Hermits, Deacons, Bishops and Apostles
10 July 1998 07:40
The following contribution is from Derek Stone <[email protected]>
Hermits, Deacons, Bishops and Apostles of our One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church—through Eastern Church eyes.
1. Hermits and Deacons
Two recent returns to Apostolic Tradition by Roman Catholics have been inadequately applauded. One is the restoration of permanent Deacons. The other is consecration to the vocation of Hermit.
2. Bishops
All Eastern Orthodox Christians are obliged to accept today the original primacy of honour given to the Bishop of Rome—the result of the joint consecration of a bishop in the first capital of the Roman Empire, by both of the Apostles, Peter and Paul. [The Western martyr- saint Irenaeus of Lyons (130-200), in his ‘Adversus Haereses’, tells how both Apostles consecrated Linus, as the first Bishop of Rome.] This primacy was collegially confirmed at the Council of Nicea (325). It has never been changed by any subsequent Ecumenical Council.
The present occupant of the See of Rome commands universal respect for his adherence to ‘the faith once delivered’ in the face of increasing apostasy and rebellion.
3. Apparent Eastern Church negativity towards the Papal office
The usual Orthodox explanations for their failure to respond to his recent overtures, are:
- The Bishop of Rome’s present legal control over the appointments of all other bishops (albeit with various degrees of consultation) is out of accord with Apostolic Tradition. Cypriots have always elected their bishops. For the Copts, the initiative for the appointment of a bishop in Egypt must come from the laity. Easterners ask, “Will Vatican bureaucracy be dismantled? Will there be a return to a pattern of administration consistent with that left by the Apostles?”
- The Bishop of Rome’s secular State with the paraphernalia of ambassadors, etc., is also out of accord with Apostolic Tradition. When will it end?
- One-man juridical control over his patriarchate in recent centuries is not in keeping with Apostolic Tradition. Is it going to be further modified?
Every Ukrainian will affirm that the East has also had its periods of Patriarchs with centralised authority.
- How will the West re-visit their Unilateral Declarations of Independence (UDI) from the East over the last 1000 years concerning ecclesiastical matters, ranging from changing the calendar, to making obligatory additional faith requirements concerning, e.g., the Theotokos and Papal Infallibility?
4. Apostles
During such discussion around the Pope’s Primacy, WHICH ITSELF IS NOT IN DISPUTE, very little attention is given to the universal and collegial ministry of “Apostle”.
The Catholic Jerome Biblical Commentary goes into detail on the role of the office of Apostle as understood in New Testament times. It writes about not just the Twelve, nor just of the 70 or 72 Apostles headed by Paul and Barnabas, but it also describes, without enthusiasm, the claims of those who say that there were women Apostles.
The first church historian, Eusebius of Caesarea (262-339), gives an interesting glimpse of the Apostle John’s universal ministry of ordination, instruction and disupute-resolution. In the course of his ministry he travelled from a base in Ephesus through many local churches presided over by their bishops in what is today Western Turkey.
I suggest that as a contribution to unity, we, who call our churches ‘Apostolic’, should stop using ‘apostle’ as a synonym for ‘evangelist’, because the historic meaning of ‘Apostolic’ is more than ‘super-evangelist’.
Of course every Christian must be an evangelist. And thousands have a full-time missionary calling; but even a Francis Xavier would draw the line at claiming the authority which Paul, as one of the 70, possessed.
Let us study what we know of the relationship between the universal office of ‘Apostle’ and that of the local ministry
of ‘Bishop’, and pray to discern and implement the will of the Holy Spirit in the present apparent impasse. Only by The Spirit shall we see things through Jesus’ eyes of love.
5. An example of a restoration both East and West COULD implement:
‘Galatians’ records that the Apostle Peter was in Antioch, “where we were first called Christians”. The Holy Tradition of some Church Fathers names him Antioch’s first bishop.
Those who ascribe to him the episcopacy of Rome also, need to overcome a difficulty of that time.
Bishops were forbidden divorce from one local congregation and re-marry another.
Such ‘Translation’ was condemned by early Council canons. The practice results in an non-Christian, public- service, ‘promotion mentality’.
Perhaps both East and West could again put a stop to this condemned practice?
Derek Stone, Hobart, Australia
Festival of SS Peter and Paul (celebrated on the same day & a major
festival by both Christian East and Christian West) 1998
