Eastern Right Churches And The Catholic Church

[geetarplayer]

We've just finished studying the Great Schism in my European history class. If you are told by an Orthodox Christian that our Church split from theirs, that's only a half-truth. Actually, both the Roman Church's pope and the Eastern Church's patriarch excommunicated each other... and all the topic of religious icons! Yes, the Great Schism was feuled by a disagreement about religious art. The Eastern Orthodox Church think that Jesus, Mary, Saints, etc... should not be portrayed visually. They think if we are worshiping Jesus while looking at a picture of Him, we are worshiping the picture and not Him. Plus, Eastern Rite priests can marry. Just a little history for y'all.

-Mark

[cmotherofpirl]

They also do not accept the Mmmaculate Conception.

[PedroX]

geetar player,

I would check the source for your info on icons. The Eastern Orthodox churches produce beautiful icons, mostly painted pictures. People study for years to become icon painters. I'm pretty sure that they did not leave the church because they don't believe in icons. Now, many Protestants dont' believe in icons, and during the reformation actually entered Catholic churches and smashed statues and paintings. Is this what you were thinking?

[Aloysius]

geetar player,

I would check the source for your info on icons.  The Eastern Orthodox churches produce beautiful icons, mostly painted pictures.  People study for years to become icon painters.  I'm pretty sure that they did not leave the church because they don't believe in icons.  Now, many Protestants dont' believe in icons, and during the reformation actually entered Catholic churches and smashed statues and paintings.  Is this what you were thinking?

im goin totally off subject now..

i just saw a commercial for Luther, and they were glorifying him throwin a stone through a beautiful stain glass window, smashing statues of mary etc, and all sorts of stuff. it just made me sad.

anyway, back on topic... Orthodox churches definitely use icons

also, geetarplayer, u said Eastern Rite priests can marry. U're still a bit confused with definitions. Read like the second post on the thread. Eastern rite churches are in full communion with the Pope. It's the Eastern Orthodox Churches that are not.

Rite refers to the type of ritual they use. They hold all the same doctrines, just celebrate them a lil differently and have different disciplines.

Celibate priests is a discipline of the Latin Rite (that's what we're in, ever since we gave up Latin though, no one seems to realize it. The term is not to be confused with Roman Catholic, as all rites are part of the Roman Catholic Church)

If the magisterium/pope wanted to change it, they could. The thing is, why would we want to? It is a life-giving source for the Church. The priests do not have to worry with dealings with their wife and such, they can devote it all to God. Read St. Paul's advice to widows. Notice how he tells them that he would prefer them not to remarry, so they can devote everything to the work of God, just as he has. He chose celibacy. Basically, all of the Apostles chose celibacy (Read the thread Peter was celibate after meeting Jesus). The Latin Rite chooses celibacy. The Meronite Rite, however, allows their priests to marry. They are still Roman Catholic though, they just aren't Latin Rite.

confusing, huh? i prolly made it a lot more complicated than it really is, but yeah, hope that clears things up.

[VanHooty]

They also do not accept the Immaculate Conception.

Actually, it depends upon who you talk to. I think the teaching is left open. I'm not positive about that though. I only know one of my Orthodox friends believes in the Immaculate Conception.

[cmotherofpirl]

Actually, it depends upon who you talk to.  I think the teaching is left open.  I'm not positive about that though.  I only know one of my Orthodox friends believes in the Immaculate Conception.

I'm just going by the orthodox dude on another board tells me. Hopefully he is wrong.