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Question:
Father Stanley Harakas writes in
his book "455 Q's and A's" in question 318 that the specific
name "Orthodox Church" is a historical name used in the early
church. I have a few books on the writings of the early church
Fathers and I have yet to come upon this title as a name of the
early church. The name "Catholic Church" always seems to be used
by the early Fathers. The name "Orthodox always seems to refer
to the faith. I have asked several Orthodox priests about this
and have never recieved an answer. I have finally discovered
when the word "orthodox" was first used,{Clement of Alexandria,
Stromata, book 1, chap 9} and I have found 1 reference to the
title "Orthodox Church" by a Bishop Auxentios who says that in
his work "On Heresies" St. John of Damascus writes about the
Monophysites that they "seperated from the Orthodox Church"for
their particular "form of heresy". I cannot verify this as "On
Heresies" does not appear to be online.Do you know of any of the
early church Fathers that refer to the "one ,holy catholic and
apostolic Church" as the "Orthodox Church" and where in their
writings I can find this title. If not do you know of anyone
that can help me, as I cannot seem to get through to Father
Stanley himself. |
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Answer:
Dr. Alexander Roman
alex@unicorne.org
You are quite correct in saying that
"Orthodox" has, from earliest times, referred to "faith" to differentiate
from what heretics believed and "Catholic" refers to "Church."
The term "Orthodox" was first formally and openly used at the First
Council to affirm the true Orthodox Faith in the Divinity of Christ, God
the Word Incarnate.
The early Councils defined, in the Symbol of the Orthodox Faith, or the
Nicene Creed, the Church as being "One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic."
And by "Catholic," they affirmed the "Eucharistic" view of the Church as
the Body of Christ. This means that the "Whole" of the Church is present
in the "Part" as Christ Himself is wholly present in the smallest particle
of the Eucharist.
(An ancient bishop was once accosted by a young man who demanded to know
how it was possible for Christ to be present in the Eucharist in this way.
The bishop picked up a mirror and threw it on the floor where it broke
into many pieces of varying size. "Look," said the bishop to the young
man. As the young man looked down, he could see his reflection in every
single piece of the broken glass!)
When referring to the Orthodox Faith, it was St Vincent of Lerins who said
that it was what everyone always believed throughout the world concerning
the doctrines of Christ and His Church.
And both East and West accepted the use of "Orthodox" and "Catholic" in
this way.
After they parted ways in 1054-1204, the East continued to refer to itself
as the "Orthodox Catholic Church." The Roman West still used "Orthodox"
but less so (as does the Pope when he prays, during the Mass, for "all
those who teach the Orthodox Faith" and by this he means the Roman
Catholic faith).
But "Orthodox" is also applied to the Church by way of defining that this
Church holds and glorifies God in the "right manner" and in keeping with
Apostolic teaching as handed down and taught in the Church that was
founded by Christ.
When references to "Catholic Church" are made, especially in Constantine's
time, it is often the case that what is being affirmed by the writer(s) is
the "Orthodox" nature of the doctrine confessed by the Orthodox Church,
but not by the Arians and many other heretics of the time.
John Henry Cardinal Newman makes this point in his writings where he says
that while all churches and communities (Roman Catholic and Protestant)
refer to themselves as "Catholic" since they have the Nicene Creed, if
someone asked one in the street in 19th century England where the nearest
"Catholic Church" is, there would be no doubt in anyone's mind which
building they would point to. In this case, the issue of faith comes to
the fore, rather than ecclesiology alone.
"Orthodoxy" refers to BOTH faith and its expression in correctly
glorifying God. Our faith is indicated by the way we glorify God
liturgically etc. And so there is an intimate connection between "Orthodox
faith" and "Orthodox Church" since the latter aspect of "Orthodoxy"
already implies the Church as the place where the public liturgy is
conducted and where our life in Christ is lived in the Mysteries.
Saint Peter Mohyla of Kyiv frequently uses the hyphenated
"Orthodox-Catholic" when referring to both faith and the Church and the
members thereof ("Pravoslavno-Kafolicheskaya").
So while "Orthodox" is primarily used to refer to "faith," it is because
our faith is contained in BOTH theoria AND in praxis (ie. confessions and
liturgy) that this term also relates to the definition of the Church.
And "Catholic" also relates to "Orthodoxy" insofar as it implies the faith
that was always held and handed down from the Apostles that distinguishes
it from other, man-made and heretical doctrines.
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