THE SACRED CANONS IN THE ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN HOLY TRADITION (Part II)

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

THE SACRED CANONS IN THE ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN
HOLY TRADITION (Part II)

Canon Law in the Christian Society

The law which emerged from the earliest times developed in response to the need of the ecclesiastical community. During both good and bad periods of the Church’s history, her law has adopted itself constantly to the circumstances of the time, up to the present day… As an institution of Divine origin composed of human beings, the Church is at the same time both a human and a Divine institution. It might be said that it is at the crossroads of the finite and the infinite, the created and the uncreated, the human and the divine.

Our Lord entrusted the work if salvation to His Church — that is, to human beings. Because of this, He gave the Church ROOTS IN HISTORY AND SUBJECTED HER TO TEMPORAL CONTINGENCIES. IT IS IN THE CHURCH AND THROUGH THE CHURCH THAT HUMAN BEINGS MUST IN PRINCIPLE ATTAIN THAT THEIR SALVATION. When we speak of the Church, we speak OF A SOCIETY. As such, SHE IS GOVERNED BY RULES WHICH DETERMINE HER ORGANIZATION AND HER RELATIONS TO HER MEMBERS AND TO THOSE OUTSIDE HER FOLD.

Finally, it must NOT be forgotten that the Church is not to be identified with her rules. The Church indeed has rules, but she has much else besides. She was within her TREASURES OF ANOTHER ORDER AND ANOTHER VALUE BESIDES HER CANONS. She was her THEOLOGY, HER SPIRITUALITY, HER MYSTICISM, HER LITURGY, HER MORALITY. AND IT IS MOST IMPORTANT NOT TO CONFUSE THE GOSPEL AND THE PEDALION (RUDDER) (COLLECTION OF CANONS), THEOLOGY AND LEGISLATION, MORALITY AND JURISPRUDENCE. Each is on a different level and to identify them completely would be to fall into a kind of heresy. The canons are at the service of the Church; THEIR FUNCTION IS TO GUIDE HER MEMBERS ON THE WAY TO SALVATION AND TO MAKE FOLLOWING THAT WAY EASIER. [Dr. Patsavos]

The catholic Church of Christ is symbolized with a ship. Its KEEL represents the orthodox faith in the Holy Trinity. Its BEAMS and PLANKS, the dogmas and traditions of the faith