Replies

Um, no. We Orthodox have not had problems with pedophiles and we usually manage to discipline errant priests and even bishops (though that sometimes takes some doing and happens rather less quickly than it should).

The Latins who lately had problems with pedophiles sent Crusaders to try to forcibly convert us back in the 13th century. In his reply to the Crusaders’ demands that the Rus submit to Papal rule, St. Aleksandr Nevsky replied “Our doctrines are those of the Apostles. . . the tradition of the Holy Fathers of the Seven Councils we scrupulously keep. As for your words we do not listen to them and we do not want your doctrine.”

The author of the piece objects to the common patrimony of Christians, not to something peculiar to the Latin church: Orthodox, Latins, Copts, Ethiopians, Armenians, Syrian Jacobites, and Assyrians all venerate relics. And, as the author notes, the Seventh Ecumenical Council (for us Orthodox and for the Latins) explicitly established the practice. If you want I can defend the practice on the basis of the Scripturally-grounded Orthodox doctrine of salvation as theosis (though why the Latins, whose doctrine of salvation involves not theosis but “the beatific vision” kept the practice I don’t know they don’t really have a theological/anthropological basis for it like we do — though it seems to be dying out among them: my bishop has been given many relics by Latin bishops who don’t feel they have any use for them. I’m hoping one day he’ll give our little mission part of the relic of our patron, St. Mary Magdalene, he has in his keeping.)

And, no, I wasn’t questioning the divine inspiration of the Holy Apostle Paul’s letters, though it is customary to make a distinction among the Persons of the Trinity with regard to actions, the inspiration of Scripture being the activity of the Spirit, rather than the Son, so quoting Paul when someone asked when Jesus said something either misses the point or requires explanation.

You wrote:

“We Orthodox have not had problems with pedophiles”

Truth says otherwise: http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/bosnian-orthodox-priest-charged-for-pedophilia

“Group calls for Greek Orthodox to Stop Hiding Pedophile Priests” http://www.pokrov.org/display.asp?ds=Article&id=995

http://www.ocanews.org/news/SeraphimVisiting9.28.11.html

You also wrote:

“The Latins who lately had problems with pedophiles sent Crusaders to try to forcibly convert us back in the 13th century.”

Nope. No Crusaders were sent to “forcibly convert” you to anything. The Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade were in serious debt to the Venetians - and on their own authority - got involved is the sickening cesspool of Byzantine dynastic politics (Isaac II a usurper - blinded by another usurper, etc.). Make a long story short, the Crusaders had no money and were appalled at the actions of the Greeks, so the seized control of Constantinople and looted the city - for which they were condemned by the city. Try to get the story right.

“In his reply to the Crusaders’ demands that the Rus submit to Papal rule, St. Aleksandr Nevsky replied “Our doctrines are those of the Apostles. . . the tradition of the Holy Fathers of the Seven Councils we scrupulously keep. As for your words we do not listen to them and we do not want your doctrine.””

This is the same Nevsky who had no problem serving the pagan Mongols right? Not exactly a truly great hero. I guess when you’re the loser to the invaders, you can’t do much but kowtow to them though, right?

“though why the Latins, whose doctrine of salvation involves not theosis but “the beatific vision” “

Uh, Reader, you might want to actually read the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

460. The Word became flesh to make us “partakers of the divine nature”(2Pet 1:4): “For this is why the Word became man, and the Son of God became the Son of man: so that man, by entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving divine sonship, might become a son of God (Irenaeus)...”The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods” (Athanasius).

654. Justification...brings about filial adoption so that men become Christ’s brethren...We are brethren not by nature, but by the gift of grace, because that adoptive filiation gains us a real share in the life of the only Son, which was fully revealed in his Resurrection.

1996. Our justification come from the grace of God. Grace is favor, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call to become children of God, adoptive sons, partakers of the divine nature and of eternal life.

2009. Filial adoption, in making us partakers by grace in the divine nature, can bestow true merit on us as a result of God’s gratuitous justice. This is our right by grace, the full right of love, making us “co-heirs” with Christ and worthy of obtaining “the promised inheritance of eternal life” (Council of Trent). The merits of our good works are gifts of the divine goodness. “Grace has gone before us; now we are given what is due...Our merits are God’s gifts” (Augustine).