East and West

Some food for thought this morning since I've been up since 3am... it's now 6:30am... won't be getting anymore sleep, especially since Telstra are coming today to fix my phone line!!!

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Over recent years, there has been renewed efforts at cross-denominational understanding, even acceptance such as the new Personal Ordinariates for former Anglican's who have joined the Catholic Church. What hope, if any, does this offer for a reunion between Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic (Western) religions?

Originally, there were five Patriarchs - Jerusalem, headed by James, Antioch and Rome by Peter, Alexandria by Mark and Constantinople by Andrew. For a long time, Rome was the "first among equals" until the Great Schism. Eastern Churches didn't bow down to Rome when Rome wanted all the power, thus the split. It got quite messy with Excommunications against one another until finally, history got most of us lost to this historical form of Christianity. The Roman Catholic Church is the largest single religion in the world, followed by the Eastern Orthodox Churches.

With each of the Pentarchy's created by original Apostles of Christ, where does that leave us all in a world full of various teachings and denominations, many of which have been around a mere 600-years?

In the modern world, let us ponder a few things...

"So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build My Community." - Matt 16:18 NJB.


Though there were five main cities, there was only ever one chosen by Christ Himself, being St. Peter. Still, if St. Peter also headed the Church of Antioch, don't they have a claim to Patriarchal Superiority, like Rome? Not really, considering Peter made Rome his main port, he was crucified there, his bones are said to be buried there also.

The Eastern Orthodox Churches will never enter into one common Church until many things are understood from both perspectives. How long did it take for the Anglican Communion to have internal schisms between Liberal Anglican's and Traditional Anglican's? How much longer the schism has occurred?

Though there are no theological barriers to the reunification of the East and West, there are barriers such as the idea which many Roman Catholic's believe, that the Pope is infallible. This creates a divide as it is basically saying that Rome - The Pope - is number one, with the other Patriarchs as number two's.

Even though the Roman Church is built on the legacy of St. Peter, none of the Pope's since him have been him, just successors, so what's stopping the bringing together of the five-patriarchs in one common group, all equals?

It is an interesting concept...

However, even greater barriers are to be fought - accepting wrongdoing on each parties side, accepting that one if not superior over the other, accepting difference in worship because of cultural and historical reasons, acceptance of a different Canon of Scripture, acceptance of different languages etc; etc;.

Still, if Anglican's may join the Roman Church, still keeping part of their identity, I'm sure the greatest barrier between East/West relations is more of a historical one than anything else... as discussed, there are no great "theological" barriers keeping the two apart!

Instead of having one religion with the Pope seen by the world as the most authoritive figure in Christianity, would be not be better with a religion headed by five Patriarchs, the Roman one being superior in only one way - the Christian Palace of Vatican City?