Friday, January 3, 2020

Catholics vs Protestants - the Orthodox won't Defend the Latter


Q
Why do Catholics always attack Protestants? Don't they realize that they have the Orthodox to deal with too?
https://www.quora.com/Why-do-Catholics-always-attack-Protestants-Dont-they-realize-that-they-have-the-Orthodox-to-deal-with-too/answer/Hans-Georg-Lundahl-1


Answer requested by
Matthew Johnson

Hans-Georg Lundahl
none/ apprx Masters Latin & Greek, Lund University
Answered Thu
It so happens, more than half of what we have to say about Protestantism, the Orthodox would also say about Protestantism.

With the Orthodox, the number of discrepancies is more limited, it’s more like a competition on which of Rome and Constantinople, Alexandria or Etchmiadzin or Ecbatana is the real Catholic Church.

With these we agree that:

  • Christ founded a Church with a Magisterium (not with private judgement on part of each faithful of what the Scriptures mean);
  • it is remaining to Doomsday;
  • it can be identified at all times (one in five is not “needle in a haystack”);
  • it has a real sacrifice in the Mass, it can be offered for the living and for the dead;
  • it has seven sacraments;
  • we can honour images, saints, angels (the first part also means we can and should honour church buildings);
  • we must honour the Blessed Virgin more than other saints and more than angels;
  • She is body and soul in Heaven;
  • sacraments are tied to clergy (except baptism, we Catholics would say, and matrimony) with apostolic succession, which is divided into bishops, priests, deacons - of these the bishops have a special responsibility as magisterium, if they are in communion with the Church;
  • and while monks and nuns are not as such clergy, they are also to be honoured and it can well happen monks are a privileged source for bishops;
  • not to forget, we believe the state can have or lack a privileged relation to the true Church.


Only a few of these points (like the last one) is shared by some few Protestant denominations like Anglicans and Lutherans.

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