Quintessence of Religious Doctrines - Malankarasyriac Voice

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63On Signing oneself with the mark of Cross... 125water stopped flowing when the chest was beingcarried across the river. These rocks will alwaysremind our people of what happened here today.(L.B.)CommentWhen somebody makes a memento or a replica of the Crossof our Lord and venerates the same, it cannot be objectivelyjudged as worship. For worship, as noted above, is a mentalexercise although accompanied or attended by certainexternalities, which are essentially of a secondary nature.5. Likewise venerating and honouring of churches or church articlescan in no way be considered idolatry.Ref: (a) Lev. 12:4. Then it will be thirty three more days beforeshe is ritually clean from her loss of blood; she mustnot touch anything that is holy or enter the sacredtent until the time of her purification is completed.(G.N.B.)(b) vide. 2 Sam. 6:7. (G.N.B.)(c) vide. Dan. 5:7. (G.N.B.)CommentOn the basis of the theology of the distinction between realityand replica, it is contented that, honouring of church buildings,church articles etc do not amount to worshipping them assuch.Theme No: 24On Chastity1. Nobody shall be forbidden from entering into wedlock.Ref: 1 Tim. 4:3. Such people teach that it is wrong to marry.(G.N.B.)CommentThis is an argument to remove the mistaken notions onmarriage and chastity. As marriage is a sacrament, it cannotbe forbidden even by putting forward that celibacy is acondition for chastity. It is opined so, because chastity in thetrue sense is a mental disposition along with externalities.Mere abstinence from marital relationship will not make aperson chaste. It is common knowledge that it needs morethan a philosopher’s gown to make a man a genuinephilosopher. Marriage is no hindrance to chastity orsaintliness. We may recall that many of the Jewish prophetswere married men.2. If one opts voluntarily to keep himself free from wedlock forkeeping his body and mind ever ready to perform the work forGod’s sake, it is good.Ref: (a) 1Cor. 7:7-8. Actually I would prefer that all of youwere as I am. But each one has a special gift fromGod. One person this gift another one that gift. Nowto the unmarried and to the widows I say that itwould be better for you to continue to live alone asI do. (G.N.B.)(b) 1Cor. 7:32, 33. I would like you to be free from worry.An unmarried man concerns himself with the Lord’swork; because he is trying to please the Lord. But amarried man concerns himself with worldly matters,because he wants to please his wife and so he ispulled in two directions. (G.N.B.)(c) Mt. 19:12. For there are different reasons why mencannot marry: some because they were born that
64On Chastity 127way; others, because men made them that way; andothers do not marry for the sake of the Kingdom ofheaven. Let him who can accept these teaching doso. (G.N.B.)CommentMarriage cannot be imposed on a person. If one decides tobe a bachelor or spinster as the case may be, on the groundthat it is better to be so far God’s work, no one shall interferewith the decision. But a word of caveat or caution. Thedecision to remain single should be the result of duedeliberation. If so vouched, by the person concerned, it mustbe regarded as emanating from ‘... the infinitesimal wisdomof the Lord,’ as St. Thomas A Kempis puts it in some othercontext.3. Even though a person who took the vow of chastity subsequentlyrenounces it and marries, he does not become blameless albeitnot ineligible for grace; such persons must he removed from therespective positions held by them in the Church.Ref: 1Tim. 2:12. I do not allow them to teach or to have authorityover men; they must keep quiet. (G.N.B.)CommentThe ecclesiastical attitude to a person who breakes the vowof chastity is formulated here. The Church would not regardsuch an action as one to be pardoned. The Ecclesia is verystrict that such persons should be removed from theecclesiastical offices. It is certainly not as a retributivepunishment, but as an exemplary and a preventive one. Whensuch a person repents, the Church holds that the personconcerned is eligible for divine grace.Theme No: 25On the Matrimony of the Clergy1. It is not because matrimony is unclean, but because theincumbents of the offices of Patriarch, Catholicose and Bishophave special responsibility, and so are expected to devote theirentire time in the discharge of such duties,Ref: 1 of Theme 11CommentThe Church today does not permit the bishops, archbishops,the Catholicos and the Patriarchs to marry. This restrictionis however not theological. It appears that this practice ofcelibacy crept into the Church, as noted elsewhere in thiswork, following the emergence of monastic orders and itsinfluence. It has already been pointed out that some of theearly prelates of the Church, like a few of the CappadocianFathers were married men.2. Because they are to keep away from carnal desires for Godlypursuits they are expected to be ‘religious’. But as the priestswho manage the affairs of the churches have to be free andfriendly, with both men and women alike,Ref: op. cit. 2 (a) of Theme 24.CommentThe rationale for the restriction of marriage of Ecclesiasticaldignitaries like the bishops and the personages of the higheroffices is reiterated. It is necessitated by the need to keepsuch officers completely free from carnal desires and makethem fully devoted to religious causes. This practice, however,is not strictly to be followed in the case of priests. Theargument is that by and large the priests have to be in theworld, move in the world and mix with people, both men andwomen, as parish vicars or in charge of other missions. Inshort the dictum of the S.O.C. is that the priests shall notmarry. So the S.O.C. make the following provision. If a person
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1Quintessence of Religious Doctrine
Page 5 and 6:
published in 1964. Since then we ha
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6ThadathilMuttambalamKottayam - 686
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8Translator’s NoteAs I sat down t
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10Abbreviations19 20Quintessence of
Page 13 and 14: 1224Quintessence of Religious Doctr
Page 15 and 16: 14On the Blessed Trinity 27 28Quint
Page 17 and 18: 16On the Son 3132Quintessence of Re
Page 19 and 20: 18On the Son3536Quintessence of Rel
Page 21 and 22: 20On the Holy Spirit 39to be the di
Page 23 and 24: 22On the Holy Sacraments 43 44Quint
Page 25 and 26: 24On the Holy Baptism 47 48Quintess
Page 27 and 28: 26On the Holy Baptism 51can fulfil
Page 29 and 30: CommentThe results of receiving the
Page 31 and 32: 30On the Holy Eucharist 59 60Quinte
Page 33 and 34: 32On the Holy Confession 63 64Quint
Page 35 and 36: 34On the Holy Confession 67Ref.: (a
Page 37 and 38: 36On the Holy Orders 71 72Quintesse
Page 39 and 40: 38On the Holy Orders 75Ref: (a) Mt.
Page 41 and 42: 40On the Holy Matrimony 79CommentIt
Page 43 and 44: 42On Burial 833. Bishops, Priests,
Page 45 and 46: 44On Prayer 87CommentThe prayers ar
Page 47 and 48: 46On Fasts 917. The Church has ther
Page 49 and 50: 48On the Feast of the Saints 95The
Page 51 and 52: 50On the Mother of God 99of the arc
Page 53 and 54: 52On the Prayer to the Saints 103 1
Page 55 and 56: 54On the Prayer to the Saints 107Co
Page 57 and 58: 56On the Prayer for the Departed 11
Page 59 and 60: 58On the Prayer for the Departed 11
Page 61 and 62: 60120Quintessence of Religious Doct
Page 63: 62On Signing oneself with the mark
Page 67 and 68: 66On Human Soul 131CommentThe S.O.C
Page 69 and 70: 68On Sin 135 136Quintessence of Rel
Page 71 and 72: 70On Repentance 139140Quintessence
Page 77 and 78: 76On Independent Creation, Free wil
Page 79 and 80: 78On Independent Creation, Free wil
Page 83 and 84: 82AppendixNames of the Heritics who
Page 85 and 86: 84Heresies 167 168Quintessence of R
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Quintessence of Religious Doctrines - Malankarasyriac Voice

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