Friends, read the Councils.
During my years in Italy the Lord gave me a few big blessings: I was given the grace/time/interest to read the entire Bible and all of Vatican Council II and all of the Council of Trent cover to cover. Easy and fun. It made a big difference: clarity.
Young Catholic warriors: read the source documents.
As a graduate student here one is expected to often quote the Councils in essays and other papers/presentations (cf. Denzinger's Enchiridion Symbolorum).
Read Denzinger (In English it's The Sources of Catholic Dogma) and know the Councils!
Some have a casus conscientiae (case of conscience) about Vatican II and that is just fine. No harm. As we all know the Orthodox only recognize the first five Councils. Read the Councils and you will begin to see bits here and there that today look dumb or wrong. Each Council is marked by its age.
Do your own homework by reading and knowing the source documents.
Everything comes in cycles. Like the great religious revival of the 19th century which transformed and re-created the Christian world; which is today never talked about by historians (American Catholicism in large part came from this period). Things are tough today, the growth is up and this is a time of revival.
Faith, HOPE, charity.
Let us pray!
The Orthodox Church accepts the 7 ancient Ecumenical Councils of the united Church. Also recognize 2 more Councils, the Photian Synod of 779-780, and the (2) Hesychast Synod(s) of Costantinople (1341& 1351), not officialy as ecumenicals but as (General) councils with ecumenical validity.
ReplyDeleteThe other so called "ecumenical" councils of the western Church including the very important synods of Trend and the Vatican I & II, are to be considered, as Pope Paul VI said. as "General Councils of the Latin Church"
Great
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