His Broken Body: Understanding and Healing the Schism between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches

TABLE OF CONTENTS
NOTE________________________________________________21
SOURCES AND ABBREVIATIONS ______________________22
TERMINOLOGY______________________________________26
PROLOGUE AND THESIS _____________________________29
INTRODUCTION _____________________________________32
1. His broken body................................................................................32
2. Why this book? ................................................................................34
3. Seeking the spirit of “truth in love”......................................................35
SECTION I: COMMON GROUNDS AND DIFFERENCES __39
1. The Creed........................................................................................39
2. Real reasons, real differences...............................................................40
3. St. Vincent’s principle........................................................................41
4. “Now I know only in part” ................................................................43
5. But what does your Church really teach? .............................................44
6. Apostolic Tradition...........................................................................48
7. Apostolic succession............................................................................52
8. Beyond Apostolic Tradition ...............................................................54
9. Major and minor differences...............................................................55
SECTION II: ECCLESIOLOGY__________________________58
I. WHAT IS “THE CHURCH?” --------------------------------------------------------------- 58
1. Foreword.........................................................................................58
2. Defining the word ............................................................................58
3. The catholic Church as a hologram......................................................65
4. A universal ontology or vocation? .......................................................69
II. UNITY IN THE (LOCAL) CATHOLIC CHURCH -------------------------------------- 70
1. Who presides over the Eucharist?........................................................ 70
2. Presbyters and bishops ....................................................................... 71
3. Summary ........................................................................................ 76
III. THE STRUCTURE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH------------------------------------ 77
1. “One bishop in the catholic Church“ .................................................... 77
2. St. Peter, “head” of the catholic Church ............................................... 78
3. The bishop as successors of St. Peter ..................................................... 80
4. Peter’s special successors ..................................................................... 86
5. Demoted bishops and ordaining presbyters ............................................ 90
6. From catholic Church to Catholic Church ............................................ 91
7. Roman Catholic ecclesiology: who is fully catholic?................................ 92
8. The heavenly liturgy......................................................................... 95
9. What about ‘the parish’? .................................................................. 97
10. The Churches of St. Thomas............................................................... 99
11. Where is the catholic Church?............................................................ 99
12. Is Eucharistic ecclesiology good news? ................................................ 101
IV. UNITY IN THE ‘UNIVERSAL CHURCH’ ----------------------------------------------102
1. Unity and forms of primacy ............................................................. 102
2. The Universal Primacy of the Roman Church .................................... 105
3. Imperial unity and Orthodox universalism......................................... 106
4. Primacy according to Rome .............................................................. 109
5. Primacy according to Eastern Orthodoxy ........................................... 112
6. Conclusion..................................................................................... 119
V. CAN “HIS BODY” BE BROKEN? --------------------------------------------------------120
1. Heresies, schisms, opinions................................................................ 120
2. Heretics and schismatics… .............................................................. 122
VI. SCHISMS: PAST AND PRESENT---------------------------------------------------------124
1. Introduction .................................................................................. 124
2. The schism at Rome ........................................................................ 125
3. The schism at Antioch..................................................................... 128
4. The “rebaptism” controversy ............................................................. 130
5. The schisms of the tenth century ........................................................ 132
6. The Bulgarian schism .....................................................................132
7. The tomos of 1633..........................................................................133
8. Imperfect Unity? ............................................................................134
9. Conclusion .....................................................................................137
SECTION III: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ___________ 140
I. GROWTH & UNITY IN THE EARLY CHURCH -------------------------------------140
1. The end of the Judeo-Christian Church..............................................140
2. The Primacy goes to Rome................................................................141
3. The Primacy of the Roman Church ...................................................141
4. A primacy of love............................................................................142
5. A regional primacy .........................................................................143
6. A primacy of witness .......................................................................143
7. A primacy of power? .......................................................................145
8. An emerging problem.......................................................................146
II. EARLY TENSIONS--------------------------------------------------------------------------147
1. “A struggle”...................................................................................147
2. St. Clement of Rome (80-100) .........................................................148
3. Polycarp and Anicet (110-130) ......................................................150
4. Polycrates and Victor (180) ............................................................152
5. Cyprian and Stephen (254-258)......................................................156
6. Firmilian and the Mind of the East (258-268).................................158
III. NICEA – A NEW ERA FOR CHRISTIANITY------------------------------------------162
IV. THE ARIAN CRISIS AND ROMAN ORTHODOXY ---------------------------------164
V. COUNCILS AND SCHISMS ---------------------------------------------------------------167
1. Overview .......................................................................................167
2. Sardica: Rome’s right to receive appeals (342/343).............................169
3. Constantinople (381) and the Patriarchates.......................................172
4. Ephesus (431): Philip, Nestorius......................................................174
5. Tensions between Antioch and Alexandria (431-451)........................176
6. The Loss of Antioch and Alexandria.................................................179
7. The Acacian Schism and the Fifth Council (451-553) .......................181
8. The “Ecumenical Patriarch” Controversy (590s) ................................184
9. Constantinople (681): The “One Will” controversy ............................. 191
10. The Voice of St. Maximus the Confessor............................................. 195
11. Nicea II & the Iconoclastic crisis (711-843)...................................... 198
12. The Voice of St. Theodore the Studite (ca. 758 - ca. 826) ................... 200
13. The ‘Photian’ schism (860-880) ..................................................... 201
VI. SUMMARY: UNITY AND PRIMACY BEFORE 1054---------------------------------205
1. A Universal Primacy for the common union ....................................... 205
2. The Pentarchy ............................................................................... 208
3. The concept of Autocephaly............................................................... 209
4. Mutual Tolerance .......................................................................... 210
5. Rome – rampart of Orthodoxy.......................................................... 211
6. The Papacy as ‘theologoumenon’ ....................................................... 212
VII. THE “GREAT SCHISM” OF 1054---------------------------------------------------------213
1. The decline of the Roman Church...................................................... 213
2. The problem with forgeries ............................................................... 214
3. The Great Schism of 1054 .............................................................. 216
VIII. PAPAL PRIMACY AFTER 1054-----------------------------------------------------------219
1. The Gregorian Reforms ................................................................... 219
2. Innocent III (1198-1216).............................................................. 220
3. Unam Sanctam: Papacy and Salvation ............................................. 223
4. The Great Western Schism .............................................................. 225
IX. DOOMED ATTEMPTS AT REUNION--------------------------------------------------225
1. The council of Lyons (1274)............................................................ 225
2. The council of Florence (1439)......................................................... 226
3. Beyond Florence ............................................................................. 228
X. UNIATISM -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------229
1. The Union of Brest (1596) ............................................................. 229
2. The ‘Melkite’ Patriarchate .............................................................. 233
3. The decay of Eastern Orthodoxy ....................................................... 234
XI. VATICAN I -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------236
1. The struggle with Gallicanism ......................................................... 236
2. The victory of Ultramontanism......................................................... 236
3. Orthodox reactions to Vatican I ........................................................238
SECTION IV: THEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE _________ 241
I. UNDERSTANDING THE ROMAN CATHOLIC PERSPECTIVE -------------------241
1. The importance of ecclesiology............................................................241
2. Resources .......................................................................................243
3. Peter as Chief Steward ....................................................................244
4. Simon becomes Peter the Rock............................................................246
5. Other key Petrine texts ....................................................................248
6. Peter’s Successors in Roman Catholic ecclesiology ..................................249
7. Rome’s primacy in the early Church...................................................251
8. Eastern recognitions of Rome’s Primacy ..............................................252
9. The weight of Rome’s testimony.........................................................253
10. Summary.......................................................................................255
II. UNDERSTANDING THE EASTERN ORTHODOX PERSPECTIVE---------------255
1. Resources .......................................................................................255
2. A different ecclesiology .....................................................................256
3. Interpreting the Scriptures ................................................................257
4. Apostolic Tradition?.......................................................................258
5. The Rock(s) of Matthew 16.............................................................260
6. Peter and the Keys ..........................................................................263
7. Primacy in the New Testament.........................................................268
8. A word about Peter and John...........................................................272
9. Apostolic Succession, Apostolic College ................................................273
III. THE MIND OF THE FATHERS ----------------------------------------------------------274
1. Ignatius of Antioch (c. 110) ............................................................276
2. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 120) ...............................................................277
3. Origen (c. 250)..............................................................................279
4. Tertullian (c. 220) ........................................................................281
5. Cyprian of Carthage (†258) ...........................................................282
6. Athanasius of Alexandria (†373) and the Church of Rome .................286
7. Hilary of Poitiers (†367)................................................................290
8. Basil of Caesarea (†379)................................................................291
9. Gregory of Nyssa († c. 386)............................................................ 293
10. Gregory of Nazianzus (†389) ......................................................... 293
11. John Chrysostom (†407) ................................................................. 294
12. Ambrose of Milan (†397)............................................................... 297
13. Jerome (†420)............................................................................... 298
14. Augustine of Hippo (†430)............................................................. 301
15. Cyril of Alexandria (†444)............................................................ 306
16. The bishops of Rome as Fathers of the Church ..................................... 307
IV. THE ISSUE OF PAPAL INFALLIBILITY ------------------------------------------------307
1. Understanding the dogma................................................................ 307
2. Exsurge Domine (1520) ................................................................. 311
3. Unam Sanctam (1302) and Unigenitus (1713)................................ 313
4. A more positive approach…............................................................. 314
SECTION V: OTHER OBSTACLES ____________________ 317
I. THEOLOGICAL DIRECTIONS -----------------------------------------------------------317
1. Economy and ontology ..................................................................... 317
2. The Latin creed ............................................................................. 318
3. Newton’s law of theology ................................................................. 320
II. THE FILIOQUE CONTROVERSY--------------------------------------------------------321
1. “One God,” East and West.............................................................. 321
2. The font of Deity............................................................................ 322
3. The Latin filioque: intent and concerns ............................................. 328
4. From the Father through the Son?.................................................... 331
5. Revisionist theology?....................................................................... 333
6. But what are we talking about? ...................................................... 335
7. The fear of Arianism ...................................................................... 338
8. In summary ................................................................................... 342
III. APPARITIONS AND PRIVATE REVELATIONS --------------------------------------344
IV. PURGATORY & INDULGENCES --------------------------------------------------------346
1. Orthodox concerns, Orthodox purgatory? ........................................... 346
2. Prayers for the dead........................................................................ 349
3. From hades to purgatory ..................................................................352
4. Our God is a consuming fire.............................................................354
5. What kind of God?........................................................................357
6. Indulgences ....................................................................................358
V. CLERICAL CELIBACY----------------------------------------------------------------------360
1. A matter of ecclesiastical discipline… ................................................360
2. …or Apostolic Tradition?...............................................................361
3. Theological and historical overview ...................................................363
4. “Those who serve at the altar” ..........................................................365
5. The Scriptural paradigm and the Levitical model................................367
6. A glance at the Fathers ...................................................................369
7. The testimony of the councils .............................................................372
8. The mind of St. John Chrysostom ......................................................376
9. The Gregorian Reform and beyond....................................................379
10. Summary.......................................................................................380
VI. THE REALITY OF DIVORCE-------------------------------------------------------------381
1. Dealing with reality and the Word of God ........................................381
2. Annulments ...................................................................................384
3. The Orthodox approach ...................................................................385
4. A final note ...................................................................................389
VII. THE BIRTH CONTROL ISSUE -----------------------------------------------------------390
1. Rome: From Augustine to NFP ........................................................390
2. Marriage and the Mind of God........................................................394
3. Eastern Orthodoxy: Dangers in the grey zone......................................396
4. A personal conclusion ......................................................................399
VIII. THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION----------------------------------------------------399
1. The dogma ....................................................................................399
2. Orthodox reactions ..........................................................................400
3. Original Sin ..................................................................................402
4. The real issue: why dogmatize? ........................................................404
5. Theological Study ...........................................................................404
6. Liturgical expressions ......................................................................406
7. Who shall touch the ark? ................................................................ 408
IX. THE NEW MASS ----------------------------------------------------------------------------410
X. ORTHODOX FRAGMENTATION ------------------------------------------------------412
SECTION VI: HOPES AND CHALLENGES _____________ 416
I. POPE PAUL VI AND PATRIARCH ATHENAGORAS -------------------------------416
II. THE VISION OF POPE JOHN PAUL II-------------------------------------------------417
III. THE MELKITE PROPOSAL ---------------------------------------------------------------418
IV. PUGNACIOUS CONVERTS---------------------------------------------------------------419
SECTION VII: A VISION FOR UNITY_________________ 424
I. WHAT IS OUR MODEL? ------------------------------------------------------------------424
II. NEEDING EACH OTHER-----------------------------------------------------------------425
1. Catholics must become Orthodox........................................................ 426
2. Orthodox must become Catholic......................................................... 427
3. Loving the saints............................................................................ 428
III. RETURN TO SARDICA --------------------------------------------------------------------429
CONCLUSION(S) AND PERSPECTIVES _______________ 431
APPENDIX: THE UNITY PROCESS ___________________ 433
COMPREHENSIVE INDEX ___________________________ 436