Katya1965
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- Jan 15, 2021
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- 114
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- France
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- Orthodox Christian
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- ROCIE (A)
In order to get closer to understanding the basic dogmas, one should pay more attention to those consequences that are more or less accessible to the rational mind, since without mental work, comprehension, analysis, there cannot be a full-fledged spiritual life.
Thus, the consequence of the dogma about the Holiness of the Church is the existence of holy saints of God. It is, so to speak, a practical realization of the Holiness of the Church, a product She makes. The presence of saints is the defining mark of the true church, a proof of its holiness. The adoration of saints is something that we can reason about, collect information, draw our own conclusions.
The big problem today is that the glorification of the saints is becoming more and more a matter for the hierarchs exclusively. The official canonization of a saint by the Council of Bishops provides the believers with a ready-made object for adoration without them having to do spiritual and mental work. It seems that most believers have nothing against this order of things. And they are glad to be spared the hassle and responsibility.
At the same time, the Orthodox tradition assumes that adoration originates among the Orthodox people, and the Council of Bishops only formally fixes the already existing situation. This is logical, since the object of worship and love cannot be ordered by the superiors. Otherwise, adoration will not be sincere and conscious, and will not be adoration in the sense that the teachers of the church and the holy councils speak of it. This is stated, in particular, in Acts 3 and 4 of the II Ecumenical Council.
The indifference and inattention of believers to the processes of canonization gives rise to such strange and ugly phenomena as false, crafty or opportunistic canonization, theft of saints, canonization carried out by an unfit subject, falsification of relics. All this is happening today and in front of our eyes. The question is how much we care.
Let us recall the canonization of the Emperor Nicolas II and his family by the MP. It is a real detective story that deserves to be known in all its details. This canonization took place on the eve of "reunification with ROCOR" and was intended to attract the flock of ROCOR. The acts of canonization are filled with striking slyness, e. g. the use of the naming "passion-bearers", a term coined to deny martyrdom.
It would be good to formulate the clearest possible answers to the questions:
What is required for canonization? What are the canonical criteria and what is their spiritual content? Who can be considered a saint? What is the adoration of saints? Are we ready to share with these perfect people (Heb. 11:40) their faith and ideals, to exemplify them as prescribed by the Second Ecumenical Council (Acts 3 and 4)?
Modern saints, practically our contemporaries, are like an enlightening manual for us. At the same time, the study and understanding of their exploits can put us in a delicate position, as all these saints were very anti-mainstream people. Many belonged to unrecognized jurisdictions like St. John of Shanghai.
Even among Catholics, there are manifestations of that spiritual freedom in the adoration of saints, which some Orthodox have lost. For example, there are French Catholics who love specific Orthodox saints, despite the fact that these saints are not recognized, and probably will never be recognized by the Vatican.
Thus, the consequence of the dogma about the Holiness of the Church is the existence of holy saints of God. It is, so to speak, a practical realization of the Holiness of the Church, a product She makes. The presence of saints is the defining mark of the true church, a proof of its holiness. The adoration of saints is something that we can reason about, collect information, draw our own conclusions.
The big problem today is that the glorification of the saints is becoming more and more a matter for the hierarchs exclusively. The official canonization of a saint by the Council of Bishops provides the believers with a ready-made object for adoration without them having to do spiritual and mental work. It seems that most believers have nothing against this order of things. And they are glad to be spared the hassle and responsibility.
At the same time, the Orthodox tradition assumes that adoration originates among the Orthodox people, and the Council of Bishops only formally fixes the already existing situation. This is logical, since the object of worship and love cannot be ordered by the superiors. Otherwise, adoration will not be sincere and conscious, and will not be adoration in the sense that the teachers of the church and the holy councils speak of it. This is stated, in particular, in Acts 3 and 4 of the II Ecumenical Council.
The indifference and inattention of believers to the processes of canonization gives rise to such strange and ugly phenomena as false, crafty or opportunistic canonization, theft of saints, canonization carried out by an unfit subject, falsification of relics. All this is happening today and in front of our eyes. The question is how much we care.
Let us recall the canonization of the Emperor Nicolas II and his family by the MP. It is a real detective story that deserves to be known in all its details. This canonization took place on the eve of "reunification with ROCOR" and was intended to attract the flock of ROCOR. The acts of canonization are filled with striking slyness, e. g. the use of the naming "passion-bearers", a term coined to deny martyrdom.
It would be good to formulate the clearest possible answers to the questions:
What is required for canonization? What are the canonical criteria and what is their spiritual content? Who can be considered a saint? What is the adoration of saints? Are we ready to share with these perfect people (Heb. 11:40) their faith and ideals, to exemplify them as prescribed by the Second Ecumenical Council (Acts 3 and 4)?
Modern saints, practically our contemporaries, are like an enlightening manual for us. At the same time, the study and understanding of their exploits can put us in a delicate position, as all these saints were very anti-mainstream people. Many belonged to unrecognized jurisdictions like St. John of Shanghai.
Even among Catholics, there are manifestations of that spiritual freedom in the adoration of saints, which some Orthodox have lost. For example, there are French Catholics who love specific Orthodox saints, despite the fact that these saints are not recognized, and probably will never be recognized by the Vatican.