www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Genealogy of Christian Faith Communities

Someone posted this link on another forum, thought it was a bit interesting. Since I am not really a person of great church history I am not sure where there may be misunderstandings or errors as we would understand history, but anyway for what it is worth....

Genealogy of Christian Faith Communities

The following chart shows a timeline of some of the events which lead to the multiplicity of Christian denominations. The chart is constructed to scale, so that each century takes the same amount of vertical space (with the exception of a slight vertical expansion for 1510-1530 to include the various Protestant denominational origins.) Note that there were long periods of time during which the interpretation of the Bible and doctrine were discussed and resolved without division into different communities.

http://www.catholicapologetics.org/ap021200.htm

Much more accurate, IMHO

I find it amusing that they place "Roman Catholicism" at the beginning. The Orthodox Church is, of course, the "Greek Orthodox Church," and has its origins in 1054 A.D. Not what I would consider to be accurate

Joe

I meant the table I posted was more accurate

Ah, David, for some reason your table isn't showing up.

Joe

Yes, Joe is right- It should have said instead of the Roman Catholic Church, the Catholic Church, which would include Eastern Catholics, Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Church of the East, all of the Apostolic Church.

Some Roman Catholics do not realize that the Roman Catholic Church is a particular Church in the Communion of Catholic Church.

I have had to explain to people lately I am a Greek Catholic, and not a Roman Catholic.

I've often noticed that I know more about Roman Catholocism that most of the Roman Catholics I know. Why do you think that is? Are people not paying attention in catechism? Or do they not even bother to teach the different Rites and Churches in catetchism? I know people who have been to adult catechism classes for years--the information about the number of churches has never been brought up. Let alone the different Rites in the Roman Catholic Church. Mention the Mozarabic Rite, the Ambrosian Rite or the Bragan Rite and just look at the blank looks on their faces.

One of my co-workers is teaching catechism in her RC Church and when I mentioned these things, she was totally clueless. Her mother, who taught CCD classes in her church, had never heard of them either. Yet everyone keeps hearing about the Pope being infallible. But when you ask them to explain how that works, they can't--except for the obvious answer that everything he says is correct and the direct word of God through the Holy Spirit. When I explain what papal infallibility actually means and how it works, her jaw dropped. She felt she had been lied to by the nuns and priests in the RC church in which she grew up. And when she asked her current pastor about it, he said that yes, that's how it works. But when she asked him why isn't it explained better to adults and kids old enough to understand, he just shrugged his shoulder and said they have to use the catechism books approved by the Bishop. And if they deviate and the Bishop hears about it, they would be in trouble. Isn't that just sad? Deliberatelly hiding the truth. For what reason?

What do you think we can do about this? It is a serious problem. In other threads people have brought up the fact that maybe we need dialogue between the RCC and the Eastern Churches before we can have any meaningful dialogue between the Catholic Churches and the Orthodox Churches. They are probably right.

In all seriousness, what can we as Eastern Catholics do?

Tim

Ah you mean confusions like this one I picked up today


It left me shaking my head

This is a continuing challenge. I edit somewhat on Wikipedia and the catholic wikiproject is struggling to get it right. It's a big battle because I believe that the larger Church has not entirely internalized the implications of Vatican II as regards to how Rites should work.

Tim,

With all that the Romans have on their plate at this time, they get a pass on this one from me.

I wish that the state of the culture and the world were such that all the implications of Catholic ecclesiology and structure could be addressed... As it is right now, if the local RC parish does not get into discussing the finer points of sui juris churches, they get a pass from me.

ASimpleSinner