False Ecumenism

Originally posted 12/8/2010.

One of the members of the ByzCath forums said to me concerning my response on veneration of post-schism Orthodox saints,

In spite of Dr. Ludwig Ott, I think you will find on this Forum precious little sympathy (and absolutely none from me personally) for the idea that the Orthodox are schismatics or that it is impossible for the Orthodox to achieve sainthood or that the Orthodox Church is a less certain path to salvation than is the Catholic Church.

Why become Catholic instead of Orthodox, then? Dogmatic differences simply do not matter in this nonsensical worldview! Let us, following the canon law of the Church, call a spade a spade. CIC 751 (1983): “Heresy is the obstinate denial or obstinate doubt after the reception of baptism of some truth which is to be believed by divine and Catholic faith; … schism is the refusal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him.” Orthodox Christians who consciously reject Catholic dogmas (papal primacy, Filioque, etc.) and shun communion with His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI of Rome are objectively guilty of formal heresy and formal schism and cannot be saved if they die in these dispositions. This is necessary to confess in light of Pope Eugene IV of Rome (1431-1447) on 2/4/1440, Bull “Cantate Domino” at 17th Ecumenical Council (of Florence) [D714].

Papal Primacy & the Fifth Council

Originally posted 10/10/2010.

From Rev. Fr. Paul Bottala, S.J. of happy memory, The Pope and the Church Considered in their Mutual Relations, Part 2 – The Infallibility of the Pope, pp. 243-246:
We say, then, that the Fifth Synod professed adherence in principle as well as in fact to the judgments of the Apostolic See, although its Decree did not properly regard doctrines of faith. … When Justinian forced the Patriarchs and Bishops of the East to sign his edict of condemnation against the Three Chapters, Mennas, patriarch of Constantinople [536-552], openly declared that he could not sign it without the consent of the Apostolic See,⁶⁰² and when forced to subscribe, he submitted on the condition that his act of adhesion should be returned to him in case the Pope refused to ratify it.⁶⁰³ Zoilus, Patriarch of Alexandria [541-551], went to meet Pope Vigilius in Sicily in order to justify his conduct in yielding to violence and signing the imperial edict.⁶⁰⁴ Facundus Hermianensis testifies the same of the other Oriental Bishops who had been compelled to put their signature to the edict of the Prince [Ephraim of Antioch (526-546) and Peter of Jerusalem (524-552)].⁶⁰⁵ When the Synod met in Constantinople, the Fathers were most anxious that the Pope should pronounce his judgment on the subject of the Three Chapters; and Vigilius referred to the right of his See to be the first to give sentence.⁶⁰⁶

On the Legitimacy of Several Medieval Popes

Originally posted 6/11/2010.

A good-faith proposed solution to the rivalry between (1) Leo VIII and Benedict V and (2) Sylvester III and Benedict IX.

John XII, Leo VIII, & Benedict V
1. Leo VIII (12/6/963-3/1/965) was rivals with John XII (12/16/955-5/14/964) and Benedict V (5/22/964-7/4/965); John XII was certainly not validly deposed,{1} and Benedict V was most likely forcibly “degraded”{2}; for sundry reasons, I cannot rationally sustain the thesis that Leo VIII was ever true pope.{3}

ECW Midterm Essay: Early Ecclesiology

Originally posted 3/11/2010.

From my midterm in Early Christian Writings, taken last Thursday (paragraph numbering not in original):

ECW Midterm Essay: Origins of Christianity

Originally posted 3/11/2010.

From my midterm in Early Christian Writings, taken last Thursday (paragraph numbering not in original):

Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus, Part 4

Originally posted 2/22/2010.

Click here for Part 1.
Click here for Part 2.
Click here for Part 3.

And now for the statements of the Bible, the Church Fathers, and the Magisterium.

Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus, Part 3

Originally posted 2/12/2010.

Click here for Part 4.

1. In Part 1 of this series, I explained in detail the proper understanding of “no salvation outside the Church,” according to the Jesuit Fr. Maurice Eminyan in the New Catholic Encyclopedia.

Pope Gregory VI of Rome Bibliography

Originally posted 1/23/2010.

*H. H. ANTON, “Die Synode von Sutri, ihr zeitgeschichtlicher Kontext und Nachklang,” Zeitschrift der Savingny-Stifung für Rechtsgeschichte. Germanistische Abteilung (Wien 1997) 576–84.
*O. J. BLUM, “Gregory VI, Pope,” New Catholic Encyclopedia (Detroit 2003) 6:489-491.
*GIOVANNI BATTISTA BORINO, “L’elezione e la deposizione di Gregorio VI,” Archivio della Società Romana di Storia Patria (1916) 39:142–252,295–410.
*A. CLERVAL, Dictionnaire de théologie catholique, ed. A. VACANT (Paris 1921) 6.2:1791.
*Liber Pontificalis, ed. LOUIS DUCHESNE (Paris 1892) 2:270-271.
*D. FEYTMANS, “Grégoire VI était – il simoniaque?” Revue belge de philologie et d’histoire (1932) 11:130-137.
*JOHANNES HALLER, Das Papsttum: Idee und Wirklichkeit (Stuttgart 1951) 2:279-280,572-576.
*KLAUS-JÜRGEN HERMANN, Das Tuskulaner Papstum 1012–1046 (Stuttgart 1973) 154–60.
*–. “Gregory VI,” The Papacy: An Encyclopedia, ed. PHILIPPE LEVILLAIN (New York 2002) 2:647-648.
*J. N. D. KELLY, Oxford Dictionary of Popes (Oxford 1986) 144-145.
*JOHANNES LAUDAGE, “Gregory VI., Päpst,” Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche (Freiburg 1995) 4:1015-1016.
*REGINALD LANE POOLE, “Benedict IX and Gregory VI,” Proceedings of the British Academy (London 1917–18) 8:199–235.
*FRANZ-JOSEF SCHMALE, “Die “Absetzung” Gregors VI. in Sutri und die synodale Tradition,” Annuarium Historiae Conciliorum (1979) 11:58-59.
*FRANZ XAVER SEPPELT, Geschichte der Päpste von den Anfängen bis zur Mitte des 20. Jh. (Munich 1934) 2:406–409.
*JOHANNES MATTHIAS WATTERICH, Pontificum Romanorum qui fuerunt inde ab exeunte saeculo IX usque ad finem saeculi XIII vitae (Leipzig 1862) 1:72-73,75-80,712-716.
*O. WIDDING, “An Old Norse Version of a Pamphlet on the Papacy of Gregor VI,” Analecta Romana Instituti Danici (Odense 1986) 15:51–65.
*HARALD ZIMMERMANN, Papstabsetzungen des Mittelalters (Graz, Vienna, Cologne 1968) 122-136.

Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus

Originally posted 12/25/2009.

Click here for Part 2.
Click here for Part 3.
Click here for Part 4.

Merry Christmas to you and yours! I hope this post will help you better understand the dogma “there is no salvation outside of the Catholic Church.”

The Photian Robber Council of 879-880

Originally posted 10/27/2009.

Pope John VIII mercifully reinstated Patriarch St. Photios the Great of Constantinople, but this was the extent of his approval of the acts of the 879-880 Council of Constantinople (Mann 270).{1} I don’t know how people like Fr. George Dion Dragas can seriously maintain that this fraud-riddled council is a fully binding ecumenical council.