, but not Roman. Can we be one Church confessing the same creeds and professing the same doctrine while also remaining relevant on a local basis? I do not blame the Pope for making no secret that the Roman Catholics believe that their Church is the one true Church. In a position of power, I imagine we Orthodox would do the same.
No, my major complaint with the Roman Catholics, and with many MANY Orthodox in general is the belief that one particular bishop would have a unique preeminence over all others. Orthodox would complain about the monarchical position of the Pope in the Catholic Church in the face of the collegiality of all bishops. However I am also convinced that many Orthodox would like to overthrow the cult of the Pope in favor of another cult of some other Patriarch/Catholicos.
The heart of Orthodoxy is and has always been that the head of the Church is first and foremost Christ who sent the Holy Spirit at Pentecost over all his Apostles equally, allowing the fullness of the Church to be experienced completely in the Eucharistic community built around each Apostle and their successors. To be a successor to an apostle, however, means to assume overseership (episkopos), but not the individual characteristics of that apostle. St. John the Beloved of Christ outlived all the other of the original 12, but does that mean that the successors to Peter could claim preeminence over the Apostle who followed Christ to his Crucifixion?
St. Ignatius wrote that the Catholic Church is wherever the Bishop is. In the book of Acts, we find that the Apostles met together collegially (ie as a synod) in the case of major cross cutting Church issues. It is my opinion that the fullness of the Church can be contextualized on a local basis in a Church built around a local bishop who reports to the authority of the Church as manifested by the congress of bishops. In doing so, we can maintain Oneness and Catholicity while also being direct, local, and relevant; keeping to our call to bring the Faith to all nations.
In saying all this, it is my hope and dream for there to be a unique, English speaking, autonomous, and vigorously evangelistic American Orthodox Church growing out of the Indian Orthodox communities here in this nation. We have all the resources we need at our disposal. The need is not something for tomorrow, but developing an American face to our Church must be the end all to everything we do. We are after all
When will we be independent? When we start acting like it!
-Steve K
posted by street theologian @ 10:12 PM
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