Any converts from Eastern Orthodoxy?

[Isaiah45_9]

True, but God works through people too, and unfortunately we are not solitary beings, i.e., we need support from others (and by others I mean a spiritual father, family, good Christians/Catholics to help us . . etc.).

We are not all cut out the same way.

I was in that same place, doing a lot of reading on my own. When the time was right, according to God in spite of my very thick head, I was brought to others.

Please don’t take this the wrong way… Don’t rush him and please run at his pace and keep the prayers up. Mine are with you both.

 

[josie_L]

We are not all cut out the same way.

I was in that same place, doing a lot of reading on my own. When the time was right, according to God in spite of my very thick head, I was brought to others.

Please don’t take this the wrong way… Don’t rush him and please run at his pace and keep the prayers up. Mine are with you both.

Oh, I know because I was one of those thick-heads too!

 

[GaryTaylor]

Wonderful! He can use all the prayers Yes, he’s never found a spiritual father in the Catholic Church, but because it’s not the norm for a Catholic to have one he doesn’t think he needs one since he’s Catholic now. I would think he’s availed himself of Catholic materials, but I don’t know. He’s been figuring out out on his own for the last 6 yrs or so as a Catholic.

Its not the norm for a Catholic to seek a priest in the Catholic Church for spiritual matters? Perhaps individuals wind up in these situations because of bad thinking as such which in your last post you saw no reason why this fellow should bother seeing a Catholic priest.

I believe you are assuming here, for sure.

That is, at least, how traditionalist Catholics would see it.

Your response here to post #88 (above) sounds like a stereotype, and which on the very last thread you were asked “what is a traditional Catholic” and you had :“no” answer.? The crickets are still chirping on that thread.

Could you elaborate here?

 

[GaryTaylor]

For the peace of this forum

What peace on this forum? You lost me. And btw that conversation was over when he left the thread if you notice how the chain of events went.

We are on the mystical spiritual private revelation part which drew lapsed Catholics to the EO after they never realized they should speak to a priest. “Facebook” stories.

I guess private revelation favors the EO. But sadly that’s a path I highly doubt the EO wants to discuss.

I had one of those private revelations also. It bought me directly to the Catholic Church where astonishingly I found the Catholic priest would see me whenever I called and set up an appointment.

So what should we say about these private revelations?

 

[Eric_Hilbert]

For future referance,* I*** am the peace of this forum.
The charitableness of this thread needs to be in order.
Stay on the topic, not each other.**

 

[Nacho45]

I posted this in the Eastern Catholicism forum as well, but it was suggested I try here too.
I’ve encountered a fair number of individuals who have converted from Catholicism to Eastern Orthodoxy, but met relatively few who left Eastern Orthodoxy (or Oriental Orthodoxy, for that matter) for Catholicism.
Are any of the Catholics here converts from Orthodoxy? What led you to Catholicism?
(Note, I am posting this because I am interested in hearing and discussing others’ reasons for conversion, not to start a debate of any sort).

I can’t say as I have taken the plunge into Catholicism yet, but I have very much liked what I have found so far. What led me to where I am? I realized the majority of what I “knew” and what others “knew” about Catholicism was, well, wrong, even among some Catholics.

The more I learn the more I like and all I had to do was a two step program. 1-get over any prejudices I picked up along the way and, 2-listen to what The Catholic Church actually said not what I thought they were saying.

I also realized many of the complaints Orthodox Christians use against the Catholic Church fit the Orthodox Church just as comfortably, with few exceptions.

I asked a very similar question a few weeks ago and that thread fizzled.

 

[josie_L]

For future reference,* I***** am the peace of this forum.
The charitableness of this thread needs to be in order.
Stay on the topic, not each other.

 

[josie_L]

What peace on this forum? You lost me. And btw that conversation was over when he left the thread if you notice how the chain of events went.

**We are on the mystical spiritual private revelation part which drew lapsed Catholics to the EO after they never realized they should speak to a priest. “Facebook” stories.
**

It was a lapsed Orthodox who converted to the CC “Facebook” story.

 

[josie_L]

As it stands now in the Catholic Church, not fulfilling the Obligation is a mortal sin, a mortal sin cuts one off from communion which is essentially a self-imposed ex-communication, so I don’t think it’s overstating anything to say the Catholic wife isn’t practicing her Faith. Her husband had stated that he wants her to, but she won’t attend Mass in addition to Orthodox Divine Liturgy.

I needed to relegate the matter of missing mass being a mortal sin with some qualifications:

Furthermore, many people, including many sincere Catholics, struggle with the idea that missing Mass is a mortal sin. If you are going to categorize sins, how is it possible that missing Mass falls into the same category as rape and murder and not the same category as petty theft or thoughtless insults? It is difficult to see how missing Mass could be so damaging to oneself and others as to warrant such a categorization.

It seems to me that much of the confusion here lies in the fact that when we speak about sin in the abstract we almost always consider it objectively, but when we speak about it in the concrete we must always consider the acting person’s subjectivity first and foremost.

Well-catechized Catholics know that there are three requirements for a sin to be mortal. First, there must be grave matter involved; second, there must be full knowledge that the matter is, in fact, grave; and third, there must be full consent of the will. The first requirement is objective, the next two, subjective.

When we say, as is common, that missing Mass is a mortal sin, we are only saying that it meets the first criteria. It would be more accurate (and cumbersome) to say that, due to its gravity, missing Mass has the potential to be a mortal sin. Very few people, even among the most self-consciously orthodox, actually believe that the vast majority of Catholics who missed Mass last Sunday are in a state of mortal sin by that very fact.

Indeed, it is even possible that people who miss Mass do not sin even venially should they have absolutely no knowledge or absolutely no freedom. We find here a strange inversion of our normal way of talking: what is “objectively” sin may not be real sin at all, but only what is “subjectively” sin is, in reality, sin. Real sin, like real love, requires knowledge and freedom. It requires subjectivity.

If we reverse the order of our requirements, putting gravity in the last place, we can catch a glimpse of the real difference between mortal and venial sin. A venial sin is something that, even done with full knowledge and full consent, cannot be used to completely reject God. Someone looking to break their relationship with God would have to be considered half-hearted in their attempt if they tried to do it by stealing a gumball or muttering some small calumny under their breath. In fact, the person would know that they weren’t really trying because they would know that the matter was not grave.

A mortal sin is any act which, when done with full knowledge and consent, can be used to break off one’s relationship with God. Under such a rubric it is much easier to see how missing Mass could be a mortal sin. Because Mass is where we renew our communion with God, someone could use such an omission precisely to break that communion. It is not a matter of missing Mass always being as harmful to oneself and others as murder or rape. It is a matter of the potential way in which missing Mass could be used to say something definitive about one’s relationship with God.

vox-nova.com/2011/08/29/thinking-about-mortal-and-venial-sin-missing-mass/

 

[Peter_J]

I needed to relegate the matter of missing mass being a mortal sin with some qualifications:

Agreed.

 

[Peter_J]

Could you elaborate here?

I haven’t pre-planned what, or how much, I’m going to post on this thread. In any case, I don’t think I’m going to make the choice based on your preferences.

 

[GaryTaylor]

I don’t think I’m going to make the choice

Pete. I’m just pointing out this is a stereotype below thus a false statement you made above, which was mentioned a few times and on different threads now, and with no clarity from you.

This…

“That is, at least, how traditionalist Catholics would see it.” ;

We don’t know how “they” see anything, on two threads now we don’t know what your talking about. And I don’t believe that’s how traditional Catholics would see it. Its certainly not how I see it.

Is this how traditional Catholics in the East would see it, in other words… your parish? Its how you see it? Is it what the CCC teaches?

So this is how you see a traditional Catholic Pete… “never found a spiritual father in the Catholic Church, but because it’s not the norm for a Catholic to have one he doesn’t think he needs one since he’s Catholic now. I would think he’s availed himself of Catholic materials, but I don’t know. He’s been figuring out on his own for the last 6 yrs or so as a Catholic.”

If we talk or not doesn’t change the point. Pete I read that you stated you are thinking of converting to the EO? How does that effect your view of Catholics? Are you able to speak for traditional Catholics without bias?

 

[roselily]

The sun shine not on Catholic alone,

I went near beach yesterday; I feel sleep that every time I see sea I all feel sleep , but I drink coffee after . See after drink coffee I always talkative and wrote many words sometimes do not know why I wrote those. Coffee or tea can make people talkative, I saw Gary cares. And most from OP who wrote this thread and Moderator and everyone all very kind.

–
Happy New Year!
Have a blessed New year, Brothers Sisters!

 

[Peter_J]

Seriously GaryTaylor, enough! If you disagree with what I said,

Originally Posted by 1Tim215Mommy
“She isn’t concerned about this.” - ‘This’ being that she isn’t fulfilling her Catholic obligation, one of the Precepts of the Catholic Church, not fulfilling a Holy Day of Obligation is a mortal sin for Catholics. He expressed in his post that he had expressed his concern to his wife about this & her response is she doesn’t care, “isn’t concerned”, about following the Catholic Church.

then you’re perfectly welcome to tell us about it, but there’s no good reason for posts like #115.

 

[GaryTaylor]

If you disagree

I do!. The general painting with the wide brush and contrary to the Church teaching should be pointed out. Do I have to apologize for confronting you on this, I don’t believe so, but in charity I already let it go, as I did last time. I get it you are having spiritual difficulties. My prayers are with you. As they are with everyone here.

 

[Peter_J]

GaryTaylor, I’m actually losing count of all the problematic comments that you’ve made. From little one-liners like “I get it you are having spiritual difficulties” … to the post before that where you (among other things like addressing me as “Pete”) quoted my:

Originally Posted by Peter J

Quote:
Originally Posted by 1Tim215Mommy
“She isn’t concerned about this.” - ‘This’ being that she isn’t fulfilling her Catholic obligation, one of the Precepts of the Catholic Church, not fulfilling a Holy Day of Obligation is a mortal sin for Catholics. He expressed in his post that he had expressed his concern to his wife about this & her response is she doesn’t care, “isn’t concerned”, about following the Catholic Church.

That is, at least, how traditionalist Catholics would see it.

without the quote from 1Tim215Mommy, and then quoted a completely different post from her as if that’s what I had been referring to:

So this is how you see a traditional Catholic Pete… “never found a spiritual father in the Catholic Church, but because it’s not the norm for a Catholic to have one he doesn’t think he needs one since he’s Catholic now. I would think he’s availed himself of Catholic materials, but I don’t know. He’s been figuring out on his own for the last 6 yrs or so as a Catholic.”

… and everything in between (I’m definitely not going to attempt a complete list) – and that’s on top of your posts to RyanBlack!

Like I said before: Enough.

 

[dcointin]

Are you asking me if the Western rite Orthodox are fully accepted as Orthodox? I would assume that they are.

It unfortunately depends who you ask. The Greek Orthodox in particular are not accepting of the Western Rite overall. I have it on good authority that one priest, when asked about it, said “there is no Orthodox Western Rite”.

 

[Peter_J]

I have it on good authority that one priest, when asked about it, said “there is no Orthodox Western Rite”.

That is very sad.

 

[dcointin]

I would like to clarify some things I said about my situation with regards to my wife. She was raised Catholic, attended Mass each Sunday, attended Catholic schools, etc. until she graduated high school. After that she stopped attending Mass until she met me at about age 24. I expressed interest in attending Mass with her, and we began attending each other’s services on alternating weeks. She’s attended services regularly since then, either Catholic or Orthodox. We were also married by her uncle, who is a Catholic priest, in October of 2012. I suppose you could call her a formerly lapsed Catholic that is rediscovering her faith. She is a fairly typical modern woman that holds some beliefs at variance with the Church but has faith in the essentials. She is not at a point where attending more than one service each week is attractive to her, but it is my hope that we would get there eventually. Her primary reason for not wanting to attend Mass on Saturday is to keep her evening open to spend time with friends, family events, etc. She does not feel an obligation to attend Mass each Sunday, whether she attends an Orthodox liturgy or not. I have found that it is important not to push her on any issue, or she becomes stubborn and will refuse out of anger. My hope is to help her increase her devotion until this becomes more appealing. I changed my membership to a Western Rite parish in hopes that this would be a way for us to meet “halfway”, and she is very comfortable with the liturgy we use which is essentially the Extraordinary Form in English.

Because of our situation, I decided to investigate Catholicism again, and have not made a decision about conversion. I studied it previous when I was studying Orthodoxy after college, but I realize now that I had a bias against Catholicism that prevented me from seeing it accurately. I was raised a conservative Lutheran (LC-MS), and the anti Catholic polemics were difficult to overcome. I would not consider this at all if the Catholic Church were not an apostolic Church that shared the same fundamental faith as the Orthodox Church. I have also regained my appreciation for western liturgy and patrimony, and fallen in love with the traditional (EF) Mass. I have begun to see that the majority of Orthodox authors, bloggers, etc., unfairly criticize Catholicism without really taking the time to understand it, and many of the worst affenders are Protestant converts who use the same arguments they did before. More than anything I see myself as giving Catholicism a fair hearing, and I think it deserves that.

 

[dcointin]

What peace on this forum? You lost me. And btw that conversation was over when he left the thread if you notice how the chain of events went.

We are on the mystical spiritual private revelation part which drew lapsed Catholics to the EO after they never realized they should speak to a priest. “Facebook” stories.

I guess private revelation favors the EO. But sadly that’s a path I highly doubt the EO wants to discuss.

I had one of those private revelations also. It bought me directly to the Catholic Church where astonishingly I found the Catholic priest would see me whenever I called and set up an appointment.

So what should we say about these private revelations?

What private revelations are you referring to?