Roman Catholic-Eastern Orthodox ecclesiastical differences
Encyclopedia
Catholic–Orthodox ecclesiastical differences are differences between the organizational structure and governance of the Eastern Orthodox Church
and that of the Roman Catholic Church
. These are distinguished from theological differences which are differences in dogma and doctrine.
A number of disagreements over matters of Ecclesiology
developed slowly between the Western
and Eastern wings
of the State church of the Roman Empire
centred upon the cities of Rome (considered to have "fallen" in 476) and New Rome/Constantinople
(c.330-1453) respectively. The disputes were a major factor in the formal East-West Schism
between Pope Leo IX
and Patriarch Michael I in 1054 and are largely still unresolved between the churches today.
The declaration of Ravenna
in 2007 re-asserted these beliefs, and re-stated the notion that the bishop of Rome is indeed the protos ("first" in Greek), although future discussions are to be held on the concrete ecclesiastical exercise of papal primacy. Hierarchs within the Russian Church have condemned the document and reassert that Papal authority as is held in the West is not historically valid. As the Orthodox view of the Papacy would be Primus inter pares
without power of jurisdiction.
.
The issue of canonical territory has proven to be a significant point of dispute in Russia
, with the Moscow Patriarchate being opposed on one hand to the influence of the Patriarch of Constantinople in Ukraine, and on the other to perceived Roman Catholic influence within Russia itself.
and that Jesus-Christ was himself celibate all his life. (Though some theories question
whether Jesus was celibate). However this is not a doctrinal matter for the Catholic Church, and the rule of celibacy was gradually introduced in the early medieval period.
The Catholic Church's practice of not allowing married men to become priests is not a tradition in Eastern Christianity
. In Eastern Orthodoxy, priests cannot marry after ordination, but married men may become parish priests. Unmarried and widowed clergy in Eastern Orthodoxy are most important to the ascetic community. Also, higher level clergy are chosen solely from unmarried or widowed (for positions like Bishops and above for example).
Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
, which has married as well as celibate clergy, has said that neither the numbers nor the quality of the clergy of the Latin Church would be automatically advanced by abolishing its rule of celibacy.
: the Catholic Church forbids it (except for allowances of the Pauline privilege
), whereas the Orthodox permits it in practice, though allowing remarriage only in penitential form. For a time period, Orthodox who divorce will be excommunicated.
The Catholic Church has the doctrine of Sponsa Christi: since the Church is the Bride of Christ
, the man is held to be symbolically like Christ while the woman is similar to the Church. Therefore divorce is canonically prohibited, it is assimilated to a kind of schism. There are also bible verses that are cited to oppose divorce. Annulments
are granted after a formal investigation is performed on the spiritual, psychological and/or biological history of the people when they made their wedding vows. If it is determined that either of these factors made someone incapable to get married, a declaration of nullity will be issued.
of the bishops. The Orthodox Church has also emphasised 'economia', or a certain amount of flexibility in the rules depending upon the exigencies of a particular situation. The administrative structure of the Orthodox church is closer to a confederacy
in structure with no functioning centralization as a constant.
The Orthodox do have synod
s where the highest authorities in each Church community are brought together, but unlike Roman Catholicism no central individual or figure has the absolute (and "infallible") last word on church doctrine and administration. In practice, this has sometimes led to divisions among Greek, Russian, Bulgarian and Ukrainian Orthodox churches, as no central authority can serve as a rallying point for various internal disputes.
However, in contrast to the picture presented by the Russian religious poet Aleksey Khomyakov
more than a century earlier, the Roman Catholic Church's Second Vatican Council
reasserted the importance of collegiality, clarifying that "primatial authority is inseparable from collegiality and synodality" and that "the Bishop of Rome is a brother among brothers who are sacramentally all equal in the episcopate.
in June 1993, the Joint International Commission for the Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church declared that these initiatives that "led to the union of certain communities with the See of Rome and brought with them, as a consequence, the breaking of communion with their Mother Churches of the East ... took place not without the interference of extra-ecclesial interests"; and that:
At the same time, the Commission stated:
within the Catholic Church and admit the validity of its episcopal ordination. The relationship between the Antiochian Orthodox and the Maronite Catholic bishops is a case in point. Some Orthodox Churches do not require baptism in the case of a convert already baptized in the Catholic Church. Most Orthodox Churches allow marriages between members of the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church. For example, the Church of Greece would allow an Orthodox man to marry a Roman Catholic bride in its church, providing the wife vows the children will be baptized Orthodox.
Because the Catholic Church respects their celebration of the Mass as a true sacrament, intercommunion
with the Eastern Orthodox in "suitable circumstances and with Church authority" is both possible and encouraged.
The Catholic Church allows its clergy to administer the sacraments of Penance, the Eucharist and Anointing of the Sick to members of the Eastern Orthodox Church, if these spontaneously ask for the sacraments and are properly disposed. It also allows Catholics who cannot approach a Catholic minister to receive these three sacraments from clergy of the Eastern Orthodox Church, whenever necessity requires or a genuine spiritual advantage commends it, and provided the danger of error or indifferentism is avoided. Catholic canon law allows marriage between a Catholic and an Orthodox only if permission is obtained from the Catholic bishop.
The Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches authorizes the local Catholic bishop to permit a Catholic priest, of whatever rite, to bless the marriage of Orthodox faithful who being unable without great difficulty to approach a priest of their own Church, ask for this spontaneously. In exceptional circumstances Catholics may, in the absence of an authorized priest, marry before witnesses. If a priest who is not authorized for the celebration of the marriage is available, he should be called in, although the marriage is valid even without his presence. The Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches specifies that, in those exceptional circumstances, even a "non-Catholic" priest (and so not necessarily one belonging to an Eastern Church) may be called in.
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
and that of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. These are distinguished from theological differences which are differences in dogma and doctrine.
A number of disagreements over matters of Ecclesiology
Ecclesiology
Today, ecclesiology usually refers to the theological study of the Christian church. However when the word was coined in the late 1830s, it was defined as the science of the building and decoration of churches and it is still, though rarely, used in this sense.In its theological sense, ecclesiology...
developed slowly between the Western
Western Christianity
Western Christianity is a term used to include the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church and groups historically derivative thereof, including the churches of the Anglican and Protestant traditions, which share common attributes that can be traced back to their medieval heritage...
and Eastern wings
Eastern Christianity
Eastern Christianity comprises the Christian traditions and churches that developed in the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Middle East, Northeastern Africa, India and parts of the Far East over several centuries of religious antiquity. The term is generally used in Western Christianity to...
of the State church of the Roman Empire
State church of the Roman Empire
The state church of the Roman Empire was a Christian institution organized within the Roman Empire during the 4th century that came to represent the Empire's sole authorized religion. Both the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox churches claim to be the historical continuation of this...
centred upon the cities of Rome (considered to have "fallen" in 476) and New Rome/Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
(c.330-1453) respectively. The disputes were a major factor in the formal East-West Schism
East-West Schism
The East–West Schism of 1054, sometimes known as the Great Schism, formally divided the State church of the Roman Empire into Eastern and Western branches, which later became known as the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, respectively...
between Pope Leo IX
Pope Leo IX
Pope Saint Leo IX , born Bruno of Eguisheim-Dagsburg, was Pope from February 12, 1049 to his death. He was a German aristocrat and as well as being Pope was a powerful secular ruler of central Italy. He is regarded as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church, with the feast day of April 19...
and Patriarch Michael I in 1054 and are largely still unresolved between the churches today.
Papal authority
A lot of the issues that currently separate the two churches are ecclesiastical. Principal among them is the content of papal primacy within any future unified church. The Orthodox insist that it should be a "primacy of honor", as in the ancient church and not a "primacy of authority", whereas the Catholics see the pontiff's role as requiring for its exercise power and authority the exact form of which is open to discussion with other Christians.The declaration of Ravenna
Declaration of Ravenna
The Declaration of Ravenna is a Roman Catholic–Eastern Orthodox document issued in 2007 re-asserting that the bishop of Rome is indeed the Protos, although future discussions are to be held on the concrete ecclesiological exercise of papal primacy....
in 2007 re-asserted these beliefs, and re-stated the notion that the bishop of Rome is indeed the protos ("first" in Greek), although future discussions are to be held on the concrete ecclesiastical exercise of papal primacy. Hierarchs within the Russian Church have condemned the document and reassert that Papal authority as is held in the West is not historically valid. As the Orthodox view of the Papacy would be Primus inter pares
Primus inter pares
Primus inter pares is Latin phrase describing the most senior person of a group sharing the same rank or office.When not used in reference to a specific title, it may indicate that the person so described is formally equal, but looked upon as an authority of special importance by their peers...
without power of jurisdiction.
Canonical territory
A canonical territory is a geographical area seen as belonging to a particular patriarchate or autocephalous Church as its own. The concept is found not only in the Eastern Orthodox Church, but also in the Roman Catholic Church, and is mentioned extensively in the Code of Canons of the Eastern ChurchesCode of Canons of the Eastern Churches
The Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches is the title of the 1990 codification of the common portions of the Canon Law for the 22 of the 23 sui iuris Churches in the Catholic Church. The Roman or Latin rite Church is guided by its own particular Canons...
.
The issue of canonical territory has proven to be a significant point of dispute in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, with the Moscow Patriarchate being opposed on one hand to the influence of the Patriarch of Constantinople in Ukraine, and on the other to perceived Roman Catholic influence within Russia itself.
Celibacy of the priestly order
Celibacy of the clergy is also a dividing point. Although the Catholic Church does allow married men to be ordained in the Eastern Catholic Churches, it does so only rarely in the Western Church. Celibacy is based on the notion that the priest is In persona ChristiIn persona Christi
In persona Christi is a Latin phrase meaning “in the person of Christ,” an important concept in Roman Catholicism and, in varying degrees, to other Christian traditions...
and that Jesus-Christ was himself celibate all his life. (Though some theories question
Jesus bloodline
A Jesus bloodline is a hypothetical sequence of lineal descendants of the historical Jesus and Mary Magdalene, or some other woman, usually portrayed as his alleged wife or a hierodule...
whether Jesus was celibate). However this is not a doctrinal matter for the Catholic Church, and the rule of celibacy was gradually introduced in the early medieval period.
The Catholic Church's practice of not allowing married men to become priests is not a tradition in Eastern Christianity
Eastern Christianity
Eastern Christianity comprises the Christian traditions and churches that developed in the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Middle East, Northeastern Africa, India and parts of the Far East over several centuries of religious antiquity. The term is generally used in Western Christianity to...
. In Eastern Orthodoxy, priests cannot marry after ordination, but married men may become parish priests. Unmarried and widowed clergy in Eastern Orthodoxy are most important to the ascetic community. Also, higher level clergy are chosen solely from unmarried or widowed (for positions like Bishops and above for example).
Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church , Ukrainska Hreko-Katolytska Tserkva), is the largest Eastern Rite Catholic sui juris particular church in full communion with the Holy See, and is directly subject to the Pope...
, which has married as well as celibate clergy, has said that neither the numbers nor the quality of the clergy of the Latin Church would be automatically advanced by abolishing its rule of celibacy.
Divorce
There is disagreement on divorceDivorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
: the Catholic Church forbids it (except for allowances of the Pauline privilege
Pauline privilege
The Pauline Privilege is a Christian concept drawn from the apostle Paul's instructions in theFirst Epistle to the Corinthians.-Origin:In Paul's epistle it states:...
), whereas the Orthodox permits it in practice, though allowing remarriage only in penitential form. For a time period, Orthodox who divorce will be excommunicated.
The Catholic Church has the doctrine of Sponsa Christi: since the Church is the Bride of Christ
Bride of Christ
The Bride of Christ or bride, the Lamb's wife is a term used in the New Testament of The Bible. Sometimes the Bride is implied through calling Jesus a Bridegroom. Sometimes the Church is compared to a bride betrothed to Christ. However there are instances where the interpretation of the usage of...
, the man is held to be symbolically like Christ while the woman is similar to the Church. Therefore divorce is canonically prohibited, it is assimilated to a kind of schism. There are also bible verses that are cited to oppose divorce. Annulments
Annulment (Catholic Church)
In the Roman Catholic Church an annulment is the procedure, governed by the Church's Canon Law and the Catechism, whereby an ecclesial tribunal determines the sacrament of marriage was invalidly entered into. An annulment determines the Catholic marriage to be void at its inception...
are granted after a formal investigation is performed on the spiritual, psychological and/or biological history of the people when they made their wedding vows. If it is determined that either of these factors made someone incapable to get married, a declaration of nullity will be issued.
Ecclesiological economy
A major sticking point was the style of church government. The Orthodox Church has always maintained the position of collegialityCollegiality
Collegiality is the relationship between colleagues.Colleagues are those explicitly united in a common purpose and respecting each other's abilities to work toward that purpose...
of the bishops. The Orthodox Church has also emphasised 'economia', or a certain amount of flexibility in the rules depending upon the exigencies of a particular situation. The administrative structure of the Orthodox church is closer to a confederacy
Confederation
A confederation in modern political terms is a permanent union of political units for common action in relation to other units. Usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution, confederations tend to be established for dealing with critical issues such as defense, foreign...
in structure with no functioning centralization as a constant.
The Orthodox do have synod
Synod
A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...
s where the highest authorities in each Church community are brought together, but unlike Roman Catholicism no central individual or figure has the absolute (and "infallible") last word on church doctrine and administration. In practice, this has sometimes led to divisions among Greek, Russian, Bulgarian and Ukrainian Orthodox churches, as no central authority can serve as a rallying point for various internal disputes.
However, in contrast to the picture presented by the Russian religious poet Aleksey Khomyakov
Aleksey Khomyakov
Aleksey Stepanovich Khomyakov was a Russian religious poet who co-founded the Slavophile movement along with Ivan Kireyevsky, and became one of its most distinguished theoreticians....
more than a century earlier, the Roman Catholic Church's Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
reasserted the importance of collegiality, clarifying that "primatial authority is inseparable from collegiality and synodality" and that "the Bishop of Rome is a brother among brothers who are sacramentally all equal in the episcopate.
Rejection of Uniatism
At a meeting in Balamand, LebanonLebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
in June 1993, the Joint International Commission for the Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church declared that these initiatives that "led to the union of certain communities with the See of Rome and brought with them, as a consequence, the breaking of communion with their Mother Churches of the East ... took place not without the interference of extra-ecclesial interests"; and that:
- What has been called "uniatism" "can no longer be accepted either as a method to be followed nor as a model of the unity our Churches are seeking".
At the same time, the Commission stated:
- Concerning the Eastern Catholic Churches, it is clear that they, as part of the Catholic Communion, have the right to exist and to act in response to the spiritual needs of their faithful.
- The Oriental Catholic Churches who have desired to re-establish full communion with the See of Rome and have remained faithful to it, have the rights and obligations which are connected with this communion.
Apostolic succession and sacraments
Some of the Orthodox Churches unofficially acknowledge Apostolic successionApostolic Succession
Apostolic succession is a doctrine, held by some Christian denominations, which asserts that the chosen successors of the Twelve Apostles, from the first century to the present day, have inherited the spiritual, ecclesiastical and sacramental authority, power, and responsibility that were...
within the Catholic Church and admit the validity of its episcopal ordination. The relationship between the Antiochian Orthodox and the Maronite Catholic bishops is a case in point. Some Orthodox Churches do not require baptism in the case of a convert already baptized in the Catholic Church. Most Orthodox Churches allow marriages between members of the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church. For example, the Church of Greece would allow an Orthodox man to marry a Roman Catholic bride in its church, providing the wife vows the children will be baptized Orthodox.
Because the Catholic Church respects their celebration of the Mass as a true sacrament, intercommunion
Full communion
In Christian ecclesiology, full communion is a relationship between church organizations or groups that mutually recognize their sharing the essential doctrines....
with the Eastern Orthodox in "suitable circumstances and with Church authority" is both possible and encouraged.
The Catholic Church allows its clergy to administer the sacraments of Penance, the Eucharist and Anointing of the Sick to members of the Eastern Orthodox Church, if these spontaneously ask for the sacraments and are properly disposed. It also allows Catholics who cannot approach a Catholic minister to receive these three sacraments from clergy of the Eastern Orthodox Church, whenever necessity requires or a genuine spiritual advantage commends it, and provided the danger of error or indifferentism is avoided. Catholic canon law allows marriage between a Catholic and an Orthodox only if permission is obtained from the Catholic bishop.
The Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches authorizes the local Catholic bishop to permit a Catholic priest, of whatever rite, to bless the marriage of Orthodox faithful who being unable without great difficulty to approach a priest of their own Church, ask for this spontaneously. In exceptional circumstances Catholics may, in the absence of an authorized priest, marry before witnesses. If a priest who is not authorized for the celebration of the marriage is available, he should be called in, although the marriage is valid even without his presence. The Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches specifies that, in those exceptional circumstances, even a "non-Catholic" priest (and so not necessarily one belonging to an Eastern Church) may be called in.
See also
- Eastern ChristianityEastern ChristianityEastern Christianity comprises the Christian traditions and churches that developed in the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Middle East, Northeastern Africa, India and parts of the Far East over several centuries of religious antiquity. The term is generally used in Western Christianity to...
- Eastern Orthodox Christian theology
- QuartodecimanismQuartodecimanismQuartodecimanism refers to the custom of some early Christians celebrating Passover beginning with the eve of the 14th day of Nisan , which at dusk is Biblically the "Lord's passover".The modern Jewish Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread is seven days, starting with the sunset at...
- Western ChristianityWestern ChristianityWestern Christianity is a term used to include the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church and groups historically derivative thereof, including the churches of the Anglican and Protestant traditions, which share common attributes that can be traced back to their medieval heritage...
- Western Rite OrthodoxyWestern Rite OrthodoxyWestern Rite Orthodoxy or Western Orthodoxy or Orthodox Western Rite are terms used to describe congregations and groups which are in communion with Eastern Orthodox Churches or Oriental Orthodox Churches using traditional Western liturgies rather than adopting Eastern liturgies such as the Divine...
- Roman Catholic–Eastern Orthodox theological differences
- Council of FlorenceCouncil of FlorenceThe Council of Florence was an Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. It began in 1431 in Basel, Switzerland, and became known as the Council of Ferrara after its transfer to Ferrara was decreed by Pope Eugene IV, to convene in 1438...