Fr. Bill's Orthodox Blog – Orthodoxy from the Third Coast – Page 82 – Saints, Seasons, Society, Sins, plus Travels mostly to Greece and who knows what next? by Father Bill Olnhausen

56. Orthodoxy and Other Faiths: Roman Catholicism, Part Three – The Great Schism and What Followed

Posted on March 13, 2018January 1, 2022 by Fr. Bill

Results of the Great Schism in the West Rome, cut off from the other four traditional Patriarchates, now saw herself as the One True Church. In isolation her authoritarian and legalistic tendencies were magnified. Some examples: 1 Purgatory, where after death peoples’ sins “are purged away through torment or ‘purifying’ punishments”. Catechism of Pope Paul VI, 1967. […]

55. Orthodoxy and Other Faiths: Roman Catholicism, Part Two – The Great Schism

Posted on March 8, 2018October 6, 2022 by Fr. Bill

“Cardinal Humbert [of] the holy, primary, and apostolic see of Rome, to which the care of all the churches…pertains… [to] the glorious emperors, clergy, senate, and people of this city of Constantinople…I find great evil” [in this city… Therefore] know…that we thus subscribe the following anathema… unless they should repent. AMEN, AMEN, AMEN.” Please remember […]

54. Orthodoxy and Other Faiths: Roman Catholicism, Part One – How We Began to Grow Apart

Posted on March 2, 2018October 20, 2023 by Fr. Bill

Here’s the humorous question with the obvious answer: “Is the Pope Catholic?” The Orthodox answer (to be uttered with a slight air of mystery in your voice) is ”Well… …?” Or sometimes we hear this from non-Orthodox folks: “You’re almost like the Catholics.” The proper Orthodox response (to be offered as humbly as possible) is […]

53. The Martyrdom of Saint Polycarp

Posted on February 23, 2018 by Fr. Bill

I promised that this week I would write about The Triumph of Orthodoxy, and the post was all ready to go and well worth reading, if I do say so myself. That can wait till next year. For then I remembered that today, February 23, is the feast of the Holy Hieromartyr Polycarp. This is […]

52. Forgiveness Sunday

Posted on February 14, 2018March 11, 2024 by Fr. Bill

Here it is in a nutshell: If you hesitate to come to Forgiveness Vespers this Sunday because someone you are mad at might be there – someone you haven’t made up with, someone you have not apologized to, someone you have not forgiven – if you die like this, get hit by a truck or […]