Page:Orthodox Eastern Church (Fortescue).djvu/407

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THE ORTHODOX FAITH
369

convert any one — heathen, Mohammedan, or Christian. Nor can one blame them for that. At the very beginning of the schism they hardly understood what had happened. Then they hoped rather to convert the Latins in a body by some such council as Florence. Then came the Turks, and they had other things to think of than converting unbelievers. During those dark centuries one could hardly ask the Orthodox to do more than to keep the faith themselves. One can never forget that they did this heroically. And now, in spite of their indignation against propaganda, they do send out Orthodox priests and bishops, even to the West. It is true that these priests chiefly have to look after the Orthodox communities in Paris, London, Berlin, and so on; but they are always ready and glad to receive any converts to the Orthodox faith. There are well-known cases of Catholics and Anglicans being received (generally even re-baptized) by the Orthodox. Nor have they any confused ideas about a Latin being a schismatic in Constantinople, but a true Catholic at Rome. These conversions take place at Paris, in England, and in America. Let any one go to the nearest Orthodox Protopope or Archimandrite, and ask what he should do to serve Christ and God. There will be no question but that the answer will be: "Join the Orthodox Church," and the Protopope will gladly instruct and receive him, just as a Catholic priest would. That they have not organized missions to us, and that they take so little trouble to convert us, only shows that they have not such means at their disposal as the Roman Propaganda, and that they have not the zealous missionary spirit of the Catholic Church. But that they are so angry with our missionary friars in the East is absurd. These friars are doing from their point of view exactly what the Orthodox do in the West from theirs, only, being Catholics and Westerns, they are doing it more consistently, zealously, and efficiently. As for the lack of a general council since the schism, it is true they have held none — they have hardly had an opportunity. But it does not follow that they think themselves incapable of so doing. I have no evidence either way, but unless they are quite unusually inconsistent in this matter, they must hold that they could summon a general council now that would be as truly œcumeni-