To be unified, imho, you cannot have varied beliefs among the different rites. That is a big concern for me with Catholicism, especially when considering the Eastern rites. Practices can differ, yes, and perhaps we can emphasize things differently, but beliefs should be the same. Many Eastern Rite Catholics say openly that their beliefs don’t match the RCC, but that they are in communion with the RCC. It doesn’t make logical sense to me how that can truly work.That is how I feel, too. There is a centrality and unity within the Catholic Church that makes sense to me, too. One can argue that such things exist within Orthodoxy, too. But it seems to me that they exist more clearly and visibly within Catholicism. There is One Church, and many rites, liturgies, prayers, and expressions of faith. The Catholic Church may and does seem to struggle with modernists, abusers, arguable heretics, liberals, and secularists within Her ranks, true. But the errors of men can not alter what is True. And even Christ turned to Peter and said "Get thee behind me, Satan!" Which is a pretty darn strong set of words for the first Pope.
That is how I would express it as a Christian interested in the Catholic Church.
It may be historically understandable, but having two different answers on one matter is not the same thing as giving one answer.
The variance you mentioned between Orthodox Christians compared to the variance between doctrines between the Eastern Rites and the RCC aren’t comparable imho. One is praxis, whereas the other is doctrine. Generally speaking, it is pretty standard that those who are baptized in a Triune manner do not need rebaptism. The variance is praxis - whether the chrismation is done alone via economia to fill it with the fullness of grace or a full baptism and chrismation are done. The doctrine is the same among both camps.
They have the same theology and doctrine...just different praxis on this issue. The same can be said with the Western Rite Fasting vs Eastern Rite Fasting in Orthodoxy. Praxis is different but the theology is the same. That’s the key.
But both things can not be equally correct, Sir. Let one's yes be a yes and one's no be a no. The fracturing and disunity in the Catholic Church these days on family issues is causing a lot of people watching to raise eye brows. Understandably so. Oriental vs. Eastern Orthodoxy also seem to have different views on marriage. I understand that they are *not* the same thing, but unless I'm mistaken, Coptic Orthodoxy forbids divorce. Eastern Orthodoxy permits second and third marriages. Yet both are Apostolic. Multiple equally acceptable answers to a single question can be signs for some that everything being said can not be equally right.
Coptic / Oriental and Eastern Orthodox are not in communion with each other. God willing, some day the communion will be restored, and that likely would be one thing to iron out. I am not sure what their teachings are on that issue. That said - I won’t promote divorce and remarriage as something good or “ok”.
I know that, Ma'am. True. But my point was, that both Churches likely lay claim to many of the same Church Fathers and share Apostolic roots. One gives one answer, the others gives an answer that is utterly different. Coptic Orthodox Christians will argue patristics one way, perhaps, and Eastern Orthodox another. Both can not be right, so there is a disunity there.
Yes, I agree that there is a disunity....which is why we are not in communion with each other. That’s the difference. The Eastern and Roman Catholic Churches are still in communion together, whereas the Oriental and Eastern Orthodox are not.
