7.

 Give a summary of your own understanding of the filioque question.

            As noted in an earlier chapter, the Orthodox Church to this day retains the original text of the Nicaeo-Constantinopolitan Symbol of Faith (the Creed), while the Roman Catholic Church uses an altered text. The Second Ecumenical Council affirmed with its single voice the eighth article of the Creed, which states that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father. The Third Ecumenical Council, by prohibiting the issuance of any new Creeds, decisively confirmed the truth of the Orthodox Church's Creed. The significance of Rome's unlawful alteration and textual corruption of the authoritative text of the Creed will be examined here.

            First, no individual part of the Church has any right to tamper with the Creed such as Rome did, for the Creed is the common treasure of the entire Church. Among all the dogmatic decrees of the Church's councils, the Ecumenical Councils themselves acknowledge the Creed as primary and fundamental, and they forbade any changes whatsoever in its ideas or its words, either by addition or subtraction. The Third Ecumenical Council handed down this decree, and it was repeated by the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Ecumenical Councils. Thus, the Latin Church stands condemned by five Ecumenical Councils which it itself recognizes are inspired by the Holy Spirit. In its unilateral and illicit addition of the filioque clause, Rome committed moral fratricide and sinned against the unity of the Church.

            Secondly, in its theological aspect, the filioque controversy centers on eternal relations within the Godhead, relations which existed before all ages between the Persons of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. While Orthodoxy and Rome both agree that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father, Rome goes on to proclaim that the Holy Spirit likewise proceeds from the Son (the Latin filioque means and from the Son). Christ Himself stated that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father (Jn 15:26), but nowhere does Scripture speak of the Holy Spirit's proceeding from the Son. The filioque addition, in its holding the Son to be an additional source of the Godhead, detracts from the Father's unique source of the Godhead. Rome sees the principle of unity in the essence shared by all three Persons of the Trinity, and such a concept depersonalizes God's unity.

            Orthodoxy, following the teaching of the Cappadocian Fathers, affirms that there is one God because there is one Father. The Father is the source and cause of the Godhead and is the principle of unity among the three Persons of the Trinity. In this sense, Orthodoxy speaks of the monarchy of the Father. Both Son and Holy Spirit trace Their origin to Him, and both are seen in terms of Their relation to Him.