Churches with dramatic claims to antiquity or authority sometimes beckon. The ancient churches of Rome and Constantinople greatly appeal to some. Why? In many churches the worship is unstable, changing with every new hit song. Doctrines change as the culture shifts. Voting becomes the highest sacrament. In such an environment, people crave stability, order, tradition.

But the cure is worse than the disease. For both Rome and the East, it’s the continuity of the institution that ultimately matters. When you break it down, these churches are defined by their bureaucracy and their geography.

But the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church is not founded upon a pope….