Re: the direct response to my previous post, I don't necessarily see a complete contradiction between the orthodox criticisng Catholicism for mitigations whilst they are on some occasions willing to employ significant pastoral economy themselves; the churches have diferent traditions in the way in which theological/moral principles are elucidated and practiced.
I think there is a perception among some in the Eastern churches that the Roman church makes laws whilst the orthodox follow principles; at this stage I'm not saying whether I agree with that or not, merely that it is my understading from what I have read. Whilst a principle can have flexibility a law "has less capacity to do so; with the case of fasting an individual orthodox priest can to some degree counsel individuals to observe the principles in different ways depending on their ability to do so, etc. However when the Roman church decides at the diocesan or higher level that the fast before communion should be modified that is an entriely different thing, which could be percieved by the orthodox as making law for the whole churhc on the basis of the minimum; which as I've identified has some echoes in Paul.
I would argue that NFPs are a similar case; making law on the "minumum". Which considering even the minimum is not observed by significant numbers of Catholics, leaves the ROman church wide open to criticisms from the orthodox on the basis of lowering standards in making laws that aren't observed anyway that it should focus on promtoing core principles, rather than trying to promote observance of law;
so do I agree or disagree? Obviously it's not so black and white; all the churches walks differ in some ways from their talks...but overall I think I'd favour the supposed orthodox approach more, in which more emphasis is put on personal responsibility and accountability and less on what is the right and wrong balanket thing that "most people can follow if they're faithful to the CHurch", and my resort to Paul was in a sense to try and bring the focus on the error or otherwise in HV to how it is actually lived day by day in the lives of faithful, which despite the ROman focus on documents and law always needs to be considered as has been noted in examples from other posters.
Ned
