"To be deep in history is to cease to be a Protestant." - John Cardinal Henry Newman
Those words shocked me when I first read them, but as I spent time evaluating the claims of the Catholic Church I came to not only understand what Venerable Newman meant, I also ended up consenting to his argument that hinges upon and around this brief sentence.
But what about other ancient faiths? The Coptic and Eastern Orthodox Christians would also lay claim to being deep in history.
Was Newman's claim leaving the door open to saying that to be deep in history, one might just as easily come to hold to the Orthodox faith? Or was he as an Englishman grappling with the standard English options; namely, Protestantism vs. Catholicism?
Regardless of what Newman has said or not said of Orthodoxy, I am here to make the following claim, with no regard for fame:
"To be deep in history is to be a Catholic."
I use quotes here, for indubitably no one will quote me, except for me. Regardless of this trivium, what of its claim? It argues that to be deep in history, one will NOT be Orthodox or Coptic.
How will I go about showing that this is true? For my first set of posts, I will consider the ecumenical councils that we share as Apostolic Churches. We will lose the Copts at Chalcedon, and by 1054 unity will be lost between East and West.
Where will that leave us? If my mission is successful, we will be at the place where Newman's thesis is clarified to specify that one who cares about history will care about Rome's Apostolic See, in a way that comports with Catholicism's claims. We will see that the See of Rome has the right to say "Contradictur" and have teeth backing their cry, and that as such, Eastern Orthodoxy and Coptic Christianity do not show themselves to be truly tenable positions.
By moving backwards, beyond the Robber Council of 449 where contradictur was first uttered, we will gain an even deeper appreciation of history, and as I am saying, we will move towards Catholicism.
I write these words with fear and trembling, for I love and respect those who too seek a faith that is deep in history. But try as I might, my conscience leaves me captive to the narrative that says that Peter and his successors were given a special charism that was not to die, become vacant, or wasted.
And so, let's begin with a spirit of love and hope.
Through the prayers of the Theotokos, O Savior save us!
