The "Heresy" of Apostolic Autocracy
by Ken Tobin
It has become increasingly obvious in recent years that all forms of
hierarchical or apostolic Christianity are suffering from a severe clerical
leadership crisis. This is especially true in Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism.
Whether or not this is just a problem of the modern era, or one that dates
back to a much earlier time, is of critical importance in rectifying the
situation.
There is no question that the undivided Christian Church, during the reign
of the Emperor Constantine, under went profound changes that altered the
role and authority of Christian bishops. Soon to become an important part
of the secular state, the process began when the still pagan emperor convened
the first Ecumenical Council in order to stamp out growing divisions in
his future state religion. This precedent, sanctified with the eventual
beatification of Constantine, set the stage for bishops assuming secular
responsibilities, and more ominously, secular conceptions of their rank
and authority.
In the West, the collapse of Roman secular authority led to the Bishop
of Rome assuming more and more power in the void that was left. While
the Reformation was a rebellion against this development that resulted
in even more divisions in Christianity, the Roman See continued to expand
its autocratic ambitions, both secular and religious, that culminated
in an overt heresy -- the Nineteenth Century declaration of Papal Infallibility.
In the East, the Byzantine State continued for over a thousand years to
maintain secular authority in the face of the Islamic onslaught, and in
the process protect the kingdoms of the West, and, ironically, the Roman
Catholic faith as well, until such time as they could defend themselves.
With the final destruction of Byzantium, the Sultan, Tsar and other assorted
monarchs became the new secular authorities, and continued to maintain
Orthodoxy as an arm of the state, albeit as an oppressed minority in the
Islamic world.
Is it any wonder, therefore, that the counciliar atmosphere of the first
four hundred years of Christianity, was lost in a sea of authoritarianism
and autocratic control? As others have eloquently pointed out, a "tradition,"
even if seemingly hallowed by time, is not unchangeable or even "right"
if it is antithetical to its intended purpose, i.e. protecting and guarding
the Faith of the Church and, of course, the Faithful. While apostolic
ministry seems to entail some degree of hierarchy, it also clearly calls
for humility, sacrifice and loving interaction between all parts of the
Church. The cold, arrogant, unresponsive and tyrannical model of episcopal
leadership so in vogue, for so long, is hardly the image brought to mind
of the "Good Shepherd" or for that matter a follower of Christ.
It does conform, however, to the image of the Grand Inquisitor in Dostoevsky's
The Brothers Karamazov. Read it and weep!
The time has now come to address this "crisis of leadership"
before it further impedes and obstructs the work of the Church. Other
diversions need to be set aside until the underlying problem outlined
above is addressed. This will be a long and bitter battle affecting the
vary nature and purpose of Christian witness for ages to come. Father
Hopko has touched upon this subject in some of his previous comments and
it is now incumbent for all the informed and educated laity, not to mention
our silent theologians, to "weigh in" on this crisis of Apostolic
ministry.
(Ken Tobin is an Orthodox layman who is a frequent contributor to OCANews.org.
He resides on the Delmarva peninsula.)