While the Orthodox Church and the Roman Church continue to have critical issues dividing our communions, I wanted to hearken back to the time when Constantinople and Rome mutually dropped excommunications (“into oblivion”) pronounced against each other and their respective communions. While we are no longer under mutual excommunication, nor under communication, it would appear…
For the Orthodox, the Council in Trullo (Quinisext Council) is considered ecumenical and is, in turn, added on as an addendum to the fifth and sixth Ecumenical Councils of the Church. While the East approved this Council and it’s related Canons (many of which were reiterations of previous ecumenical canons), it is well-known, according to…
The Catholic Encyclopedia of 1914 is widely considered to be the “most comprehensive resource on Catholic teaching, history, and information ever gathered in all of human history.” As I was reading through it this morning, I landed upon an interesting piece of information within the “Sign of the Cross” section of the document. While I…
“Conciliarity” is a term that Orthodox favor and hail regularly. We are “conciliar,” the Orthodox say. While we do have a first among our Primates in Constantinople, we still understand that Christ our God is the Supreme Head of the Church, even over he who is entrusted over the prime See. As such, we also…
If I had to put an estimate on how many articles exist that either argue for or against the doctrine of Sola Scriptura, I would have to say that the figure would exceed tens of thousands. It is certainly no secret that Sola Scriptura has been the center of debate between Protestants and Roman Catholics/Orthodox…
Within Orthodox circles in the West, there seems to be a long lost understanding of what had constituted Rome, Constantinople, and the Roman Empire as a whole during the majority of the first millennium. What has become quite concerning is the overwhelming suggestion and maintenance of Constantinople as a separate and individual See, historically seemingly…
As we approach the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, there is no shortage of articles outlining praises and critiques of this great event. There is no doubt that the Reformation marks a pivotal time in history, especially in western Church history. It is the subject of much study, and rightfully so. This overarching event led…
In the arena of Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism, many articles, epistles, and decrees have been largely circulated between both the Orthodox and Catholic faithful, especially over the last century. When evaluating claims pertaining to each side of the debate, one thing has become quite clear: relations between the two traditions have certainly improved in recent…
Christ is risen! Continuing the testimony of the Church Fathers on the doctrine of Aerial Toll-Houses, I have added several more quotes as points of reference. Please make sure to read Part 1 prior to reading this article, so as to acquire the source and intent of these quotes, as well as to maintain the…
Christ is risen! One of the most hotly debated topics in recent times is Aerial Toll-House theology. This topic has garnered so much attention that a comprehensive work, titled “The Departure of the Soul,” was recently published by St. Anthony’s Greek Orthodox Monastery to examine quite literally much of the Church’s history as it pertains to Aerial Toll-Houses. This…
