Romanian Bishop communes with Roman Catholics

[Грешник]

But whole New-calendarist churc is shismatic.

Can one of the theologians in this forum share with me the documents from an ECUMENICAL COUNCIL of the Church that has made this idea dogma of the Church, required by all to believe?

Thank you.

[GOCPriestMark]

Can one of the theologians in this forum share with me the documents from an ECUMENICAL COUNCIL of the Church that has made this idea dogma of the Church, required by all to believe?

Christ is Risen!
I make no claim to being a theologian, but I am surprised that by now you have not taken note of the pan-orthodox councils of the 16th and 19th centuries. I have yet to hear of any writings objecting to these councils at that time, so I believe they were universally held by the Orthodox Church.
I am also certain you have heard of the appearance of the sign of the Holy Cross over a church near Athens in 1925 which was celebrating the feast of the Cross according to the Church calendar, (not the papal one). Does God need an ecumenical council to show His approval?

[Helen]

Indeed He is Risen!

I am surprised that by now you have not taken note of the pan-orthodox councils of the 16th and 19th centuries. I have yet to hear of any writings objecting to these councils at that time, so I believe they were universally held by the Orthodox Church.

Father Mark, would you be so kind as to enlighten an ignoramus such as myself, as to what these councils were about?

I am also certain you have heard of the appearance of the sign of the Holy Cross over a church near Athens in 1925 which was celebrating the feast of the Cross according to the Church calendar, (not the papal one). Does God need an ecumenical council to show His approval?

Granted I am not too familiar with the Greek and Old Calendar situation...but this comment seems illogical to me. Why then did God, through the apostles and those that were ordained after them, establish the Church and not do it Himself directly through signs and miracles? If it were the case that signs and miracles guided the Church, then it would be possible to interpret the signs and miracles according to anyone's fancy.

God does not need an ecumenical council, but we sure need one.

[GOCPriestMark]

Father Mark, would you be so kind as to enlighten an ignoramus such as myself, as to what these councils were about?

Please don't call yourself any such thing.
Following these links will give you a brief outline of some relevant councils:
http://genuineorthodoxchurch.com/panorthodox_16thC.htm
http://genuineorthodoxchurch.com/consta ... e_1755.htm
http://genuineorthodoxchurch.com/consta ... 2_1904.htm

Granted I am not too familiar with the Greek and Old Calendar situation...but this comment seems illogical to me. Why then did God, through the apostles and those that were ordained after them, establish the Church and not do it Himself directly through signs and miracles? If it were the case that signs and miracles guided the Church, then it would be possible to interpret the signs and miracles according to anyone's fancy.

In the gospel of St. Mark, chapter 16 it says:

1. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
   20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with [them], and confirming the word with signs following. Amen

   God does not need an ecumenical council, but we sure need one.

   In this case, the calendar question had already been decided by several pan-Orthodox councils, there was no need for another council, but rather to console and reaffirm the faithful as well as convert some of those who were persecuting the true-Orthodox for their remaining faithful.
   http://genuineorthodoxchurch.com/1925cross.htm

[Jean-Serge]

I think this action is really positive. It will show everybody the ecumenism true face...

"No one who has the love of God in them could ever wish that anyone go to hell".

I think OrthodoxChristian summed up the attitude we should have towards these matters very nicely - it is the true Orthodox Christian spirit. But then again, praying for the Romanian Patriarchate to respond appropriately might be a bit hard if you believe that everyone else are heretics and ecumenists and unworthy of your prayers.

Who knows? Maybe it is more important to be right.

I do not want anybody to go to hell... I think this action will open the eyes of many people who could still have illusions about world orthodox churches... It will help them flee the Great Babylon.I said it was positive because now we have material proofs whereas generally we heard rumors about such people giving communion to catholics or receiving communion from them, but without material proofs.

I also hope the Romanian Patriarchate will handle the case appropriately deposing the metropolitan... But up to now, it has managed the crisis quite poorly. According to some sources, Nicolas of Blanat would no longer be commemorated in some churches and monasteries... But in spite of the critical situation, the synod will only examine the case in July. This means that for sure during one month (June), this bishop will keep on imparting "orthodox" mysteries in spite of his uniat communion!

[Jean-Serge]

On June 4th, Metropolitan Nicolas of Banat gave an interviw to the Romanian association of Christian journalists. It was given in Romanian, but some excerpts were translated adn sent to me by a Romanian friend. They are here. You can see that this bishop is unrepentant and in spite of this claims he is still orthodox.

The original version can be found here.

Excerpts from a telephonic interview with Metropolitan Nicholas of
Banat, during a public debate organized by AZEC - Romanian Association
of Christians Publishers and Journalists - 4 June 2008, in Bucharest:

Q: Your Holiness, it is true that you have communed yourself two weeks
ago in the Greek-Catholic Church of Timisoara?

[Metropolitan Nicholas]: A: Yes, this is absolutely true. I was
invited by my Greek-Catholic brothers and fellow-priests to the
consecration of a new [Uniate] Church here, in Timisoara. (...) There,
I was impressed by the crowd of believers who, together with all the
present priests, asked to be communed. Amongst those believers weren't
only Greek-Catholics, but also Orthodox, because in that area lives
predominantly Orthodox people. (...) I was so impressed and excited by
this (...) so I had a feeling of fraternity with that community of
believers - amongst them were, I repeat, not only Greek-Catholics, but
also Orthodox - and I communed myself too, together with them all.
(...) It was a spontaneous act of fraternity, which I felt impelled to
do. (...) It is necessary for us to do whatever we can to express the
fraternity between all the major Christian confessions.

Q: (...) do you regret now this act?

A: Honestly, no! My only regret is that I gave the opportunity to some
negative comments about this. (...) They [the Papists, n.ed.] are true
Christians also. In essence, nothing separates us [the Orthodox and
the Papists, n.ed.], except a jurisdictional issue - the Papal primacy
(...). But besides that, there is no difference amongst us, we are all
alike and we have a common identity from all perspectives.

Q.: Are you advising your flock to go to any Church, no matter which
[i.e. Orthodox or heterodox, n.ed.], because they have the same
Eucharist?

A.: I will not forbid them, because our [local] believers share this
feeling of communion with me.

Q.: So you consider you have communed there [at the Uniate liturgy,
n.ed.] with the actual Body and Blood of Christ?

A.: Yes, yes!

Q.: Your Holiness declared in a interview for "Formula As" magazine
that "The creation of the Greek-Catholic [Uniate] Church was a
historical necessity for Romanians". (...)

A.: I look at the problem from the Transylvanian perspective and from
the native Romanians point of view - which, being under foreign
occupation, saw in Rome a salvation for our Latin and Latin-Dacian
origin.

Q.: But how do you consider your position in comparison to the
position of the Saints, who were categorically against it [Uniatism.
n.ed.]? Just these days, [Romanian Holy Synod] canonized Saint Martyr
Athanasios (Atanasie) Todoran, who forbade his son to receive the
Communion from the [Uniate] apostates, because the Holy Fathers say
the heretical communion is union with the devil.

A.: This was the position of some Transylvanian believers who
identified Catholicism with the Hungarians. (...) But now the world
has evolved, history has evolved, and we can't go back now the
perceptions some people had at a different time in history.

Q.: Father Metropolitan, during your liturgical activity, did it
happen to you to give Holy Communion to a non-orthodox believer,
specifically to a Greek-Catholic or a Roman-Catholic?

A.: I must confess that, when I serve [Liturgy], (...) I commune all
the believers [who came at the chalice, n.ed.].

Q.: Without asking them [about their religious affiliation, n.ed.]?

A.: I haven't asked any of them (...). Because I considered that if
someone came asking for Holy Communion, I must satisfy his desire to
commune with the Body and Blood of Saviour. (...) But I haven't made
any dogmatic concessions or any concessions at all! I am Orthodox, I
will remain Orthodox until I will die, I cannot be something else!
[!!!]

Q.: Do you assume all the consequences of your act?

A.: Obviously, I do.

[Грешник]

They [the Papists, n.ed.] are true
Christians also. In essence, nothing separates us [the Orthodox and
the Papists, n.ed.], except a jurisdictional issue - the Papal primacy
(...). But besides that, there is no difference amongst us, we are all
alike and we have a common identity from all perspectives.

Apparently the Creed of the Church, the Procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father alone, the Orthodox understanding of Salvation and Atonement are no longer important?

Let us pray for him.

Lord have mercy...