A Good Ecumenism 

meh. voodoo and human sacrifice cults are not for me.

It sounds and looks good to me!

Excellent quality upgrades! God bless.

It is perfect, Thank You!

It is great!

Looks professionally done to me.

. . . Amen. I used to be Baptist and went through a short Lutheran phase as I was in the beginning phases of discovering Orthodoxy (and in a sense I still am and in Orthodox fashion may always be in this journey of growing since I had a totally different viewpoint of the Church before this eye-opening video) and... I'm grateful that God let my roots grow in those places so that I could be ready for the fullfilling food of Orthodoxy. I pray for my fellow Protestant friends too that they may join us and become brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ, and I humbly plead that you all have the grace in your heart to join me a sinner aswell. I still wrestle with these ideas as I confess they are a bit foreign tasting to me but God has clearly shown me that this is the truth... May I decrease and the Lord increase, may my knowledge diminish in the infinite wisdom of The Lord. God bless you all, in Jesus name, Amen.

As an OO. No we dont. Branch theory happens when you divide Christ...like you guys did in Chalcedon...😂

​@ACReji how do you know which doctrines are true and which are false?

@@EpistemicAnthony Me personally? Analysis of history....reading of Scriptures...reading of the Holy Fathers...and then seeing who isnt contradicting them and is more consistent with them...all under faith of the guidance of the Spirit.

​@@ACReji Interesting, so OOs think Judaism, Islam, and Christianity are from the same source? I'm assuming that because of your view on branch theory.

@@ACRejiby not accepting Chalcedon you have seperated yourselves from the true Church.

Oh, so you like the watered down version? Or do you prefer to know the truth about how the Church has been infiltrated by traitors a long time ago.

Me too! Especially coming from this channel.

Same bro 😂 my God father send me this I was like wait hold up

Totally agree! However the scandals doesn’t diminish the holiness in the church as individuals following the “path” we have inherited, but I certainly take your point when it comes to the organisation of the church. My personal opinion is that the division we are experiencing in the Orthodox Church today can be attributed to the other extreme opposing any type of ecumenical approach, and known by the name of “Philetism or tribalism”

The Anglican Church exists as a body separated from Rome. Whom is also a separated body. Little point in infighting among the derivatives of the Catholic Church. I pray that all of those derivatives can return to the true body.

@@CenturionTheodore The two of you excommunicated each other. Do not lecture me on who is the true Church. Neither of you have that right.

@@WilliamSwartzendruber respectfully, based on what exactly? it's not about rights, its about truth.

​​​@@WilliamSwartzendruberwe do though because the Orthodox Church is the church of the 1st milennia. Rome deviated and every protestant body inherited many of these deviations like the filioque. There was the good type of ecumenical dialogue Bishop Irenei speaks on between the Orthdox and Anglicans and that was ended forever by the anglicans ordaining of women. That practice is yet again a deviation from "holding fast to the truths delivered whether by word or epistle." After trying for years to make sense of western heterodoxy diving into Orthodoxy makes the entirety of western christendom feel like just scratches at the surface of the deep truths of His Church.

​@@WilliamSwartzendruber How do you know which doctrines are true vs false?

I don't understand your surprise at Viganó, I think it was very clear he should be excommunicated, ta least in the sense of what communion is and thus also excommunion. Communion is sharing in the same faith and the same sacraments. Viganó said that Francis is an anti Pope, while Francis (and me too) claims that he is the true Pope, so at least those two men cannot be in communion. Francis didn't burn the bridge, he just affirmed that Viganó had burned it. I understand that for you orthodox denying a Pope might not be so important, but the authority of the Pope is what sets the Catholic Church apart from other denominations. If it's just about following the authority of the bishops you could be old Catholic, Eastern orthodox, Anglican or any other church with an episcopal structure (a number of which are also sedevacantist), so you have to recognise the authority of the Pope recognised by the Catholic Church to be part of that Catholic Church. If Viganó thinks Francis is illegitimate then we Catholics who follow him are no longer Catholic, so he shouldn't want to be part of this structure anyway

Pope Francis did not excommunicate Vigano. The penalty for the sin of schism is latae sententiae excommunication, which means automatic by virtue of the said crime. The Vatican merely "declared" the excommunication, which Vigano automatically incurred, rather than imposed an excommunication.

That’s a good way to put it. The docs of VII actually helped me find Orthodoxy!

​@@traceyedson9652Hmm, that is rather ironic given that it was in essence a pastoral council aiming to evangelize and unite the church. What helped me to become Catholic last year from Lutheranism was reading the many Encyclicas of venerable Pius XII and of Pope Paul VI. on contraception (Humana Vitae). The church has been and continues to be a clear voice on these key moral questions. The Pope is the custodian of this truth of what the tradition of the Church always taught, this is essentially the necessarily living magisterium of the church, as nothing human is alien to the church.

@@traceyedson9652 wdym?

@@albertobenagli7622 ooo way too complicated - and easily misunderstood - for an online post. But a collection of influences helped me be convinced of apostolic Christianity and opened me to it. VII was one. Scott Hahn & PJPII were others. But I was EO that sealed the deal.

Youre not Orthodox. You must be received to partake in the sacraments and be joined into the Body. You can’t intellectually be Orthodox. Sorry. Go to a local parish in communion and seek the catechumenate.

do you believe in oneness as in the oneness heresy about the Trinity, or do you believe that the Church is one? i’m confused what you mean by oneness

There was the Church in the book of acts. In fact the first thing you read about is the ordination of St. Matthias to take the office of Judas

“Doctrine of openness”? Anyway, God bless your journey of faith. But one can’t just simply adopt the mantle of “orthodoxy” then espouse non-orthodox teaching. An Orthodox person is taught by his or her priest & bishop. May God guide you to an Orthodox community.

@@PETERJOHN101 you should try to get to a parish and get catechized in the faith. We do not try to change what the Church teaches us.

Lots of free food maybe.

The problem is that Protestants redefined the term "one holy Catholic and apostolic church" to mean all their separate sects. So when they recite the Nicene Creed they don't believe in it the same way we do. It's really just a rationalization.

"Redefined"; A common practice amongst protestants, communist, fascist, and the far left. 🤔

Well I certainly don't understand it. From what I can see, the rising hubris of the East and the West finally collided in 1054 AD to split the body of Christ right in two. You *were* one church, but then you excommunicated them and they excommunicated you. * golf clap * So yes, I absolutely have trouble understanding why the Eastern Orthodox have exclusive rights to being the "one true Church."

@@WilliamSwartzendruber because we trace lineage in a straight line to Christ Himself. no detours to Humbert, Calvin, Luther or any of the myriad of American 19th century heretics.

@@BaikalTii What in blazes do the Protestant reformers have to do with anything when I am talking about the Great Schism?

You may be, in your heart! ❤

Amen!

Unfortunately, you (as well as Metropolitan Kallistos Ware), are missing the mark with the erroneous statement that supposedly: "we don't know where the church isn't." This is a "theology" of the mind that comes from not wanting to sound harsh towards heterodox groups. It's extremely important only to speak the mind of the Holy Fathers, those deified vessels of the Holy Spirit who all speak in one accord on this matter, especially our dear contemporary saints like St. Iakovos of Evia, St. Paisios, St. Nektarios, St. Kosmas Aitolos... it's very clear if you read their teachings that we know precisely where the Church isn't. What you have adopted is a soft form of ecumenism, but ecumenism nonetheless and cannot possibly lead anyone to salvation. The very basic essence of your statement leads a heterodox person (who may assume extremely erroneous positions on the Trinity, sacrements, the ever-virgin Theotokos, etc.) to believe that he has no need to change and can be saved through teachings that are totally incompatible with truth. Please do some homework and be careful not to share your opinions or those of a single bishop on these extremely delicate matters of faith.

You mean like how the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and *through* the Son? I can't believe the East and West haven't come together to agree on that after nearly a thousand years. Especially since most people in the Vatican seem to say that's what they really mean. EDIT: The Anglican Church in North America has the *filioque* in brackets because these two haven't figured this out yet.

I think that would only apply to the nature of Christ dispute between eastern and oriental orthodox. There, it could be only a semantics issue.

@@WilliamSwartzendruber This was probably lurking in the back of my mind. More prominent was the miaphisyte, monophisyte, controversy that exists between the Orthodox and the oriental churches. Often even in non religious"family " fights what is said and what is really meant can be different in very subtle ways. My other observation is right now the Moscow patriarchate and the patriarchate of Constantinople are in "schism" from each other over procedural and authority issues so even agreement on theological issues is no guarantee of unity.

Perhaps because Ukraine has been bombing and shelling its own citizens since 2014 and the UOC is under persecution by the state and the OCU. For many years, Ukraine was considered a global training center for neo na2is according to votes in the UN, Democrat Ro Kahanna, Chris Wray and others. Sad situation that no one mentions the Minsk accords or that nothing was done on the lead up to 2022 by any global leader, but it gives $$$ for arms sales and is decimating the population of Ukraine.😢

I will not attempt to speak for “them.” (There is no “them.”) But first there have been. And second, you don’t hear Orthodox hierarchs often “speaking out” publicly on such things. Rest assured, letters have no doubt been sent. Expecting them to act like activists & such…well, it’s a category mistake. I’m making no accusation or defense. Just supplying my thoughts.

Because American Freemasons provoked him for years right next to the Russian border and then pointed the finger at him when he couldn't take their shenanigans anymore. Kyrill is a good Patriarch.

@@hutdweller7430 Freemasons in America are mostly old men. I’m not a defender, just want your energies to be rightly spent.

Only Orthodoxy is the body of Christ. So no Catholics and protestants and even Orientals are not part of the Body of Christ. We don't believe in branch theory

Only the Eastern Orthodox Church communion.

​@@nuns8126 NO sister you CAN NEVER SAY THAT THAT IS ABSOLUTELY BLASPHEMOUS!! LOOK AT INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE WE ATE AAAAALLLL SAVED BY JESUS CHRIST!!!!

Only Orthodoxy is The Body of Christ and his Church, and it is the only Catholic and Apostolic Church, those who apostatize from Orthodoxy forfeit the ability to be apostolic

@carlafowler6607 The truth hurts, doesn't it.

Where's the proof of that allegation?

​@@markeedeepru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-JUFYnwAZg5w.html

​@markeedeep He signed the Havana declaration, which contained a paragraph where the MP and Rome mutually recognised each other's ordinations and legitimacy. You can find it yourself online. Moscow is also a member of the world Council of churches which puts them under the 1983 anathema against ecumenism.

@@aaronc44852 Recognising the existence of the Roman Catholic church makes sense, when you think about it. You cannot pretend that it does not exist, can you now?

@@markeedeep

The Roman Church invented many beliefs they call dogmas over the last 1000ish years, many seem related to the scholasticism which was developed in the west. These do not fit in with Orthodox beliefs, imho. Love ❤❤❤

@noway165 For you particularly- can you tell me what seems like an insolvable belief of the west? Because if we see how the Eastern Rite churches have been in communion with Rome- they didn't change their Orthodox or Eastern Theology to fit the western understanding (e.g. Eastern Catholics don't say the filioque in the creed, the use of leavened bread is continued, liturgy is continued, western Mariology and Purgatory is not something that's incompatible with our Eastern understanding either. A lot of the tension seems to be levering of politics in my opinion. Seeing a church like the Melkites who are in common communion without sacrificing their unique tradition- shows me that the East and West can infact come together with a bit of humility on both sides

GOC is a fringe group and not the only possessors of grace on earth. Find a ROCOR church, or one they are in communion with, pray, and God will bring you wherever he needs you to be. Have faith 🙏

@@thehouseofcrumblingidols2694 Greek is _hard_ to learn, brother. Russian is a close second. 😑 I trust the God-given miracle of the incorruptible saints.

@@thehouseofcrumblingidols2694 Oh btw, to prevent any confusion: Some pagan 'religions' eg. buddhism also lay claim to incorruptibility; perhaps God did work such a miracle to give them an example, or perhaps not (dangerous to speculate). However, what we can say for certain is there exists the One True God, who lives forever and ever, and He commanded the Apostles to hear His Son, and the Son declared that He alone is the path to eternal life for mankind (Jn. 14:6). Therefore as St. Paul taught, to those pagans who point to incorruptible signs of their false religions, we pronounce to them the name of the Son of the Living God, Jesus Christ, who was crucified for our sins and rose again from the dead. ✝️

He is using the phrase the way the saints use it, which is exactly what we want to see with our bishops! Using language the way saints do. See St Justin Popovich, St Paisios, St Iakovos, etc.

The problem is that ecumenism in the sense of compromise is exactly how it has been instantiated in history for the last century. While well-meaning Christians might use the terms innocuously to refer to friendly dialogue in order to understand similarities and differences between faiths, this isn't how it actually plays out at the cultural and institutional levels. Exhibit A is the Vatican II subversion of Roman Catholicism and the acceptance/promotion of indifferentism, which their Popes vociferously condemned prior to the 20th century. At that levels it tends to subvert and destabilize institutions, usually as a means of furthering secular socio-political ends. Basically, ecumenism in the good sense essentially just reduces to apologetics, witnessing, having good-natured arguments, discussion etc; I don't see why we should tie ourselves to a notion that, outside of the context of private individuals trying to understand one another, has tended to do far more harm than good.

In my understanding, ecumenism is reached when the Sacraments are made equal for the various religions, and I agree, this is sin, because they cannot mean the same if the faith to support them is different. Catholics and protestants are ecumenical and Bautism and Marriage are accepted as equal. We needed to remarry after converting to Orthodoxy.

@@leopistis3560 That's fine, but context does matter. If people can't agree on a definition of terms, then strong arming a definition and ignoring how others are using words isn't helpful.

did you watch the video?

Mercy for Orthodox is being united to the Church. This can be done in an extra normative way i.e. God’s will.

Let's not bicker between us and try to save the Jesus Hating Jews instead and maybe some Muslims also, they might be easier since they love Jesus as a prophet and do not think he was a Magician Con man who is boiling in a vat of feces and was never crucified and lets not even go to their (Jews) thoughts on Mary. As a Christian I am more concerned about their souls not the protestants or Catholics. Besides they would LOVE to divide us and destroy Christianity and they have been working on it. Check out Vatican 2 and their imput/demand on the changes and the Muslim response against the changes

Amen. Without the Bishop of Rome, you lack the Rock of the Church

Submit to Christ.

We do, you have separated yourself from the bride of Christ. Return to to communion with God's Church. Submit to Rome

That was tactful. NOT. Until Rome goes back to our mutual Traditions and stops dropping Jesus body on the floor at communion all the time, that will be tough but I do pray that God finds a way to Unite us again. The Lord has commanded the Bishops to pick ONE date for the Paschal Celebration, but they won't do it until Rome's act is together together.

Your patriarchs keep breaking communion with each other, and our act isn't together? We are the unified ones, with clear hierarchy and authority.

Look at nicea. It states "catholic" church. We orthodox are truly catholic. We shouldn't reject that word

@@skeletalforce9673 I was born and baptised as a Greek Eastern Orthodox. I am a practising Greek Orthodox. NOT a practising Catholic. GREEK. GREEK ORTHODOX HAS 'NOTHING' TO DO WITH CATHOLIC. THEY ARE TWO VERY DIFFERENT FAITHS OF RELIGION THAT CARRY DIFFERENT BELIEFS WITH DIFFERENT PRACTICES. Thank you.

Sorry, but there is only one.

@@panperl1212 yes, there is one but now they are two, remember that the first seven councils reached that the Church of Rome could not err, they relied on the church of Rome to teach the truth when the others were teaching heresy (Arianism, Nestorianism, Monotheletism, Iconoclasm)

@@andresmaynez3060 This is total BS. Take the First Council of Constantinople (second ecumenical council), where there was absolutely no papal representation. It seems the people did not believe that "the Church of Rome" could not err and was the measure of truth. How about pope Honorius? Why wouldn't this supposed papal infallibility, by the way, be one of the first things to be declared at an ecumenical council, if it were true and believed by the early Church? Wouldn't this save the Church a lot of disputes, settle so many debates with heretics and save so many souls? How about the admittedly faked papal documents regarding the eastern Church? How could there be two "One, true, holy, catholic and apostolic" Churches anyway? Do you imply Christ's body is divided? How would Peter being the rock mentioned by Christ lead to all the doctrines on papism anyway? How about Peter being rebuked by Paul at the Council of Jerusalem? Those are not even the theological disputes. We could go into the doctrine of Filioque, Absolute Divine Simplicity, the weird western 'saints' (explicitly the ones with sexual 'visions' of Christ), the contradictions between Vatican 1 and Vatican 2, the changing (and contradicting) political stances (for example in regards to the death penalty, or the modernist stances), the weird church practices (for example the clown mass) or ecumenism. Not saying that orthodox bishops or clergy in general is perfect, because they are surely not, but we do not claim they are infallible, nor do we rely on them being so, just as the pope once was a member of the orthodox Church until he fell off (for mostly political reasons).

Did you watch the video?

@feeble-stirrings : Absolutely. I Post My Comment Exactly After Watching The Entire Video and I Still Don't Subscribe to Such Fantasy As A " Good Ecumenicalism." Good Night From Anderson ( Anderson County), South Carolina, The United States of America ( USA).

​@@MartyRodriguezOrthodoxMarine In this one sense ecumenism means for the Orthodox only missionary witnessing. Proselytizing is not the purpose. We witness to the FULLNESS of the Orthodox church.

@nuns8126 : I'm Going To Have To Let You Please Explain The Reasoning of Your Comment As There's A Bit of Confusion Regarding Your Uses of The Terms " Missionary " and " Proselytizing."

If you can’t subscribe to what he said about good ecumenism, then you’re not subscribing to St. Justin Popovich’s own views about ecumenism. He says the same things if you read through his book Notes on Ecumenism. Ecumenism, as defined by a saint, is good if what is meant is that we go work to bring other Christians to unity in the one Church. You might want to quibble with “why use this word then?” but you’d have to ask St. Justin and others that.

I'd disagree. Both are unapproachable for Orthodoxy. They need to return on their own.

God calls each of us to the truth in unique ways. I can say that there is grace to be found in the Orthodox Church. The Orthodox Church truly is living and timeless. As evident by the church fathers of yesterday and today. And tomorrow there will be a new generation. The Protestant church branch (catholic) exists as a body separated. As do all of the derivatives which never came back to the church of the first 1000 years. During the first 1000 years there was only one church. One was either a part of it or not as a Christian. Anyways God calls each of us to the truth. And there are good people in the west whom are a part of separated bodies as father confirms here. But they are missing the wholeness of the Orthodox Church as father states. As a convert myself, I can attest that it was the single best decision in my life converting in 20s. I pray for your journey and that you can find the truth mate.

Life and history of Orthodox Church is proof that Orthodox church is the Church. Untouched and unspoiled teaching and not just teaching, but the power of faith. Orthodox church have millions martyrs, saints, and other heroes of Holy Spirit. Complete grace, thuth, wisdom, experience of Apostles, Holy Fathers of Church, asceticism of Desert Fathers are within Orthodoxy. Roman Catholicism had everything of that until Roman Pontifex decide to rule alone with Church, above other Patriarchates. Martin Luther has been notice corruption of Rome and decide to abandon that heresy, but he went in wrong direction.

We dont innovate, not even with hats. Personally I think the hats are awesome.

@haydeen6535 I know you don't innovate , one of the reasons I walked away from the faith many years ago, but the hats whilst I guess I can see design, possibly some kinda odd sense of style but I don't get their worth, they're generally not very sun smart or overly warming, so I'm kinda stuck on their purpose, like jesus has never been depicted wearing a hat and he didn't have a comfy church to protect him from the elements, he apparently preached outside with no hat 🤷

Tradition and there's nothing wrong with it.

@WilliamSwartzendruber nothing wrong I guess it just looks a bit silly 🤷

I would ask God why he instructed the Jewish priests to wear specific clothing, including unique hats alongside a specific way to worship. This can also be found in the Old Testament. God bless you forever