Attending Orthodox Services

[AlNg]

Except that neither of those are actually teaching of any Orthodox Church.

How they handle a situation is not the same thing as “approving” or “allowing”.

Orthodox wiki says something different concerning divorce:
“there is disagreement on divorce: the Catholic church forbids it, whereas the Orthodox permits it, though allowing remarriage only in penitential form.”
https://orthodoxwiki.org/Great_Schism#Divergent_theologies

 

[AlNg]

Ekonomia (choose a spelling) is an Orthodox practice that handles things that should not happen, or our fallen state, or such issues.

Does the Byzantine Catholic Church have this practice of ‘economia’, or a certain amount of flexibility in the rules depending upon the exigencies of a particular situation? Say for example with regard to the use of artificial birth control under limited conditions. A Byzantine Catholic priest told me No - He did not have the right to give anyone the permission to commit a sin.

 

[HeDa]

If an Orthodox priest is becoming Catholic he would still be a validly ordained priest as a Catholic, right? While a protestant deacon/pastor/priest Christians becoming Catholic have a 3 year period when they are just Catholic before the 3-4 year of Philosophy and Theology studies can start and then they can be ordained as deacons/priests in the Catholic Church.

The Orthodox priest would just have to learn the most commonly Mass/Divine Liturgy celebrated in the area he is residing in but would not be “re-ordained”. I know this is a very short to point out the differences between having apostolic succession and not having it. Have I understood it correctly?

 

[dochawk]

Orthodox wiki says something different concerning divorce:

Orthodoxwiki is hardly the authority any more than similar Catholic sites

Does the Byzantine Catholic Church have this practice of ‘economia’, or a certain amount of flexibility in the rules depending upon the exigencies of a particular situation?

In theory or practice? In theory, it’s identical. In practice, it doesn’t exist (although there is less general legalism than in the RCC).

If an Orthodox priest is becoming Catholic he would still be a validly ordained priest as a Catholic, right

correct.

However, just like an RCC priest coming from the next diocese, or an RCC priest at an EC parish, he would need faculties from the local bishop before functioning as a priest.

It’s conceivable that some further education would be called for, but by the time a priest “swims the Tiber” in either direction, he probably has that knowledge at a very high level. (I suspect that he’d be more likely to be sent to the seminary as an instructor than a student.

hawk

 

[Don_Ruggero]

While a protestant deacon/pastor/priest Christians becoming Catholic have a 3 year period when they are just Catholic before the 3-4 year of Philosophy and Theology studies can start and then they can be ordained as deacons/priests in the Catholic Church.

No, this is not correct for those who are becoming Catholic clergy after being Anglican.

Those using the Ordinariate would be ordained by a Catholic Bishop – the Ordinaries of the Ordinariate in both the United Kingdom and Australia, for instance, are able to issue dimissorial letters but not to ordain since they lack the Episcopate so one of the Bishops would have confer the ordination of diaconate and presbyterate. Those entering through the pastoral provision, on the other hand, would be ordained by the Bishop who agrees to receive and incardinate them.

The man’s education and formation is taken into account as far as what, if anything, he needs in terms of courses. Anglican divines, for example, may not require anything of significance at all. In any event, the dossiers go to the Holy See for the granting of rescript, providing dispensation from the obligation of celibacy and permission to proceed with the ordination.

 

[LittleFlower]

Late to the discussion but here I am.

The parishes in my area tend to be extremely modern to put it politely with their approach to mass and I do not fit in well culturally either.

We believe in transubstantiation, meaning the body and blood of Christ are very much present at the Eucharist. Attending Mass, where it is done licitly and validly, is a blessing and a requirement on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation for Catholics.

Why would you place warm fuzzy community feelings over that?

I’ve parish hopped plenty, but never have I considered going to a service that isn’t Catholic to fulfil the aforementioned obligations—because they wouldn’t be fulfilled. I’ve parish hopped because I have also not liked aspects of worship such as the music or lack of it, the people attending, the priest, etc. Sometimes, the soul feels restless but many times it is such a blessing and relief to let go of the “ideal” Mass we may have in our minds.

This Advent and Christmas I am journeying with this Henri Nouwen book. On Day 22 there is an excerpt from a speech he gave in 1994 to FADICA members about community:

[…] Community is in fact the place where you are purified, where your love is tested, where your childhood of God is constantly put through the mill of human relationships. […] Community is a place where Judas always is and sometimes it is just you.

Preferably, you would find a community that allows you to let go of the “idea” of the perfect Mass. Communities change—the priest leaves, a new parish council is appointed, people move away, the Choir goes on a hiatus. Finding Jesus and allowing yourself to sit with him, everywhere you go is such a blessing.

The complaints about modern Masses feels like that may be your Judas, enticing you to seek an ideal that may never be able to be satisfied, if it is is perhaps only momentarily.

Hope you find your place of peace.

 

[HeDa]

I wrote what my bishop said is the procedure (where I live). The protestant pastors/priests here lack studies in Philosophy. And they need the Theology from a Catholic perspective. And then, of course, the approval from the Holy See, bishop etc.

The Anglicans have only two parishes in the country so they are very much a tiny minority of minorities. I even had to look that up as they are basically non visible. The Anglican church is not a member of the national Christian council either so we pretty much don’t hear anything about them or from them. 17 of the Orthodox Churches are members and it is likely that there are a couple of Orthodox Christians where I work but I would be the only Catholic.

Thank you father for taking the time to write and remind me of the Anglicans.

 

[LastStand]

My understanding was that the Orthodox had valid sacraments. I now know that there are Eastern Catholic Rites which are perfectly valid. I will probably look at one of those parishes in my area.

Thank you for your kind wishes and advice though.