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A collection of 24 issues

EO on Communion with Heretics/Schismatics

According to the canons of the Eastern Orthodox faith, no one can have communion with heretics or schismatics and still remain in good standing with the Church. This applies to the clergy as well: Canon XXXII of the council of Laodicea states: “That one must not accept blessings of heretics,

Eastern Orthodox on Islam, Judaism & Other Churches

The statements cited here are taken from For the Life of the World: Toward A Social Ethos of the Orthodox Church, published by Holy Cross Orthodox Press in 2020. The document can be accessed at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America website: Social Ethos Document. Here is the PDF Version.

St. Optatus, Peter’s Primacy & the Papacy

This lengthy extract from St. Optatus is taken from Optatus of Milevis, Against the Donatists (1917) Book 2. pp. 57-119. His statements affirm that the Roman Church is the See of Peter, and the grounds of unity which makes the Church one and universal. He further argues that to deviate

St. Maximus, Pope Honorius & the Papacy

I share the following article on St. Maximus the Confessor from CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Maximus of Constantinople. St. Maximus of Constantinople Known as the Theologian and as Maximus Confessor, born at Constantinople about 580; died in exile 13 August, 662. He is one of the chief names in the Monothelite

Call No Man Father?

Oftentimes, anti-Catholic/Orthodox Protestants will quote the following words of our Lord to condemn the practice of calling the Pope, Bishops, Priests etc. “father”: “And do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.” Matthew 23:9 In this post I

Tertullian: Trinity is the Faith of the Ancient Church

In refuting the modalist heretic named Praxeas, the second-third century AD North African Apologist Tertullian stresses the fact that belief in the Trinity has always been the ancient belief of the Church, much older than the hereies spewed by Praxeus and others. Here’s what he wrote: Chapter 2. The

Chrysostom & Petrine Primacy

I share some of the many statements from St. John Chrysostom, one of the greatest saints biblical exegetes of the Church, affirming the primacy of Peter. These citations attest that Chrysostom held to Peter being the Rock and Leaders of the universal Church, having been given a preeminence over the

Early Church, Monarchy & Hierarchy

The list of quotes cited here is taken from David W. Bercot’s A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs, published by Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, Massachusetts in 1998, pp. 255-262. The author will mention the particular volume and page number of the ten-volume set of The Ante-Nicene Fathers, ed. Alexander Roberts

Peter’s Primacy in the Early Church

In this article I will reference statements from some of the greatest theologians, apologists, scholars, bishops and/or sons to show that the unanimous belief of the universal Church was that Peter was the chief and head of all the holy and blessed Apostles. All emphasis will be mine. Epistle

Why the Church is Called Catholic

The oldest extant written mention of the term Catholic, as applied to the Church, is found in one of the letters of the holy martyr St. Ignatius, who was a disciple of the Apostles and the Bishop of Rome: Chapter 8. Let nothing be done without the bishop See that