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<DIV>Can you imagine the Eastern Orthodox allowing the Pope to appoint their bishops? </DIV>
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<DIV>Remember, the <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1253240695_10>Catholic Church</SPAN> is mad at China over this very issue. The Chruch is not about to say, hey, it's OK for the <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1253240695_11 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Eastern Orthodox churches</SPAN> (if they were in communion with Rome) to appoint their own bishops but not for the Patriotic Catholic Church in China.</DIV>
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<DIV>Apart from the Papacy, there are a number of other significant theological differences between Catholics and Eastern Orthodoxers: Purgatory, the <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1253240695_7>Eucharist</SPAN> (they don't believe in transubstantiation per se and haven't defined exactly what they believe), the <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1253240695_8 style="BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none">Immaculate Conception</SPAN>, the origin of the <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1253240695_9 style="BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none">Holy Spirit</SPAN>, and divorce and remarriage, to name just a few.</DIV>
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<DIV>I don't know if these issues have already been solved and we haven't heard about it or if there is some way they can be solved.</DIV>
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<DIV>But with God, all things are possible. (Gospel of St. Matthew 19:26)</DIV>
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<DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#0000ff size=3>Art</FONT></STRONG></DIV><BR>--- On <B>Thu, 9/17/09, Bret Bellamy <I><bbellamy@mindspring.com></I></B> wrote:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(16,16,255) 2px solid"><BR>From: Bret Bellamy <bbellamy@mindspring.com><BR>Subject: Re: [Apologetics] Is Catholic-Orthodox Unity in Sight?<BR>To: "Art Kelly" <arthurkelly@yahoo.com>, "Apologetics Group" <apologetics@gathman.org>, "Jim Murphy" <jmurf80@bellsouth.net><BR>Date: Thursday, September 17, 2009, 9:05 AM<BR><BR>
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Hmmmm. I've heard a number of rumors and "teasers" about this over the years. I'm not sure it'll happen quite yet. There are still issues between the two faith communities, and I think many Eastern Orthodox will oppose any type of union short of Catholics saying the Pope is first among equals, that on a number of things the Catholic Church went off the rails, that Catholics were wrong and Orthodox were right, etc. The Orthodox members I recall from some 10 years ago on Dave Armstrong's old forum were pretty vehement that any "unity" would pretty much involve Catholics saying "we were all wrong and you were all right", and scraping and bowing to the Orthodox with much mea culpaing all over the place. Besides a lot of Orthodox groups would consider any Orthodox-Catholic unity as a total sellout and condemn those that did particpate as no longer Orthodox but heterodox. Some of the extreme Orthodox groups make
anti-Catholic fundamentalists look positively friendly.<BR><BR>Don't think this will happen yet. Shame, because if what I've seen of the Byzantine Catholic Rite is any indication, the Eastern Orthodox Divine Liturgy is one of the most beautiful forms of worship.<BR><BR>My two cents,<BR><BR>Bret<BR><BR><BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(0,0,255) 2px solid">-----Original Message----- <BR>From: Art Kelly <BR>Sent: Sep 16, 2009 8:16 PM <BR>To: Apologetics Group , Jim Murphy <BR>Subject: [Apologetics] Is Catholic-Orthodox Unity in Sight? <BR><BR>
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<P class=articleHeadline style="CLEAR: both">Is Catholic-Orthodox Unity in Sight? <A href="http://www.ncregister.com/daily/catholic-orthodox_unity_in_sight/#When:15:10:59Z" target=_blank rel=nofollow>http://www.ncregister.com/daily/catholic-orthodox_unity_in_sight/#When:15:10:59Z</A><BR><BR></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#0000ff size=3>Art</FONT></STRONG></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></td></tr></table><br>