ℂ𝕒𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕝𝕚𝕔 𝔸𝕡𝕠𝕝𝕠𝕘𝕖𝕥𝕚𝕔𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 ℙ𝕠𝕝𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕔𝕤

Forwarded from Pure World Truth

This right here is a perfect example of what I mean when I say a lot of Eastern Orthodox go around pushing their personal opinions as if they’re the official dogmatic teaching of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Qai is basically claiming that EOs are obligated to believe that other churches, like the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Church, don’t have the mysteries of God (the holy sacraments). But Qai didn’t provide a universally binding source within Eastern Orthodoxy that says Catholics and Orientals don’t have valid sacraments. The reality is, there’s no official dogmatic position in Eastern Orthodoxy that denies the validity of Catholic and Oriental sacraments. It’s a divided issue among the Eastern Orthodox themselves, and people need to stop treating their personal take as if it’s what all Eastern Orthodox believe.

The Orthodox Church of America even admits Eastern Orthodox are divided on whether Catholics have valid sacraments or not:

“Concerning the Eucharist: Many Orthodox Christians do view the Roman Catholic Eucharist as the Body and Blood of Christ; others today would not subscribe to this. The answer is linked to whether one believes that Roman Catholicism is “with grace” or “devoid of grace.”
Concerning the “grace of the priesthood”: This is partially answered in point 1 above. The answer to this is also intimately linked on whether the Orthodox view Roman Catholicism as a body that is “with grace” or “devoid of grace.” Some Orthodox would say that Roman Catholic priests do possess grace; others would say that they do not.”
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https://www.oca(dot)org/questions/romancatholicism/validity-of-roman-catholic-orders

The majority of Eastern Orthodox Churches accept the Balamand Document of 1993, which states that Catholics have valid sacraments:

"In fact, especially since the panorthodox Conferences and the Second Vatican Council, the re- discovery and the giving again of proper value to the Church as communion, both on the part of Orthodox and of Catholics, has radically altered perspectives and thus attitudes. On each side it is recognized that what Christ has entrusted to his Church - profession of apostolic faith, participation in the same sacraments, above all the one priesthood celebrating the one sacrifice of Christ, the apostolic succession of bishops - cannot be considered the exclusive property of one of our Churches. In this context, it is clear that any rebaptism must be avoided." - Balamand Document, Article 13

Here’s more:

🔸Eastern Orthodox synod affirming Catholics have valid sacraments

Holy Synod of Moscow (1903) -
“We believe in the sincerity of their faith in the Most Holy and Life-Giving Trinity and therefore we accept the baptism of both. We honor the apostolic succession of the Latin hierarchy and receive the clergy who come to our Church in their present dignity.”

🔸Eastern Orthodox saints who believed Catholics have valid sacraments:

Eastern Orthodox St. Theophan:

“We are private individuals; and in their opinions they must conform to the decision of the Orthodox Church. It seems that our Church is condescending to Catholics and recognizes the power of not only the baptism of the Catholics and other sacraments, but also the priesthood, which is very significant.” (Quoted from Sergei Fedorov, The Reality of Sacraments Outside the Church)

Eastern Orthodox St. Seraphim Sobolev:

“Among the errors of Vladimir Solovyov, one should also refer to his calling Catholicism the Church. Catholicism should be called a schism with heretical confession, due to which, although there is apostolic succession with the sacraments here, but the inner regenerating grace of the Holy Spirit is not effective for Catholics and, therefore, it does not regenerate and does not save them. Vladimir Soloviev is even more mistaken when he calls Protestantism the Church. There is no regenerating grace here at all, for there is no sacrament of holy chrismation and there is no apostolic succession.

👍1

www.tgoop.com/CATHOLICAPOLOGETICSANDPOLEMICS/3560

409 viewsApr 28 at 06:03

This right here is a perfect example of what I mean when I say a lot of Eastern Orthodox go around pushing their personal opinions as if they’re the official dogmatic teaching of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Qai is basically claiming that EOs are obligated to believe that other churches, like the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Church, don’t have the mysteries of God (the holy sacraments). But Qai didn’t provide a universally binding source within Eastern Orthodoxy that says Catholics and Orientals don’t have valid sacraments. The reality is, there’s no official dogmatic position in Eastern Orthodoxy that denies the validity of Catholic and Oriental sacraments. It’s a divided issue among the Eastern Orthodox themselves, and people need to stop treating their personal take as if it’s what all Eastern Orthodox believe.

The Orthodox Church of America even admits Eastern Orthodox are divided on whether Catholics have valid sacraments or not:

“Concerning the Eucharist: Many Orthodox Christians do view the Roman Catholic Eucharist as the Body and Blood of Christ; others today would not subscribe to this. The answer is linked to whether one believes that Roman Catholicism is “with grace” or “devoid of grace.”
Concerning the “grace of the priesthood”: This is partially answered in point 1 above. The answer to this is also intimately linked on whether the Orthodox view Roman Catholicism as a body that is “with grace” or “devoid of grace.” Some Orthodox would say that Roman Catholic priests do possess grace; others would say that they do not.”
_
https://www.oca(dot)org/questions/romancatholicism/validity-of-roman-catholic-orders

The majority of Eastern Orthodox Churches accept the Balamand Document of 1993, which states that Catholics have valid sacraments:

"In fact, especially since the panorthodox Conferences and the Second Vatican Council, the re- discovery and the giving again of proper value to the Church as communion, both on the part of Orthodox and of Catholics, has radically altered perspectives and thus attitudes. On each side it is recognized that what Christ has entrusted to his Church - profession of apostolic faith, participation in the same sacraments, above all the one priesthood celebrating the one sacrifice of Christ, the apostolic succession of bishops - cannot be considered the exclusive property of one of our Churches. In this context, it is clear that any rebaptism must be avoided." - Balamand Document, Article 13

Here’s more:

🔸Eastern Orthodox synod affirming Catholics have valid sacraments

Holy Synod of Moscow (1903) -
“We believe in the sincerity of their faith in the Most Holy and Life-Giving Trinity and therefore we accept the baptism of both. We honor the apostolic succession of the Latin hierarchy and receive the clergy who come to our Church in their present dignity.”

🔸Eastern Orthodox saints who believed Catholics have valid sacraments:

Eastern Orthodox St. Theophan:

“We are private individuals; and in their opinions they must conform to the decision of the Orthodox Church. It seems that our Church is condescending to Catholics and recognizes the power of not only the baptism of the Catholics and other sacraments, but also the priesthood, which is very significant.” (Quoted from Sergei Fedorov, The Reality of Sacraments Outside the Church)

Eastern Orthodox St. Seraphim Sobolev:

“Among the errors of Vladimir Solovyov, one should also refer to his calling Catholicism the Church. Catholicism should be called a schism with heretical confession, due to which, although there is apostolic succession with the sacraments here, but the inner regenerating grace of the Holy Spirit is not effective for Catholics and, therefore, it does not regenerate and does not save them. Vladimir Soloviev is even more mistaken when he calls Protestantism the Church. There is no regenerating grace here at all, for there is no sacrament of holy chrismation and there is no apostolic succession.

BY ℂ𝕒𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕝𝕚𝕔 𝔸𝕡𝕠𝕝𝕠𝕘𝕖𝕥𝕚𝕔𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 ℙ𝕠𝕝𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕔𝕤