Servants’ Preparation Program CMP 102, Denominations

1. Servants’ Preparation Program CMP 102, Denominations

2. The Catholic Church After Vatican II “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32) Fr. Marcus Mansour St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church Phoenix, Arizona Servants Preparation 2005-2006

3. Introduction • In addition to the dogmatic differences we discussed in the previous lecture, the Catholic Church has introduced new concepts in understanding their faith during its last Catholic Council known as Vatican II, 1964-1968. • Careful study of these new concepts is a must before entering into any dialogue with the Catholic Church.

4. The Catholic Church After Vatican II 1. Faith and Reason • The Roman Catholic Church places a high value on human reason. Its history shows the consequence of that trust. • For example, in the Latin Middle Ages, the 13th century, the theologian-philosopher, Thomas Aquinas, joined "Christianity" with the philosophy of Aristotle. • From that period till now, the Latins have never wavered in their respect for human wisdom, and it has radically altered the theology, mysteries and institutions of the Christian religion.

5. The Catholic Church after Vatican II:Faith and Reason • Following the Holy Fathers, Orthodoxy uses science and philosophy to defend and explain her faith. • Unlike Roman Catholicism, she does not build on the results of philosophy and science. • The Church does not seek to reconcile faith and reason. She makes no effort to prove by logic or science what Christ gave His followers to believe. • If physics or biology or chemistry or philosophy lends support to the teachings of the Church, she does not refuse them. • However, Orthodoxy is not intimidated by man's intellectual accomplishments. She does not bow to them and change the Christian Faith to make it consistent with the results of human thought and science.

6. The Catholic Church after Vatican II:Faith and Reason • St. Basil the Great advised young monks to use Greek philosophy as a bee uses the flower. • Take only the “honey”, the truth, which God has planted in the world to prepare men for the Coming of the Lord. • However, the Catholic Church does not mind teaching that the story of creation in the book of Genesis is merely symbolism in order to reconcile with the theory of evolution.

7. The Catholic Church after Vatican II:The Development of Doctrine • The teaching of the Church has always been that Christianity has remained unaltered from the moment that the Lord delivered the Faith to the Apostles (Matt 28:18-20). • She affirms that "the faith once delivered to the saints" (Jude 3) is now what it was in the beginning.

8. The Catholic Church after Vatican II:The Development of Doctrine • On the other hand, the Roman Catholic Church is unable to show a continuity of faith. • In order to justify new doctrine, it erected in the last century, a theory of “doctrinal development”. • Basically, Catholicism began to define and teach the idea that Christ only gave us an “original deposit” of faith, a “seed”, which grew and matured through the centuries.

9. The Catholic Church after Vatican II:The Development of Doctrine • The Holy Spirit, they said, amplified the Christian Faith as the Church moved into new circumstances and acquired other needs. • Consequently, Roman Catholicism pictures its theology as growing in stages, to higher and more clearly defined levels of knowledge. • The teachings of the Fathers, as important as they are, belong to a stage or level below the theology of the Latin Middle Ages (Scholasticism), and that theology is lower than the new ideas which have come after it, such as Vatican II.

10. The Catholic Church after Vatican II:The Development of Doctrine • All the stages are useful, all are resources; the theologian may appeal to the Fathers, for example, but they may also be contradicted by something else, something higher or newer. • On this basis, theories such as the dogmas of “papal infallibility” and “the immaculate conception” of the Virgin Mary are justifiably presented to the faithful as necessary for their salvation.

11. The Catholic Church after Vatican II:The Development of Doctrine • On the other hand, Orthodoxy recognizes external changes (e.g., vestments of clergy, monastic habits, new feasts, canons of ecumenical and regional councils, etc.), but nothing has been added or subtracted from her Faith. • The external changes have a single purpose: To express that Faith under new circumstances. • For example, the Bible and divine services were translated from Hebrew and Greek into the language of new lands, or new religious customs arose to express the ethnic sensibilities of the converted peoples, etc. • Nevertheless, there has always been "one faith, one Lord, one baptism" (Eph 4:4).

12. The Catholic Church after Vatican II:God • Roman Catholicism teaches that human reason can prove that God is, and, even infer that He is eternal, infinite, good, bodiless, almighty, all-knowing, etc. He is a “most real being”, a “true being”. Humans are like Him (analogous), but we are imperfect beings. • The God of Roman Catholicism, born in the Latin Middle Ages, is not “the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but the God of the savants and the philosophers”, to adapt the celebrated phrase of Blaise Pascal (1623-1662).

13. The Catholic Church after Vatican II:God • Following the Holy Fathers, Orthodoxy teaches that the knowledge of God is planted in human nature and that is how we know Him to exist. • Otherwise, unless God speaks to us, human reason cannot know more. The saving knowledge of God comes by the Savior. • Speaking to His Father, He said, “And this is life eternal, that they might know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent” (John 17:3).

14. The Catholic Church after Vatican II:God • Roman Catholicism teaches, also, that, in the Age to Come, man will, with his intellect and with the assistance of grace, behold the Essence of God. • However, the Fathers declare that it is impossible to behold God in Himself. Not even divine grace will give us such power. • The saved will see, however, God as the glorified flesh of Christ.

15. The Catholic Church after Vatican II:God • Finally, Roman Catholicism teaches that the Holy Spirit “proceeds from the Father and the Son” (filioque). • In so doing, it spurned the Apostolic Tradition which always taught that God the Father is the single Source (“monarchy”) of the Son and the Spirit. • Thus, the Latins added words to the Nicean Creed. They made this change on the authority of the Pope, in the 11th century, not via a Council of the whole Church (Ecumenical Council).

16. The Catholic Church after Vatican II:The Church • The Roman Catholic view of the Church (ecclesiology) differs from the Orthodox teaching on this subject in several ways. • The Latins teach that the visible head of the Church is the Pope, the successor to St. Peter, who was appointed to that sacred position by the Lord Himself with the words, “you are Peter and upon this rock I shall build my Church . . . “ (Mat 16:18).

17. The Catholic Church after Vatican II:The Church According to their understanding: • The Pope is then, “the Bishop of the Catholic Church”, her teacher, the vicar (agent, deputy) of Christ on earth. • He is the interpreter of the Christian Tradition. • When he speaks for the whole Church from his throne (ex cathedra), the Holy Spirit does not permit him to err. • He is, therefore, infallible on matters of morals and doctrine. Other bishops are his lieutenants. He is the symbol of the episcopate'sunity.

18. The Catholic Church after Vatican II:The Church • The Orthodox Church, on the other hand, teaches that all bishops are equal. To be sure, there are different ranks of bishops (patriarch, archbishop, metropolitan, bishop); nevertheless, a bishop is a bishop. • Such differences apply to the administration of a church or group of churches, not to the nature of the bishop. • The president of a synod of bishops is called archbishop (Greek custom) or metropolitan (Russian custom).

19. The Catholic Church after Vatican II:The Church • According to Latin ecclesiology, each local parish is part of the universal or whole Church. The totalities of Catholic parishes form the body of Christ on earth. This visible body has a visible head, the Pope. • This idea of the Church implies that the local parish has two heads: the Pope and the local bishop. But a body with two visible heads is a monster. • Also, the local bishop seems stripped of his apostolic authority if the Pope may contradict his orders.

20. The Catholic Church after Vatican II:The Holy Canons • A canon is a “rule” or “guide” for governing the Church. • Canons were composed by the Apostles, the Fathers, the local or regional and general or ecumenical Councils. • Only the bishop, as head of the church, applies them. He may use them “strictly” (akreveia) or “leniently” (economia). However, “strictness” is the norm.

21. The Catholic Church after Vatican II:The Holy Canons • The Catholic Church continues to change its canons, ignoring the old for the new. • Not more than two decades ago, Rome revised its Canon Law. It composed new canons to keep up with the times. • On the other hand, Orthodoxy, albeit adding canons from time to time and place to place, never discards the old ones, for they, too, are inspired by the Holy Spirit. • In any case, human problems and spiritual needs do not really change. New canons are generally simple refinements of old canons.

22. The Catholic Church after Vatican II:The Nature of Man • Human nature was created good, even in communion with the blessed Trinity which made “him”. Male and female were created in the “image” and “likeness” of God (Gen 1:26): • “likeness” in virtue; “image” meaning to rule the earth rationally, to act wisely and freely. • The woman was made as a “helper” to the man (Gen 2:18; 1 Cor 11:8-9). They were to live together in harmony and mutual respect.

23. The Catholic Church after Vatican II:The Nature of Man • Roman Catholicism differs with Orthodoxy on the nature of man’s fall and the human condition. • Following Augustine of Hippo, the Latins teach that Adam and Eve sinned against God. The guilt of their sin has been inherited by every man, woman and child after them. • All humanity is liable for their “original sin”.

24. The Catholic Church after Vatican II:The Nature of Man • Following the Holy Fathers, the Orthodox Church holds that when Adam sinned against God, he introduced death to the world. • Since all men are born of the same human stock as Adam, all men inherit death. • Death means that the life of every human being comes to an end (mortality); but also that death generates in us the passions (anger, hate, lust, greed, etc.), disease and aging.

25. The Catholic Church after Vatican II:Marriage Between Catholics and Non-Believers • The Roman Catholic Church may perform the sacrament of matrimony between one of its members and a non-believer. • The excuse they use is the permission St. Paul gave to a believer to stay with the unbelieving spouse (1 Cor 7:13). • The Catholics went as far as performing the marriage on the Catholic member without the presence of the spouse if he/she does not want to enter the Church, or allow the priest to place the cross on his/her head! • They claim that “the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband” (1 Cor 7:14).

26. The Catholic Church after Vatican II:Marriage Between Catholics and Non-Believers • The Orthodox Church does not accept this kind of marriage, affirming that St. Paul was talking about a married couple prior to accepting Jesus Christ. • This is very clear from the same chapter of the first letter to the Corinthians: “A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord” (1 Cor 7:39). • In addition, the Scriptures teach us that man is the head of the woman who should obey him as the Church obeys Christ. So, how can this take place if the husband is an unbeliever?

27. The Catholic Church after Vatican II:Salvation of Non-Believers • Vatican II declared: “Finally, those who have not yet received the Gospel are related in various ways to the people of God … But the plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator. In the first place amongst these there are the Mohamedans, who, professing to hold the faith of Abraham, …”

28. The Catholic Church after Vatican II:Salvation of Non-Believers • The Catholics use St. Paul again to justify their new dogma: “for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves” (Rom 2:14). • Actually, this verse proves exactly the opposite of what the Catholic Church has approved!

29. The Catholic Church after Vatican II:Salvation of Non-Believers • They use also a verse from St. Peter “But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him” (Acts 10:35). • It seems that they overlooked the fact that St. Peter said this at the house of Cornelius who was a Gentile and the people in his house had accepted the Lord and were baptized. • The Scriptures are clear that those who were justified were justified by faith (Rom 4:3; 3:21,22; 3:26; 5:1 …)

30. The Catholic Church after Vatican II:Salvation of Non-Believers • Catholics support their position by what St. Paul did in Athens when he said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you” (Acts 17:22-25). • They overlooked the fact that St Paul’s spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols (Acts. 17: 16).

31. The Catholic Church after Vatican II:Salvation of Non-Believers • Catholics also argue that not all people received the message of Jesus Christ overlooking the fact that it is God’s responsibility to call upon all those who diligently seek Him, and that He did not leave Himself without a witness (Acts 14:17).

32. The Catholic Church after Vatican II:Salvation of Non-Believers • Not only have the Catholics used wrong interpretations of the Scriptures, they ignored the general message of the Scriptures regarding this issue. For example: • Jesus Christ said “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). So, how may the unbelievers enter the Kingdom of God? • John the Baptist said, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36).

33. The Catholic Church after Vatican II:Salvation of Non-Believers • St. Paul said to his disciple Timothy: “Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained. Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory” (2 Tim 2:8-10).

34. The Catholic Church after Vatican II:Salvation of Non-Believers • St. Paul also said: “Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God” (1 Cor 10:20). • David the psalmist said, “Let all be put to shame who serve carved images, who boast of idols” (Psa 97:7).

35. The Catholic Church after Vatican II:Salvation of Non-Believers • St. Paul says about the Jews who did not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ: “For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God and are contrary to all men” (I Thes 2:14-16).

36. The Catholic Church after Vatican II:Salvation of Non-Believers • The Scriptures teach us that unbelievers will go to Hell: “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Rev 21:6-8).

37. The Catholic Church after Vatican II:Other Differences There are other differences of lesser importance between Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism, such as: • The absence of almost all fasts from the Catholic Church. • Although Catholics do baptize infants, the sacrament of confirmation is delayed until at least the age of 8. • The above point leads to not serving communion to little children until they are confirmed.

38. The Catholic Church after Vatican II:Other Differences • Baptism is mostly by sprinkling the water on the head of the person and not necessarily by immersion. • The use of unleavened bread instead of leavened bread for communion. • It is the choice of the person to receive the Blood of Christ; receiving only the Body is sufficient. • Giving permission to the deacons and the nuns to serve communion at hospitals.

39. The Catholic Church after Vatican II:Other Differences • Not allowing divorce, even in cases of adultery. • Not necessary for churches to face East at the time of prayer. • A priest may serve more than one liturgy per day, on the same altar, and participate in the communion each time. • Catholics may participate in the communion provided that they fast at least two hours from food and one half hour from drink.

40. The Catholic Church after Vatican II:Other Differences Two other major differences between Catholics and Orthodox: • The Catholics allow any person (even a non-Christian) to perform baptisms • They may administer communion to anyone, even unbelievers.