Talk:Orthodox (disambiguation)

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Hmm. Original Nicene Creed? Well, it was revised at the first council of Constantinople, and THAT's what the self-styled 'Orthodox' use. So don't even pretend that what is said in orthodox churches is the wording written down in the 320s, because it isn't. Yes, the western church added the 'and the son' (see Filioque), but there were already revisions operating. --MichaelTinkler

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I would love to know what the "catacomb church" is. Also, I think most of the content on Orthodox Christianity should belong in Eastern Orthodoxy or Eastern Orthodox church or something like that. Here should just be a pointer to it. -- SJK

Simon, the 'catacomb church' is a code-word for people who think that some priests and bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church INSIDE Soviet Russia were somehow not compromised (in the catacombs). There was a valid, if irregular, Russian Orthodox Church Abroad which complicates matters considerably. Orthodox lines of communion or 'sobornost', to use the Russian technical term, are exceptionally complicated by the frequent mutual excommunication or simple refusal to be-in-communion with each other. And THEN there's the calendar dispute. Did you know that a sizeable (single-digit millions, probably, since the Romanians are involved) minority of the orthodox still don't recognize the Gregorian calendar. They are the Old Calendarists. They honestly say that since Christ was crucified on the Julian calendar we should stick to it. I am not exaggerating at all. Scouts' honor. --MichaelTinkler, whose hobby in the late 80s was Orthodox churches.

Michael, I was aware of the Old Calendarists, but not the 'catacomb church'. I'm having trouble following what your saying. Are you saying that the 'catacomb church' claims that they are the true church because they did not co-operate with the Soviets, and that the mainstream Russian Orthodox church are apostates for co-operating with the Soviet Government? -- SJK

yep. They claim that they are the 'true' orthodox. Because, of course, this sort of position is ecclesiologically difficult to defend (how do you find an ordained priest under these circumstances) different individuals go to different lengths, but typically they are in schism from the Russian Orthodox Church and look to groups outside Russia, like the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, which now has missions *inside* Russia. The Russian Orthodox Church Abroad In Russia? I don't know. --MichaelTinkler