Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 11.djvu/362

 ORTHODOXY

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ORTHOSIAS

the seven Œumenical Synods" (from Nicæa I, in 325, to Nicæa II, in 787). These sixteen Churches are: (1) The four Eastern patriarchates — Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem — and the Church of Cyprus, independent since the Council of Ephesus. (2) Since the great schism eleven new churches have been added, all but one formed at the expense of the once vast Patriarchate of Constantinople. They are the six national Churches of Russia, Greece, Servia, Montenegro, Rumania, and Bulgaria, four independent Churches in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, namely Carlovitz, Hermannstadt, Czernovitz, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and lastly the Church of Mount Sinai, consisting of one monastery separated from Jerusalem. One of these Churches, that of Bulgaria, is in schism with Constantinople since 1872. The total number of Orthodox Christians in the world is estimated variously as 95 to 100 millions. (See )

Orthodoxy, ipSoSo^la, signifies right belief or purity of faith. Right belief is not merely subjective, as resting on personal knowledge and convictions, but is in accordance with the teaching and direction of an absolute extrinsic authority. This authority is the Church founded by Christ, and guided by the Holy Ghost. He, therefore, is orthodox, whose faith coincides with the teachings of the Catholic Church. As divine revelation forms the deposit of faith en- trusted to the Church for man's salvation, it also, with the truths clearly deduced from it, forms the ob- ject and content of orthodoxy. Although the term orthodox or orthodoxy does not occur in the Scriptures, its meaning is repeatedly insisted on. Thus Christ proclaims the necessity of faith unto salvation (Mark, xvi, 16). St. Paul, emphasizing the same injunction in terms more specific, teaches "one Lord, one faith, one baptism" (Eph., iv, 5, 6). Again, when directing Titus in his ministerial labours, he admonishes him to speak in accord with "sound doctrine" (Tit., ii, 1). And not only does St. Paul lay stress on the soundness of the doctrine to be preached, but he al.so directs at- tention to the form in which it must be delivered: " Hold the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me in faith" (II Tim., i, 13). Consistent with the teachings and method of Christ and the Apostles, the Fathers point out the necessity of preserving pure and undefiled the deposit of revelation. "Neither in the confusion of paganism", says St. Augustine, "nor in the defilement of heresy, nor in the lethargy of schism, nor yet in the blindness of Judaism is religion to be sought; but among those alone who are called Catholic Christians, or the orthodox, that is, the custodians of sound doctrine and followers of right teaching" (De Vera Relig., cap. v). Fulgentius writes: "I rejoice that with no taint of perfidy you are solicitous for the true faith, without which no conversion is of any avail, nor can at all exist" (De Vera Fide ad Petrum, Pro- leg). The Church, likewise, in its zeal for purity of faith and teaching, has rigorously adhered to the ex- ample set by the Apostles and early Fathers. This is manifest in its whole history, but especially in such champions of the faith as Athanasius, in councils, con- demnations of heresy, and its definitions of revealed truth. That orthodox faith is requisite for salvation is a defined doctrine of the Church. "Whosoever wishes to be saved", declares the Athanasian Creed, "must first of all hold integral and inviolate the Catholic faith, without which he .shall surely be eternally lost". Numerous Councils and papal decisions have reiter- ated this dogma (cf. Council of Florence, Denz., 714; Prof, of Faith of Pius IV, Denz., 1000; condemnation of Indifferentism and Latitudinarianism in the Svll. of Pius IX, Denz., 171.5, 1718; Council of the Vatican, "De Fide", can. vi, Denz., 1815; condemnation of the

Modernistic position regarding the nature and origin of dogma, Encyc. "Pascendi Doniinici (iregis", 1907, Denz., 2079). While truth must \n- intolerant of er- ror (II Cor., vi, 14, 15), the Church does not deny the possibility of salvation of those earnest and sincere persons outside her fold who live and die in invincible ignorance of the true faith (cf. Council of the Vatican, Se.ss. Ill, cap. iii, Denz., 1794; S. Aug., Ep. xliii ad Galerium). (See Church; Faith ; Faith, Protestant Confessions of; Heresy; Indifferentism.)

St. Thomas, Summa Theol., II-II, De fiile. QQ. i-vii; RnsBO, Thf True Religion and Its Dogmas (Boston, 1886); Ricabds, Catholic Christianity and Modern Unbelief (New York, 1884).

Charles J. Callan.

Orthodoxy, Feast (or Sunday) of, the first Sun- day of the Great Forty days (Lent) in the Byzantine Calendar (sixth Sunday before Easter), kept in mem- ory of the final defeat of Iconoclasm and the restora- tion of the holy icons to the churches on 19 February (which was the first Sunday of Lent), 842 (see Icono- clasm). A iKTixtual fe.ist on the anniversary of that day was ordained by the Synod of Constantinople, and is one of the great feasts of the year among Orthodox and Byzantine Uniats. The name "Orthodoxy" has gradually affected the character of the feast. Origin- ally commemorating only the defeat of Iconoclasm, the word was gradually understood in a more general sense as opposition to all heterodoxy. In this way, though its first occasion is not forgotten, the feast has become one in honour of the true Faith in general. This is shown by its special service. After the ( Irthros and before the holy Liturgy a procession is m.ade with crosses and pictures to some destined spot (often merely round the church). Meanwhile a Canon, at- tributed to St. Theodore of Studium, is sung. Arrived at the place, the Synodikon is read. This Synodikon begins with the memory of certain saints, confessors, and heroes of the faith, to each of whose names the people cry out: "Eternal Memory!" (alwvla ii ft-vrifiri) three times. Then follows a long list of heretics of all kinds, to each of which the answer is: "Anathema" once or thrice. The heretics comprise all the old of- fendersof any reputation, Arians, Nestorians, Monoph- ysites, Monothelites, Iconoclasts, and so on. Then comes again "Eternal Memory" to certain pious em- perors, from Constant ine on. There is inevitably con- siderable difference between the Orthodox and Uniat lists. The Orthodox acclaim Photius, Cerularius, other anti-Roman patriarchs and many schismatical em- perors. They curse Honoriusamong the Mnnotliejites, the opponents of Hesychasm. Th(Uniat Synodikon is purged of these names. In Russia politics have their place in the Synodikon; the emperor and his family are acclaimed; all are cursed who deny the divine right of the Russian monarchy and all who "dare to stir up insurrection and rebellion against it". The text of the Canon, Synodikon, etc., and the ru- brics will be found in either Triodion, Orthodox or Uniat.

Allatius, De dominicis el hebdomadis Gracorum, xv. appendix to £>e ecclesice occid. et orient, perpetuo consensu (Cologne, 1648); NiLLES, Kalendarium manuale (2nd ed., Innsbruck, 1897), 101- 18.

Adrian Fortescue.

Orthosias, a titular see of Phcenicia Prima, suffra- gan of Tyre. The city is mentioned for the first time in I Mach., xv, 37, as a Phoenician port (D. V., Orthosias); Pliny (Hist. Nat., V, xvii) places it be- tween Tripoli, on the south, and the River Eleutherus, on the north; Strabo (Geographia, XVI, ii, 12, 15), near the Eleutherus; Peutinger's "Table", agreeing withHierocles, George of Cyprus, and others, indicates it between Tripoli and Antaradus. Le (^uien (Oriens Christ., II, 825) mentions four bishops, beginning with Phosphorus in the fifth century. Two Latin titulars of the fourteenth century appear in Eubel, "Hierarchia cath. medii xvi", 1, 396. In the "Not.