I think Neil�s explanation was well done.
All else is conspiracy theory - rumor - and slandar.
If the Melkite church wishes to honor Peter - who is anyone else - to infringe on its independence to do so?
No one infringes on the Orthodox right to withhold some degrees of honor from Peter. Why should anyone - anyone - infringe upon the Melkites for the same independent right to voluntarily honor Peter? and at the same time adhere to the Eastern cannons (called the 'Orthodox cannons')?
Who - is anyone - to suggest that the Melkite hierarch is composed of fools who bow to any number of worldly causes and do not hold to Christ!?
If the Melkite hierarchy has decided to voluntarily honor Peter - isn�t all else - conspiracy theory - rumor - and a dishonor - even slander - to the legitimate decision of the legitimate hierarchy of an independent church? Of course it is. Laity - pretending to have the same grace granted to hiarchy.
Let us � let � the Melkite hierarch act as it sees fit - without guessing alternative motives to them. Let us do this in the very same way that we let the Orthodox churches do as they please in their own independence.
What troops does the Pope have poised to attack or imprison? None.
And if Pope did have strom troopers... are the Melkites of God to be assumed no grace to withstand intimidation?
What doctrine of theology has the Pope demanded that Orthodox churches must change? None.
What charge of heresy has the Latin church leveled at the Orthodox churches? None.
So I ask you - where is - this Latin tyrant who �necessitates� his approval?? or what punishment will he meat out??
I am often amazed at what grand authority and power - that some separated churches - assume the Pope to have. Yet they themselves by the very fact of thier voluntary separation
prove that the Pope has no such authority and power as they claim he taken to himself.
Some claim the Papacy later grew into a vast authority and power far beyond what it originally had in the early church. And I say - are you blind??
In the early church Peter was honored as Chief apostle - by all - and the successors of that office (the Bishop of Rome) was so honored by all churches. That was thee early church down to the change that took place with the Byzantine Empire when a tug of war for head of the church took place. Who would be head of the church ?? the new Ceasar of new Rome or the old Pope of old Rome??
This the Orthodox readily admit. And - now - the role of Peter has been far lessened
by the very fact that many of the independent churches now withhold that honor that had been vouluntarily given to Peter since day one.
There is the change (!) he has far less influence that he had in the early church. What used to be universal is now limited to a portion.
So Peter once had the entire church - and now he only has a portion -
how then is that now a greater power and autrhity than before??? when now only a portion of the entire church pays him any attention??
What nonsense in logic.
As regards the Melkites - which Neil is - and represents here to us here - why would anyone - dishonor his explanation of his church?
"We ask - but we do not want to know - we wish rather to prove our point - so Neil is a pawn to that point."
Why would anyone - assume that they know the motives of the Melkite heiarchy better than the Melkites themselves. Who would be such a fool?
We should not claim the honor of independence for ourselves - and then without the honor of independence from others - without becoming - disingenuous.
Dear Neil: A wonderful explanation including the early cannons about how one church should operate within another church�s administrative area. I had just recently been reading these early cannons in the Orthodox cannons themselves� and it appears to me that the Melkites follow these cannons well while other some other Eastern churches completely disregard them.
Under the current provisions of Canon Law, the Holy Synods of sui iuris Churches only have the authority to elect or appoint hierarchs to Sees within the historical territories of the Patriarchate (or Major Archepiscopate in the case of Churches of that status). The authority of the Church's primatial hierarch in the diaspora is limited, technically, to matters liturgical. In the instance of a vacancy in the non-patriarchal territories, the Church's Holy Synod ordinarily chooses three names in order of preference and submits the list, called the terna to Rome, which appoints the new bishop.
Bravo - for this accurate description of the Eastern cannons on the matter.
-ray