Orthodox Christian Church and Ecumenism
in to specific situations and valid for a specific reason. If the reason for which the canons have been emitted has not been reached, they can be reviewed or replaced. The canons (gr. kanon - measure, rule, law), represents the rules of the Christian ethics, the cult, discipline of the clergy, monasticism, the organization and jurisdiction of the Church, fasting, cult of icons, concerning the saints, Easter, marriage, ordination, divorce, the conduct of the clerics and monastics, participation of celibate in the Church, the hierarchical order, the order of the episcopal seats, relations between Churches, public relations etc. The canons represent the legislation of the Church that constitutes the object of canon law. The canonical Orthodox Tradition has been elaborated in the councils.
The Church has not only the mission to guide the discipline of the clergy and the pastoral life of the laity, also the responsibility to express itself in various situations and moments (Acts 15: 26-29, 1 Tim. 3:15). Exercising this authority the Church applies the Economy, using the canons in function of particular pastoral conditions and necessities. Receiving the decisions of the councils is understood the process by which the body of the universal Church ascertain that the ecumenical council confessed the faith transmitted by the Apostles. The Church is consulted before the Councils take place, and during the development of the council, and the bishops of the council have signed his decisions with the conscience that they represent the faith of the Church from all time and forever. The decisions of the ecumenical councils need the acceptance of the whole Church because the object of the doctrinal definitions regards the conscience of the whole Church, being about her profession of faith.
The acceptance of an ecumenical council was based on its continuity with the previous councils, being in agreement with the apostolic Tradition, as is kept by the conscience of the Church and as was expressed by the previous councils, and placed therefore in their continuity. An ecumenical council was not a simple repetition of the previous councils, but their development. An ecumenical council does not change the definitions of the previous councils, but bring something new that enrich these definitions. Moreover, the previous councils can be understood in a new sense, in a new light through the decisions of the new council. For example, the decisions of the IV council is better understood if are considered
Latest Articles