An Orthodox View on Papal Primacy In The First Millennium

I’ve been on a spiritual journey for 14 years now, and I’ve always been yearning more to go to the Orthodox than Catholic. I became Catholic in 2022, but I am still at odds with the claims of the Papacy having had similar power in the East during the Early Church.

Amazing theologian!

Luther and the boys 😂

I've never been much impressed by Rome and their 59 year-old church.

The way I see it is the Catholic Church gives the Pope too much authority while the Orthodox do not go far enough in acknowledging his primacy. The Pope has two roles, one as the Bishop of Rome and the other as the supreme pontiff. The first one pertains to jurisdiction, so he has full authority over the Latin church but not over the other local churches, who have full autonomy. But as supreme pontiff and holding the Petrine office, he guides the church in high level matters and serves as a unifying authority. There is evidence in the first millenium for the latter but not for the papal dogmas defined in Vatican I.

Coming from an Evangelical perspective and currently investigating both Roman Catholicism and Orthodoxy, my studies have led to the same conclusion. I don't see the Bishop of Rome having primacy in either the NT documents or in the writings of the early Church Fathers. I'll keep reading and studying. May God guide me down the path.

The main differences between Orthodox Christianity and Roman Catholicism. the main things which keep our religions separate are:


Papal Supremacy, Papal Infallibility, The Filioque, Absolute Divine Simplicity, Created Grace Doctrine, natural theology, scholasticism, Original sin, sacred heart doctrine, Immaculate conception, Purgatory, Merits/Indulgences, PSA - Penal Substitutionary Atonement, evolution of Dogma,imaginative prayer, "beatific vision" etc


Then the Forced Celibacy of Priests, The use of Unleavened Bread in the Eucharist, The Adoption and change of the Christian calendar, The use of Renaissance statues, Pews, Child Communion, improper non immersion baptism, Cardinals, and differences in liturgical practices (Alter tables, Iconostasis, priest positioning etc)


all of those things, we say the Western Church adopted and innovated and became heretical when they adopted these things.

And we say that in the early church NONE of these things existed, there is no evidence of these things.

No examples of Papal Infallibility, No examples of merits/indulgences, and no examples of unleavened wafer bread, and such.

In fact in the west, In Rome. It looked a lot similar to how we Orthodox exist today. Our priests can get married, we use Icons and not statues, we use the old calendar etc

Orthodoxy Vs Roman Catholicism:

Energy Essence Distinction vs Absolute Divine Simplicity
Ancestral Sin vs Original Sin
Non Filioque Trinity vs Filioque Trinity
Patriarchy vs Papacy
Revealed Theology vs Natural Theology
Hesychasm Vs Scholasticism
Theosis vs Sanctification
Married Priest vs Celibate Priests
Infant Communion Vs Non Infant Communion
Iconography vs Statues
Full Immersion Baptism vs Sprinkle Baptism
One Baptism vs Confirmation Baptism
Leavened Communion Bread vs Unleavened Communion bread
Julian Calendar vs Pope Gregory's Calendar


We are not the same Religion, we do not have the same faith, and anyone who looks into either religions genuinely will see how different we are.

Orthodoxy has held fast for millennia. Unfortunately the RCC has not.

Since Rome fell away from the Church how can you call them a church?

As a Roman Catholic considering converting to Orthodoxy this video was excellent, addressing all of the concerns and issues that I have. Thank you.

Thank you for this. Wonderful interviewer and Father. Amazing questions that helps me very much. Especially how you tackle them humbly. Lord have mercy on me.

The main differences between Orthodox Christianity and Roman Catholicism. the main things which keep our religions separate are:


Papal Supremacy, Papal Infallibility, The Filioque, Absolute Divine Simplicity, Created Grace Doctrine, natural theology, scholasticism, Original sin, sacred heart doctrine, Immaculate conception, Purgatory, Merits/Indulgences, evolution of Dogma,imaginative prayer, "beatific vision" etc


Then the Forced Celibacy of Priests, The use of Unleavened Bread in the Eucharist, The Adoption and change of the Christian calendar, The use of Renaissance statues, Pews, Child Communion, improper non immersion baptism, Cardinals, and differences in liturgical practices (Alter tables, Iconostasis, priest positioning etc)


all of those things, we say the Western Church adopted and innovated and became heretical when they adopted these things.

And we say that in the early church NONE of these things existed, there is no evidence of these things.

No examples of Papal Infallibility, No examples of merits/indulgences, and no examples of unleavened wafer bread, and such.

In fact in the west, In Rome. It looked a lot similar to how we Orthodox exist today. Our priests can get married, we use Icons and not statues, we use the old calendar etc

Orthodoxy Vs Roman Catholicism:

Energy Essence Distinction vs Absolute Divine Simplicity
Ancestral Sin vs Original Sin
Non Filioque Trinity vs Filioque Trinity
Patriarchy vs Papacy
Revealed Theology vs Natural Theology
Hesychasm Vs Scholasticism
Theosis vs Sanctification
Married Priest vs Celibate Priests
Infant Communion Vs Non Infant Communion
Iconography vs Statues
Full Immersion Baptism vs Sprinkle Baptism
One Baptism vs Confirmation Baptism
Leavened Communion Bread vs Unleavened Communion bread
Julian Calendar vs Pope Gregory's Calendar


We are not the same Religion, we do not have the same faith, and anyone who looks into either religions genuinely will see how different we are

Great, you are loyal to Orthodoxy or Roman Catholicism but, the point is not being loyal to orthodoxy and or the Pope, the point is being loyal to Christ. I’m Roman Catholic and I say this because it seems that both Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians are forgetting this and frankly well slandering one another in internet, something that Christ COMMANDED US NOT TO.

I don't understand the curveball about the Aramaic for Cephas. As a proper noun it is masculine. In Hebrew, by the way, the common noun is also masculine (כפים pl.). Interesting that the Aramaic common noun is apparently feminine. However, in the gospel, the context is not common, but proper (a name).

“For I consider that I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles.”
—the Apostle Paul
‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭11‬:‭5‬ ‭

“I have become a fool in boasting; you have compelled me. For I ought to have been commended by you; for in nothing was I behind the most eminent apostles, though I am nothing. Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds. For what is it in which you were inferior to other churches, except that I myself was not burdensome to you? Forgive me this wrong!”
—the Apostle Paul
‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭11‬-‭13‬ ‭

It seems a particularly devious trick of the devil to get people to leave the church through making them think they are being more orthodox than those who have been put in charge of the Church. The Orthodox are essentially protestant in their approach, but where protestants interpret the Bible for themselves, the Orthodox interpret the Fathers for themselves. Father said it himself. HE read the church fathers and HE decided for himself the church was wrong in its interpretation. That's what Protestants do with the Bible.

How many have researched carefully the history of the Catholic church, from before its beginning in 392 C.E. when eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius I made it the state religion till today ? Even staunch Catholics probably have not, but its history is riddled with cruelty and murder, as well as the absorption of paganism that it "Christianized" to make it appear as "genuine", so that the REAL meaning of "catholic" is "all-embracing; all-inclusive", accepting pagan doctrines and practices and giving them "Christian" names.


At Matthew 23, Jesus said: "“The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the seat of Moses........All the works they do, they do to be seen by men, for they broaden the scripture-containing cases that they wear as safeguards and lengthen the fringes of their garments."


"They like the most prominent place at evening meals and the front seats in the synagogues and the greetings in the marketplaces and to be called Rabbi by men. But you, do not you be called Rabbi (as a religious title), for one is your Teacher, and ALL of you are brothers."


"Moreover, do NOT call anyone your father on earth (as a religious title), for one is your Father, the heavenly One (see John 17:11, in which ONLY God is called "Holy Father"). Neither be called leaders, for your Leader is one, the Christ.(Note: the Catholic church is notorious for many such religious titles, from priest, to bishop, Archbishop to Cardinal, to Monsignor (meaning "my lord"), to Pope, to Jesuit, to monk, etc)


Some of these are that the original "Pontifex Maximus" (meaning "Supreme Priest"), also called "the pontif " was NOT Christian, but rather Augustus Caesar was proclaimed the first "Pontifex Maximus in 12 B.C.E. and this continued until 382 C.E., when the "bishop" of Rome was given authority over all the other "bishops".


At that time, the western Roman Emperor Gratian (reigned 367-83 C.E.) was "a firm supporter of the (apostate) Christian church, (and) he began the process of disassociating the Roman state from the old pagan religion. Refusing the title of pontifex maximus (chief priest), traditionally held by emperors, he ordered the shrine of the goddess Victory removed from the Senate house and ended financial support for the pagan cults."(Microsoft Encarta Reference Library 2005)


In 382 C.E., Emperor Gratian issued a constitution granting Damasus, bishop of Rome, the right to hear appeals by other bishops, even those in “more distant regions” of the Empire. Although this decision was contested by Eastern bishops, and even by some in the West, it undoubtedly gave ascendancy to the bishop of Rome.


Bishop Damasus accepted the insignia of Pontifex Maximus, a PAGAN title and office that Emperor Gratian had renounced, considering it unbefitting a Christian ! Damasus, on the other hand, had NO such scruples. According to The Catholic Encyclopedia, Pontifex Maximus is still considered to be one of the “most noteworthy of the titles” borne by the pope. In French the pope is still called le souverain pontife, the supreme pontiff.


Former Catholic priest Peter de Rosa noted in his book, Vicars of Christ - The Dark Side of the Papacy (pub in 1988), that with the appointment of Tomas de Torquemada in 1483 by Pope Sixtus IV, that "in the pope’s name, [the inquisitors] were responsible for the most savage and sustained onslaught on human decency in the history of the race.”(pg 123) Of Dominican inquisitor Tomas de Torquemada in Spain, he says: “Appointed in 1483, he ruled tyrannically for fifteen years. His victims numbered over 114,000 of whom 10,220 were burned" on the stake.(pg 129)

So, the Catholic church has massive amounts of innocent blood on its hands, as well a plethora of false religious doctrines and practices, such as "the Holy Trinity".

The Pope is not the symbol of The Catholic Christian Church The Lord Jesus instituted the role of the Pope starting with St. Peter to be an organizer and a human leader of The Church but He is The Holy Spirit of God Symbol of The Church not the Pope Jesus Christ has and always will be The Pope and Leader of The Church. Our Catholic Church today sees the Pope as the symbol of God and the heretic Pope Francis sadly like more than one of the Popes before him falls into Satan's deception that the issues of the world must be deemed necessary to be involved as much as the priorities of Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus stated that God and the world do not walk hand and hand and it's the reason why the devil Lucifer the Hamas spirit has put his tail in the door and has walked in invited.

Excerpts of a Homily on the Dormition of the Theotokos by Patriarch Cyril Lukaris cited at the 1672 Pan-Orthodox Council of Jerusalem

God is consequently the end, towards Whom whosoever directeth his thoughts, ought himself to be perfect. Therefore all the Saints and righteous who have lived virtuously in this world, we call perfect; and before all do we so call the Panagia, who had her whole thoughts, and her whole mind directed towards the supreme good, towards God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

‘The wages of sin is death,'. The All-holy Virgin had no sin, neither knew she sin. Man sinneth in three ways: by thought, by deed, and by word. In thought she was pure and undefiled, for she was ever engaged in the contemplation of the things of God. In deed she was brighter and clearer than the sun. For most certainly, as in the Ark human nature was preserved; so he that looked upon the Panagia was preserved from the floods of the passions. In word? And in word she was sinless.

The All-holy Virgin fell asleep, yet the cause of her falling asleep did not come from sin, but only from other causes that were physical; by which, accordingly, man had even before he sinned a physical nature, and was subject to corruption forsooth. Yet God had given him such grace that he might, independently of nature, and by grace alone, have procured that he might not have died. So also with regard to the Panagia, who, although she had no sin, nevertheless had in herself a physical nature, and as a human being was subject to death- she, likewise, had such grace from God that she might, had she so desired, not have died, but have passed, as it were, alive into the heavens; nevertheless, she did not so desire.

Council of Carthage, ratified by Quinisext and Seventh Ecumenical Councils

That infants are baptized for the remission of sins. (Canon 2 of 418 Synod)

Likewise it seemed good that whosoever denies that infants newly from their mother’s wombs should be baptized, or says that baptism is for remission of sins, but that they derive from Adam no original sin, which needs to be removed by the laver of regeneration, from whence the conclusion follows, that in them the form of baptism for the remission of sins, is to be understood as false and not true, let him be anathema. For no otherwise can be understood what the Apostle says, “By one man sin is come into the world, and death through sin, and so death passed upon all men in that all have sinned,” than the Catholic Church everywhere diffused has always understood it. For on account of this rule of faith even infants, who could have committed as yet no sin themselves, therefore are truly baptized for the remission of sins, in order that what in them is the result of generation may be cleansed by regeneration.

Ecumenical Council of Ephesus 431:

Session 3

Philip the presbyter and legate of the Apostolic See said: There is no doubt, and in fact it has been known in all ages, that the holy and most blessed Peter, prince (ἔξαρχος) and head of the Apostles, pillar of the faith, and foundation (θεμέλιος) of the Catholic Church, received the keys of the kingdom from our Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour and Redeemer of the human race, and that to him was given the power of loosing and binding sins: who down even to today and forever both lives and judges in his successors. The holy and most blessed pope Cœlestine, according to due order, is his successor and holds his place, and us he sent to supply his place in this holy synod, which the most humane and Christian Emperors have commanded to assemble, bearing in mind and continually watching over the Catholic faith. For they both have kept and are now keeping intact the apostolic doctrine handed down to them from their most pious and humane grandfathers and fathers of holy memory down to the present time.

Cyril, the bishop of Alexandria said: The professions which have been made by Arcadius and Projectus, the most holy and pious bishops, as also by Philip, the most religious presbyter of the Roman Church, stand manifest to the holy Synod. For they have made their profession in the place of the Apostolic See, and of the whole of the holy synod of the God-beloved and most holy bishops of the West.

St. Cyril of Alexandria’s Ninth Anathema and the Explanation given at the Council of Ephesus

Anathematism 9. If anyone says that the One Lord Jesus Christ was glorified by the Spirit, using the power that came through Him as if it were foreign to Himself, and receiving from Him the power to work against unclean spirits and to accomplish divine signs for men, and does not rather say that the Spirit is His very own, through whom He also worked the divine signs, let him be anathema.

Explanation 9. When the Only Begotten Word of God became man, He remained, even so, God, having absolutely all that the Father has with the sole exception of being the Father. He had as His very own the Holy Spirit which is from Him and within Him essentially and so He brought about divine signs, and even when He became man He remained God and accomplished miracles in His very own power through the Spirit. Those who say that He was glorified by the power of the Holy Spirit as a man like any one of us, or rather like one of the saints, but that He did not make use of His own power in a God-befitting manner, but instead used an external power and received His assumption to heaven from the Holy Spirit as a grace, then these rightly fall under the force of this anathematism.

This was helpful for me and I want to share it with a friend, but I am concerned by the priest’s laughter. I’m afraid my Catholic friend will find it disrespectful. Does anyone have thoughts to offer on this? Thank you.

Those who do not believe in Papal Infallibility and the Filioque are anathema and excommunicate! Heathens whose pride outweighs their own belief in the Lord's action of giving Peter and his successors the keys shall know not the mercy of God unless they recant their schismatic false belief. Know your olace, heretics. You have been warned

Short answer no the pope is not the vicar of Christ.

My whole issue, as I began to read up and learn about the real history of Christianity from professional PHd scholars in the field,is that it turns out was entirely based on Greco-Roman Platonism, paganism, and gnosticism , only settling on officially (inspired) doctrine hundreds of years after the founding, so I have my doubts about the whole thing.

Current doctrine of the Ecumenical Patriarch: “we declare that the Autocephalous Church in Ukraine knows as its head the most holy Apostolic and Patriarchal Ecumenical Throne“ … “the Ecumenical Patriarch, who bears the canonical responsibility of irrevocably passing judgment over matters related to bishops and other clergy in local Churches.”

Is it true that the Heretical Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew wants all the churches in the diaspora under his omophore? If yes, how can anyone sane accept him as Hagia Sopia was lost to the turks under his watch.

What was the book on the Papacy called?

Слава Господу и хвала на свему! God bless you for this wonderful video...perfect for the west to come back to the True Church and Body of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ!

Hi Father S. we met at GOC Assumption in Poc. God bless, and thank you, for your testimony and response.

Why does patriarch of Constantinople act like a pope? How can he grant autocephaly to church that belongs to Russia?

The pope was the reason I went to Orthodoxy over Catholicism to begin with. There's been way too many awful takes by popes for me to ever consider him infallible, especially now that the current one has tried to bless same sex couples and even just flat out said that every religion leads to God. Fortunately with how much Orthodoxy is growing it seems like plenty of other people had a similar experience. With how many Roman Catholics I've seen talk about what a disgrace the current pope is (yet remain RC for... some reason) I'm sure there will be plenty more in the future.

The papacy itself by claiming universal supremacy is hijacking God's church and authority. Coupled with their heretical and atrocious policies shows signs of the papacy as a institution to be the antichrist. Not one person.

Can someone tell me, what form of Orthodox is this channel about? Is it Eastern? Im a born again Christian, but am now feeling a call towards Orthodox. Please help

Yes. 07

The issue of papal supremacy is so low on the list for me in discerning between the two churches which both claim to be the one true church. So is Mariology, and the fillioque. The fact is, the way these two churches view and practice the faith is radically different, and if you read enough of the fathers and early saints, it’s clear that the Orthodox Church has kept the true faith, and the Roman Catholic Church has not.

No. Nope. Never.

traviswilson is an atheist troll who has been plaguing Christian comment sections since at least 2019. Should you have the displeasure of a response from him, I advise simply ignoring him. He tailors his rebuttles to the group he's currently harassing, and in 5 years of interaction with the dude I have, not once, ever seen him comment or reply or debate in good faith.

music is over, the party is done, hahaha...what a likable man.

To the interviewer: That is thin ice you are skating on. In the hypothetical false union next year, you might be the first to go with them.

NO ONE has Cartesian certainty. Look at the state of Catholics right now and tell me they have assurance and the certainty they claim the papacy and magisterium provides. No one even needs to study history for 20 years when we can plainly see right in front of our eyes the insanity of the papists.

RCs seem to be only focused on defending the pope from what I've seen. While the pope is not focused on defending the faith. Sad.

I just don't see how the hierarchy of heaven wouldn't be reflected on Earth. A Pope of the Catholic Church makes more sense than 27 popes.

I'm a Roman Catholic, and I find it interesting to learn about Eastern Orthodox perspectives on various Catholic doctrines. However, I won't be converting to Orthodoxy anytime soon, as I have several concerns with it.

I really look forward to watching the whole video. I've read a lot about Orthodoxy, and a smattering of some of the early fathers' writings on the role of the Bishop of Rome in the early centuries. I'm a Roman Catholic who is now questioning the idea of "papal supremacy" and Rome's claim of "universal jurisdiction." I find myself aligning more with the Orthodox position. I've attended a Serbian Orthodox Church off and on for the last 4 months. May God direct our steps to the Truth.

HE VISITS MY PARISH!!!! SO BLESSED EVERY TIME WE SEE HIM!!!!!

Gracias Padrecito. Lo desfruté mucho.

For me, a pre Vat II former Catholic, this all makes sense. When VatII came out, it was as though they said, “Remember all that stuff we taught you? Well, forget it!”

Fortunately for me, I had a teacher in grammar school who taught us about the Orthodox Church. It took me until 2012 to get there, but God led me there!

My family was just received into the Orthodox Christian Church. We were Baptized together, my disabled husband, my 8 year old son and myself into the Romanian Orthodox Christian Church of North America. St. Nicholas is our families Patron Saint.

The Church Father has decided to be our spiritual Father, while his wife is to be my God mother.

Maybe it's because we have no family (only our mothers and one sibling who all live hours away).

This was after 3 years of attending Divine Liturgy at another Orthodox Church with my son on and off, with my husband only coming occasionally due to his back pain/mobility. Very very strict attendance standards.

My good friend goes to both Churches, and kept inviting me to a different Romanian Orthodox Christian Church. I finally went and after 3 weeks the Church Father wanted to Baptize us as a family! I know most of the Divine Liturgy, can recite the Creed, make the Cross.
Anyways.....
After so long i was crying with Joy. I was starting to think i would die without any Sacraments, or a Guardian Angel.

Can you repeat the name of the book of the 19 century catholic priest who converted to orthodoxy?