Is there any scenario in which an individual who has NOT been baptized by
"triple immersion" AND in "in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit",
can be received into the Orthodox Church through Chrismation alone?
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Thanks!
Rules for responding:
1. You must be Orthodox to answer.
2. Keep answers to five sentences or less.( You may refer to links for documentation.)
3. Refrain from personal opinion.
Thanks!
NO!
ReplyDelete46. We ordain that a bishop or presbyter who has admitted the baptism or sacrifice of heretics be deposed. For what concord hath Christ with Belial, or what part hath a believer with an infidel?
This Apostolic Canon refers to heretics during Apostolic times who opposed the primary dogma of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and of the incarnation of the Son of God. Other types of heretics are covered within other Canons such as: Canon 19 of the 1st Council; Canons 7 and 8 of the Council of Laodicea; Canon 95 of the 6th Council; and, Canon 47 of St. Basil the Great.
This Canon also applies to modern-day ecumenists who accept baptism from all heretics, even from extreme protestants. Such teaching has now also found its way into Catholic ecumenism. Bishop Nicodemus Milash, in his explanation of this Canon, writes: “By the teaching of the Church, every heretic is outside the Church, and outside the Church there cannot be true Christian baptism, true Eucharistic sacrifice, or any true Holy Mysteries. This Apostolic Canon expresses this teaching and calls to witness the Holy Scriptures.”
In the same vein, Bishop John Smolensky comments on this Canon and considers the convervsion and acceptance into the Church of different types of heretics. He writes that, in general, the Apostolic Canons point out one important basis for casting out heretical priesthood: that, within a heresy there is no and cannot be a true priesthood, but there is only false-priesthood (psevdoloreis). This is so because with the excommunication of a different-believing cleric, also comes a severing of the one and true Apostolic succession of priestly hierarchy and the succession of the grace-filled gifts of the Holy Spirit that come with the mystery of priesthood. It follows that heretical priests, themselves not having grace, cannot bestow grace upon others and, themselves not having lawful right for priesthood, cannot make true and saving any priestly acts which they perform (Canon 1 of St. Basil the Great and Canon 32 of the Council of Laodicea). Based on this principle, Church accepts heretics who convert from their errors through appropriate actions needed for their salvation as discussed within other Canons.
(Canons 47 and 68 of the Holy Apostles; Canon 7 of the 2nd Council, Canon 95 of the 6th Council; Canons 7 and 8 of the Council of Laodicea; Canons 1 and 47 of St. Basil the Great).
47. Let a bishop or presbyter who shall baptize again one who has rightly received baptism, or who shall not baptize one who has been polluted by the ungodly, be deposed as despising the cross and death of the Lord and not making a distinction between the true priests and the false.
No one can become a member of the Church without a true baptism in the name of the Holy Trinity. Canon 47 of the Holy Apostles points out that bishops and presbyters need to be attentive in this regard. Baptism must be performed in a prescribed manner (Canons 49 and 50 of the Holy Apostles). Yet, an orthodox baptism must not be performed a second time. Inattentiveness to these requirements is a heavy sin and subjects one to a serious penalty “as one despising the cross and death of the Lord and not making a distinction between the true priests and the false.” (Canons 46, 49, and 50 of the Holy Apostles; Canon 84 of the 6th Council; Canon 32 of the Council of Laodicea; Canons 59 and 83 of the Council of Carthage; Canons 1 and 47 of St. Basil the Great).
Fr John Mahan
Five sentences or less? I should expect that this would be difficult. Good info.
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