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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Differences with Eastern Orthodox Churches	Michael	Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Question: I am confused about why the Eastern Orthodox Churhes are considered a "sister" church and what would need to happen to be in full communion. I understand, simply put, we are allowed to receive the sacraments from each other's priests in an emergency. Although their teachings are very similar, they do not accept the authority of the pope. They pray for the dead but do not accept purgatory and indulgences. They have a high regard and pray to Mary but do not accept the Immaculate Conception. They most definitely believe in the Real Presence but do not define it as transubstantiation. In other words, are these and other differences absolute barriers to unity? What might a reunited church look like?
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r) Dear Michael: We know exactly what the Eastern Orthodox Churches would look like if they came into union with the Pope. We know that because there are Churches from the East that did in fact come into union with Rome, called sui iuris Churches, or Eastern Catholic Churches. For example, some from the Greek Orthodox reconciled with Rome to become the Byzantine Catholic Church. All of the Eastern Catholic Churches are essentially the same as their Orthodox counterparts except in the unity with the Pope (Some Eastern Churches never split from Rome). Very little has to change for unity. The primary obstacle for the Orthodox Churches is in accepting the authority and primacy of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. The Pope is the Pope as a sign of unity. He has always been that in addition to his pastoral, doctrinal, ecclesiastical, and governing powers. We must pray that the Orthodox return home to the Church that Jesus personally established under the His prime minister we call the Pope, who sits in the Chair of Peter. Jesus never wanted his Church split. He wants all Christians to be under the sign of unity that He personally established in the person of the Pope. We need to pray more so for the greatest scandal the Church has known until recent days, and that was the monumental sin and division of Martin Luther, et al. Then the greatest threat to unity and faith is now before us in the name of a growing apostasy fueled largely by Progressivism and its attacks upon the freedom of religion. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary

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Differences with Eastern Orthodox Churches

Michael

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Question:

I am confused about why the Eastern Orthodox Churhes are considered a "sister" church and what would need to happen to be in full communion.

I understand, simply put, we are allowed to receive the sacraments from each other's priests in an emergency. Although their teachings are very similar, they do not accept the authority of the pope. They pray for the dead but do not accept purgatory and indulgences. They have a high regard and pray to Mary but do not accept the Immaculate Conception. They most definitely believe in the Real Presence but do not define it as transubstantiation. In other words, are these and other differences absolute barriers to unity? What might a reunited church look like?

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r)

Dear Michael:

We know exactly what the Eastern Orthodox Churches would look like if they came into union with the Pope. We know that because there are Churches from the East that did in fact come into union with Rome, called sui iuris Churches, or Eastern Catholic Churches. For example, some from the Greek Orthodox reconciled with Rome to become the Byzantine Catholic Church. All of the Eastern Catholic Churches are essentially the same as their Orthodox counterparts except in the unity with the Pope (Some Eastern Churches never split from Rome).

Very little has to change for unity. The primary obstacle for the Orthodox Churches is in accepting the authority and primacy of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. The Pope is the Pope as a sign of unity. He has always been that in addition to his pastoral, doctrinal, ecclesiastical, and governing powers.

We must pray that the Orthodox return home to the Church that Jesus personally established under the His prime minister we call the Pope, who sits in the Chair of Peter. Jesus never wanted his Church split. He wants all Christians to be under the sign of unity that He personally established in the person of the Pope.

We need to pray more so for the greatest scandal the Church has known until recent days, and that was the monumental sin and division of Martin Luther, et al. Then the greatest threat to unity and faith is now before us in the name of a growing apostasy fueled largely by Progressivism and its attacks upon the freedom of religion.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary