Were the mutual anathemas of the Orthodox and Papists actually lifted?

Nikolaos Mannis | January 26, 2024

 

Given the current talks of the RCC [Roman Catholic Church] and Phanar heads about the upcoming unification, it is useful to recall the historical context of Orthodox-Catholic relations.

As is known, on December 7, 1965, the famous "lifting of mutual anathemas" (as they call it) took place between the Orthodox and Catholics. The “nullification” of excommunications was undertaken by the Orthodox Patriarch Athenagoras I of Constantinople and Pope Paul VI. The former declared in council that "according to our Great Church, [it] is, from this moment, committed to oblivion and removed from the Church" [1], and the Pope agreed, stating that "we also have a desire to commit to oblivion and lift the anathemas made at that time" [2].

Since then, advocates of the "Unification of Churches" historically known as Uniates and now referred to as “ecumenists”, have believed that the anathemas between the Orthodox and the Papists were indeed lifted, and the path to "union" is open.

At the same time, some naive "zealots" believed that this act of the so-called "lifting of the anathemas" did indeed have such it essentially meant the lifting of excommunications and return to the pre-1054 state [3].

However, both ecumenists and zealots are sorely mistaken for two reasons.

Firstly, because, as noted by a great theologian of the 6th century, "the anathema of the heresy of papacy against Orthodoxy is considered to have never existed", while "the lifting of the anathema of the Orthodox Catholic Church against the heresy of papism is inherently impossible because heresy cannot, under any circumstances, be understood as a virtue and be lifted by Orthodoxy" [4]. The late Professor Panayiotis Trebelas agrees with this view, stating that "the anathema of the Orthodox Church of 1054, being lifted, was not lifted” [5].

Secondly, other anathemas were imposed between the Orthodox and Catholics, which have not been lifted. Let's consider some of them.

On behalf of the Orthodox:

(a) The Council of Constantinople of 1484 anathematises those who accept the papal novelty of Filioque: "From those who think otherwise about the Procession of the Holy Spirit, or preach, or, as we say, believe against the truth, and engage in idle talk, we turn away as from heretics and consign to anathema"[6].

b) The Holy and Great Pan-Orthodox Council of 1593, by its VIII Canon, renews the First Canon of the Council of Antioch and anathematises the Papists for delaying Easter: "We wish that that which has been decreed by the Fathers concerning Holy and Salutary Pascha remain unshaken: Before the devout Emperor Constantine, beloved of God, the Council of Nicaea set forth a decree concerning the holy and valuable celebration of Easter. If anyone, therefore, presumes to disregard this decree of the Holy and Great Council, let them be excommunicated and expelled from the church. This decree concerns the laity."[7]

c) St Cyril Lucaris, then Patriarch of Alexandria, in his famous Tomos anathematizes those who accept the Latin novelties: Filioque, the rejection of the communion of the Lord's Blood, the use of unleavened bread in the Eucharist, purgatory, and the primacy of the Pope [8].

On behalf of the Papists:

a) At the Council of Trent (1545–1563), criticised and anathematised those who do not accept Filioque, including those who believe it is necessary to receive both kinds of communion (Body and Blood) during the Eucharist [9] and those who believe that children should also receive communion [10].

b) The First Vatican Council (1869–1870) anathematised those who do not recognize the full and supreme power of jurisdiction over the whole Сhurch, supposedly given by Christ to Peter, through whom it was accepted by all his successors, the popes [13]. It also anathematized those who question this power [14] and those who believe that the pope, when speaking ex-cathedra, is not infallible [15].

In conclusion, it can be said that the mutual anathemas of the Orthodox and Papists cannot be lifted by gestures of "goodwill" but only through repentance!

Let both parties examine Scripture and Holy Tradition who the deluded are and dare to take a step that truly removes the anathemas: to confess and accept the Truth without fear and passion, rejecting delusions and vices!

 

1. To Ioannis Karmiris, Doctrinal and Symbolic Monuments, volume II, Graz 1968, p. 1029 [1109].

2. Original text: "Praeterea sententiam excommunicationis tunc latam ex Ecclesiae memoria evellere volumus ac de eius medio removere, atque eam volumus oblivione contectam et obrutam" (Karmiris, op. cit., p. 1030 [1110]).

3. Athanasios Sakarellos, The Union of the Churches Took Place in 1965!

4. Aristotelis Delimbasis, Pan-Orthodox Synod, Athens, 1976, p. 11. pp. 74–75.

5. Aristotelis Delimbasis, The Heresy of Ecumenism, Athens, 1972, p. 11. 250.

6. Nathanael Gicha, Handbook on the Primacy of the Pope of Rome (ed. Archimandrite Andronikos Dimitrakopoulos), Leipzig, 1869, pp. k–ib.

7. Dositheos of Jerusalem, Tome of Love, Iași 1698, p. 11. p. 547.

8. Ibid., p. 11. pp. 552–554.

9. “If the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist is partaken of as a mystery by God’s commandment, then let him be anathema” (Canons and Decrees of the Holy Ecumenical Council of Trent, Rome 1583, p. 103).

10. “If the words of eucharistic communion of little children before discerning this coming are necessary, then let him be anathema” (ibid.).

11. Original text of the judicial decisions (in Italian): https://www.totustuustools.net/concili/vat1.htm

12. “Therefore, if anyone says that the blessed apostle Peter was not appointed by Christ the Lord as the chief of all the apostles and the visible head of the whole militant Church, or that he received from our Lord Jesus Christ only a primacy of honor and not of true and proper jurisdiction directly and immediately, let him be anathema.” (Original text: «Perciò se qualcuno dirà che il beato apostolo Pietro non è stato costituito da Cristo signore, principe di tutti gli apostoli e capo visibile di tutta la chiesa militante; ovvero che egli direttamente ed immediatamente abbia ricevuto dal signore nostro Gesù Cristo solo un primato d'onore e non di vera e propria giurisdizione: sia anatema».)

13. “Therefore, if anyone says that it is not by the institution of Christ the Lord Himself, that is, by divine right, that the blessed Peter has perpetual successors in the primacy over the whole Church, or that the Roman Pontiff is not the successor of the blessed Peter in this primacy, let him be anathema.” (Original text: «Se, quindi, qualcuno dirà che non è per istituzione dello stesso Cristo signore, cioè per diritto divino, che il beato Pietro ha sempre dei successori nel primato su tutta la chiesa; o che il Romano pontefice non è successore del beato Pietro in questo primato: sia anatema».)

14. “Therefore, if anyone says that the Roman Pontiff has only a power of supervision or direction, and not instead the full and supreme power of jurisdiction over the whole Church, not only in matters of faith and morals, but also in what pertains to the discipline and governance of the universal Church; or that he has only a principal part, and not instead the complete fullness of this power; or that this power is not ordinary and immediate, both over all individual churches and over all individual pastors: let him be anathema.” (Original text: «Perciò se qualcuno dirà che il Romano pontefice ha solo un potere di vigilanza o di direzione, e non, invece, la piena e suprema potestà di giurisdizione su tutta la chiesa, non solo in materia di fede e di costumi, ma anche in ciò che riguarda la disciplina e il governo della chiesa universale; o che egli ha solo una parte principale, e non, invece, la completa pienezza di questa potestà; o che essa non è ordinaria ed immediata, sia su tutte le singole chiese, che su tutti i singoli pastori: sia anatema».)

15. “Therefore, we, faithfully adhering to a tradition received from the beginning of the Christian faith, to the glory of God our Savior, for the exaltation of the Catholic religion and the salvation of Christian peoples, with the approval of the Holy Council, teach and define as a divinely revealed dogma that the Roman Pontiff, when he speaks ex cathedra, that is, when, in the fulfillment of his office as pastor and teacher of all Christians, by virtue of his supreme apostolic authority, he defines that a doctrine concerning faith or morals must be held by the whole Church, by that divine assistance which was promised to him in the blessed Peter, enjoys that infallibility with which the Divine Redeemer willed that His Church be endowed when defining doctrine concerning faith or morals. Therefore, such definitions are irreformable of themselves, and not by the consent of the Church. But if anyone – God forbid! – should dare to contradict this our definition: let him be anathema.” (Original text: «Noi, quindi, aderendo fedelmente ad una tradizione accolta fin dall'inizio della fede cristiana, a gloria di Dio, nostro salvatore, per l'esaltazione della religione cattolica e la salvezza dei popoli cristiani, con l'approvazione del santo concilio, insegniamo e definiamo essere dogma divinamente rivelato che il Romano pontefice, quando parla ex cathedra, cioè quando, adempiendo il suo ufficio di pastore e maestro di tutti i cristiani, in virtù della sua suprema autorità apostolica definisce che una dottrina riguardante la fede o i costumi dev'essere ritenuta da tutta la chiesa, per quell'assistenza divina che gli è stata promessa nel beato Pietro, gode di quella infallibilità, di cui il divino Redentore ha voluto dotata la sua chiesa, allorché definisce la dottrina riguardante la fede o i costumi. Quindi queste definizioni sono irreformabili per virtù propria, e non per il consenso della chiesa. Se poi qualcuno – Dio non voglia! – Osasse contraddire questa nostra definizione: sia anatema».)

16. Sacred Tradition is everything which, by tradition, written or unwritten, agrees with Sacred Scripture.

Footnotes translated from the posted Russian.

Source:

https://spzh.eu/en/zashhita-very/78570-were-mutual-anathemas-of-the-orthodox-and-the-papists-actually-lifted