Saturday, March 23, 2024

Panteleimon P. Lampadarios on "Economia" in Eastern Orthodoxy

  

The term “Economia” (=Economy, dispensation)

 

Economia” (dispensation) is the temporary deviation from the accurate practice of the Church in order to achieve a greater benefit. (St Cyril of Alexandria, Epistle 46 to Gennadius, in Migne, P.G., 77, 319) St. Cyril of Alexandria uses the examples of sailors who, when they are out at sea and face the winter storms, they empty the ship of its cargo, in order to save the whole ship and the crew; likewise, the Church, when required, uses “Economia”, in order not to suffer damage but to accomplish greater benefit. (Ibid., Epistle 46 to Gennadius, in Migne, P.G., 77, 320. Ibid., Epistle 87, in Migne, P.G., 77, 376) “Economia” is used not to deviate from the essential correctness of the Church, but in order to achieve greater benefits or to avoid greater damage.

 

If ‘Economia’ is used for extraordinary reasons and deviates from the Church’s correctness, it is obvious that this does not create a permanent condition but is an exception to the rule and for a specific case only (“jus singulare”). It lasts briefly, in order that those who are outside of the Orthodox Church enter her bosom, as when a door is opened and immediately closed, in order that the Church’s accuracy is not disturbed. (Trempelas, Dogmatique, v. III, p. 49)

 

Economia’ cannot at first and in advance be offered to all the members of the Orthodox Church; neither can it be said that the Orthodox Church is obliged to recognize as valid the Sacraments of those outside the Orthodoxy Body.

 

Through ‘Economia’ the Orthodox Church completes, gives life and grants the Gift and the Charismata of the Holy Spirit to those who were not previously canonically included within the body of the Church because when “a heretic returns to Orthodoxy he corrects the previous error and heresy is removed; the Baptism by the anointing with holy Myrrh the ordination by the laying on of the hands.” (St Justin the Philosopher and Martyr, Answer 14 to the Orthodox, in Migne, P.G., 6, 1282)

 

Economia” can only be applied to the Canons of the Orthodox Church which have been established by the Fathers under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and can be regarded as flexible. But under no circumstances can “Economia” be applied to the Dogma of the Church which is in the Revelation of God to His Church.  (Panteleimon P. Lampadarios, The Holy Sacraments of the Eastern Orthodox Church [London: Akakia, 2022], 41-42)