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The – Who Are They?

The Saints – Sainthood in the Eastern Orthodox Churches The Third of Five Sessions The Seventeenth after -- 27, 2020 (Series A)

I. There Are Orthodox Churches, and Then There are . . .! The Orthodox Churches form a huge body of , now -wide. But while we speak of “the” Roman Church without an “es” at the end of “Church”, we do not do so with the Eastern Orthodox Churches. These are “churches” are formed into a of “autocephalous”1 churches, which includes the Ecumenical of being the only autocephalous head who holds the of “.”2 The Eastern Orthodox tradition and its several autocephalous or autonomous3 churches are be unified in and . There are seventeen autocephalous churches, which include Constantinople, , , , , , , , , , , , and . The Czech Republic and Slovakia were officially invited to the -Orthodox Council in 2016. The in America, formed in 1970, and the autocephalous Orthodox Church of , created in 2019, Pantocrator along with al number of autonomous churches, have been invited

1. Autocephalous – Greek root for self-headed or independent churches. Each of these churches has a ruling , and a Holy to administer the jurisdiction and to lead the Orthodox Church in the preservation and teaching of the apostolic and patristic traditions and church practices.

2. “Primus inter pares” – A phrase meaning “first among equals” This title is to signify the unity of the Church in doctrine and practice. The same term in used in the Church for the Holy Father, the . Among the of the Church, he is “the first among equals.” In effect, however, these two roles in the two Churches function quite differently. In the , each of the Churches are truly independent except in matters of doctrine.

3. Autonomous – Another Greek-based term meaning “self- governing.” It is, in fact, a lesser designation regarding a particular body’s independence.

The Saints: Sainthood in the Eastern Orthodox Churches Rev. 4 PDF Page 1 to join the Council since 2016. We might say that the Eastern Orthodox Communion gathers 14 independent churches sharing the same theology and worship.4 Suffice it to say that with approximately 220 million baptized members, the Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest Christian Church, second only to the Roman . In fact, it is in with the Roman Catholic Church, and prefers to be known by is fuller , “The Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church,” rightly claiming its ancient and apostolic roots as its right for authenticity in the . The of Roughly one half, more than 110 million of the Eastern . . . . Christ the Savior Orthodox Christians live in Russia and it yet has a strong in the nations from what was formerly called “the Soviet Block.” It has Destroyed in 1931 played a prominent role in the history and of Eastern and Southeastern , the , and the .

II. And What About the ? That’s a good question! They are very ancient, too, even claiming to have a church in Cairo over the place where Mary and hid to avoid erod’sthe slaughter of the innocent children in , seeking to kill the . The Coptic Church, strong in Cairo and most of , is also a part of the “Orthodox Communion” but not a part of the “Oriental Catholic Churches.” Those who were with us during our study of “The Seven Ecumenical Councils,” recall that the doctrine of the and especially the mystery of the person of Christ were a issue at most of those seven Councils. Jealous always to preserve the fullness of the incarnation, and wrestling with the two natures of Jesus as against the that sought to explain them, it seemed that every suggested either leaned toward making the claim for Jesus’ on the one side, or His humanity on the other. One might think that had nailed that down in the first of the seven councils. “We believe in one , Jesus Christ, the only of ,. Eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God, Begotten, not made. Of one Being with the Father.

4, – – A Icon located at Catherine at the base of . It is the oldest known icon of Christ in one of the oldest in the world. (Top of 1st. Page.)

The Saints: Sainthood in the Eastern Orthodox Churches Rev. 4 PDF Page 2 Through Him all things were made. For us and for our He came down from By the power of the He became incarnate from the Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under ; He suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; He ascended into heaven And is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in to judge the living and the dead, And His kingdom will have no end.” These are words from the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE. One would have thought this would have settled it. Buy, a seminarian who was also a parishioner, once remarked about the seven ecumenical councils; “Every generation’s answer appeared to be the next generation’s problem.” So it turned out to be. Theologians struggled through the centuries, some wanted to protect fully the divinity of our Lord, and still others, the humanity of our Lord. Many sought the balance! The Oriental Orthodox Churches shared communion with the Roman Catholic Church as as the Eastern Orthodox churches before the Council of 451 CE, and before that, with the Eastern Orthodox churches until 431 CE. The issue was, both times, : “What we believe about Jesus.” These two orthodox communions saw themselves as strongly anti-Nestorian.5 Icon of the The Oriental Orthodox Church, though at odds with the Council of Nicaea Constantine I in Center Ecumenical Councils after The First Council at , was and continues to be hungry to have and preserve the , the unity, of the Church. While being conservative, they have been enthusiastic about ecumenical relationships with non- Orthodox Christian Churches. Nearly all, if not all, Oriental Orthodox Churches are members

5. – Nestorious was a fifth century theologian who sought to explain the person of Christ as a single human body in which there were two persons, that of Jesus and that of the . Those opposing believed that this weakened both the doctrine of the Trinity and that of the doctrine of Incarnation. teaches simply that Jesus was fully God by the Holy Spirit, and fully human through the Virgin Mary. Mary is called, therefore, the , which is to say the bearer of God or the mother of God. The Third approved this title for Mary. (Lutherans accept the first seven ecumenical councils.)

The Saints: Sainthood in the Eastern Orthodox Churches Rev. 4 PDF Page 3 of the World Council of Churches.6 The Oriental Orthodox Churches together amass about 60 million members world-wide. There are six autocephalous churches. (1) The Coptic Orthodox , (2) the Syriac Orthodox , (3) the Armenian Apostolic Church, (4) the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (Indian Orthodox Church), (5) the Ethiopian , and the (6) Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church. They collectively consider themselves to be one, holy, catholic and apostolic, to have been founded by Jesus Christ in at Saint Mary’s his , and that their bishops are the successors of Christ’s . McKeesport, PA Their liturgical celebrations are by three rather different rites .These are the western influenced Armenian rites, the West Syriac Rite of the Syrian Church and the of and finally the of the Copts, Ethiopians, and Eritreans.7

III. Now, About the Saints in the World of the Orthodox , less known in the Western churches, are a beloved form in the Orthodox churches. The discussion arose early in the history of the Christian Church. Some argued that were a violation of the Second Commandment. That commandment is about making a “graven image” of anything . . . and falling down to worship it. And there is a threat: “For I, thy God am a jealous god . . .” Early in the life of the Church there came a hotly debated issue as to whether statues and other uses of graphic were not risking offense to the second of the . Churches of the East, those that became later known as churches of “Virgin and Child” the Orthodox traditions, gravitated toward icons as an appropriate “Yheotokos” means for illustrating as well as remembering and “Virgin of ” venerating the saints. Over the centuries the art form of the two- 1131 CE

6. Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental_Orthodox_Churches, pp. 1-3. The majority of the in this section on the Oriental Catholic Churches is from this source.

7. The Coptic rite takes its name from the ancient language. It is used in the rites of the Coptic Church, and the Orthodox churches in and .

The Saints: Sainthood in the Eastern Orthodox Churches Rev. 4 PDF Page 4 dimensional icon had become a treasured part of a huge segment of worshiping Christians, particularly those of the Orthodox tradition. Icons are by design, two dimensional, and therefore a bit “unreal.” Over the centuries, they have become a beloved art form, used in worship, corners in our homes, and something of a “spiritual” reminder for a spiritual pause, a moment of prayer or , or just for a decoration. “ In Orthodox Churches, one is surrounded by icons. They reminds us of saints, Jesus, the disciples and apostles, and even people important in our religious heritage as Christians. In a visit to the , where there is a strong orthodox presence, one is simply touched. The saints of Orthodoxy are all around us. However, there is not nearly the structure for identifying and canonizing saints we learned about in our last session. Rather, the Orthodox Church sees holiness or sainthood as a of God given to us by the Holy Spirit. One becomes holy and “Sainted” by participation in the holiness of God, or as Bonhoeffer would say, by “accepting the call of our Lord and giving him our all, without hesitation.” Is that not to participate in the holiness of God? There are categories of the saints, to be sure. Saint , when writing to the churches he has visited, calls all the faithful “saints.” When writing to Ephesus, he addresses them as “the saints who live in Ephesus.” When writing the Corinthians he uses the same expression. Furthermore he writes to the Colossiams that God has reconciled us by Christ’s death “so that He may present us before himself holy, without blemish and innocent in his sight.”8 Beyond us, who, as Luther liked to say are , by God’s . “simul et peccator,” are there any we can together call saints, those who have run the race, kept the , and for whom God has aside for them the of ? And the answer is, “Yes, of course! In the Orthodox tradition there are six categories, and lists available to back them up, for one’s study and veneration.”

IV. Six Categories of Orthodox Saints • – the first ones to spread the message of the incarnation of the Word of God and of the incarnation. • The , because they predicted and prophesied about the coming of the . • The – for sacrificing their lives and fearlessly confessing Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the Savior of humankind. • The Fathers and the Hierarchs of the Church who excelled in expressing and defending, by word and deed, the Christian faith.

8, See texts: :1, II Corinthians 1:11, and Colossiams 1:22.

The Saints: Sainthood in the Eastern Orthodox Churches Rev. 4 PDF Page 5 • The Monastics – Lived in the desert and dedicated themselves to spiritual exercise, reaching, as far as possible, perfection in Christ. • The Just – Those who lived in the world, leading exemplary lives as or with their families, becoming examples for imitation in society. Every one in each of these categories has his/her own calling and characteristics. All “fought the good fight for the faith.” All of them applied in their lives the scriptural virtues of “, , fidelity, , fortitude, and gentleness.”9

V. Moving into the 21st Century Two millennia and more are behind us. All of the divisions of the Church have at times defeated the growth of the Gospel, and at others challenged us to be open to God’s healing Spirit. As noted in our previous session and since the close of Vatical II, more than a half century of intense dialogues have been underway across most of and beyond. Much has been happening to heal the hurts of the long-standing split between the Western Church and the Orthodox Churches. Altogether healed? No, but there have and been some helpful clarifications for both sides, and a Patriarch Bartholomew I renewal of . At least, there are conversations as well as at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, some historic moments! Jerusalem – 2014 CE

VI. Where Do We Go from Here? September 13 The Saints: Who are They and Why are They Important?

September 20 Sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church

September 27 Sainthood in the Eastern Orthodox Churches

October 4 Saints Among Some Others – Part I - Lutheran, Episcopal, Methodist Churches – Baptist and other Independent Churches

October 11 Saints Among Others – Part II ` – The Church of the Latter Day Saints – Other Non-Christian Bodies –

9. See I Timothy 6:12, II Timothy 4:7, and I Timothy 6:11.

The Saints: Sainthood in the Eastern Orthodox Churches Rev. 4 PDF Page 6 Other Topics in Planning: The Book of - A Historical Study, Lifting Significant Passages

The Saints: Sainthood in the Eastern Orthodox Churches Rev. 4 PDF Page 7