11-27-2007, 03:58 PM
Shlama w'Iqarra Qabil, Shamasha Ashur
You raise quite a few valid points:
(a) Nestorius was not affiliated in any way, shape or form with the Eastern Church. He was a Greek, a Patriarch of the Western Church.
(b) The CoE took more objection to the anathematizing of Theodore of Mopsuestia, whom the Universal Church regarded as a "Doctor" of the Faith.
Where I disagree with you is here:
(a) We now have record of Nestorius' own words, as preserved in his anonymous work the "Bazaar of Heracleides" http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/nestor..._intro.htm In this work, it is clear that Nestorius himself never ascribed to the heresy falsely attributed to him by Cyril and other opponents. Nestorius was, in fact, as Orthodox in belief as they come. Therefore, the CoE was right in refusing to condemn him 80 years later when it heard what happened at Ephesus.
(b) The Church of the East does not venerate Nestorius, nor will you find one single church named after him. We do, however, rightfully say that he was persecuted wrongly. We do hold that he held to the Apostolic Faith. We celebrate his memory, as you know being a former Deacon of the CoE, along with the other "Greek Doctors" on a certain day in our liturgical cycle.
As for why we don't unite with anyone, as you know the CoE is the only Apostolic Church that is not in communion with any of the other ancient sees. The reason for this is quite simple. The CoE regards all other Apostolic Churches as members of the same community as we are, and they are welcome to our table. The same cannot be said about how the other Apostolic Churches treat us.
Nevertheless, the CoE since it's inception during the 1st century until today has remained an independent Petrine Seat, and will remain so until the Second Coming of Christ.
Whether it be the dogma of the Papacy claiming supremacy over all other Patriarchs, or whether it be the "First Among Equals" (sic) of the Eastern Orthodox, it will be rejected by our community. There is no head over our Church except the temporal Patriarch of Babylon, and the Heavenly Christ above him. That's the way it's been since day one and there's no need to change it 20 centuries later.
If that's something that will work with the EO, then they should talk. However, from what I hear they won't even talk to us before we renounce the name of Nestorius. I can tell you, my dear friend, that we will turn Muslim before that happens. <!-- s:biggrin: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/biggrin.gif" alt=":biggrin:" title="Big Grin" /><!-- s:biggrin: -->
Take care Akh!
You raise quite a few valid points:
(a) Nestorius was not affiliated in any way, shape or form with the Eastern Church. He was a Greek, a Patriarch of the Western Church.
(b) The CoE took more objection to the anathematizing of Theodore of Mopsuestia, whom the Universal Church regarded as a "Doctor" of the Faith.
Where I disagree with you is here:
(a) We now have record of Nestorius' own words, as preserved in his anonymous work the "Bazaar of Heracleides" http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/nestor..._intro.htm In this work, it is clear that Nestorius himself never ascribed to the heresy falsely attributed to him by Cyril and other opponents. Nestorius was, in fact, as Orthodox in belief as they come. Therefore, the CoE was right in refusing to condemn him 80 years later when it heard what happened at Ephesus.
(b) The Church of the East does not venerate Nestorius, nor will you find one single church named after him. We do, however, rightfully say that he was persecuted wrongly. We do hold that he held to the Apostolic Faith. We celebrate his memory, as you know being a former Deacon of the CoE, along with the other "Greek Doctors" on a certain day in our liturgical cycle.
As for why we don't unite with anyone, as you know the CoE is the only Apostolic Church that is not in communion with any of the other ancient sees. The reason for this is quite simple. The CoE regards all other Apostolic Churches as members of the same community as we are, and they are welcome to our table. The same cannot be said about how the other Apostolic Churches treat us.
Nevertheless, the CoE since it's inception during the 1st century until today has remained an independent Petrine Seat, and will remain so until the Second Coming of Christ.
Whether it be the dogma of the Papacy claiming supremacy over all other Patriarchs, or whether it be the "First Among Equals" (sic) of the Eastern Orthodox, it will be rejected by our community. There is no head over our Church except the temporal Patriarch of Babylon, and the Heavenly Christ above him. That's the way it's been since day one and there's no need to change it 20 centuries later.
If that's something that will work with the EO, then they should talk. However, from what I hear they won't even talk to us before we renounce the name of Nestorius. I can tell you, my dear friend, that we will turn Muslim before that happens. <!-- s:biggrin: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/biggrin.gif" alt=":biggrin:" title="Big Grin" /><!-- s:biggrin: -->
Take care Akh!