Byzantine Catholicism - Orthodox Church

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Archangel_Mike

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I am a Byzantine Catholic, and I live in a place where the closest Byzantine liturgy is 4 hrs away, and Latin is an hr away. There is a beautiful orthodox church 2 miles away though, but I love the liturgy of saint John Chrysostom so much that I feel if I went to liturgy over at the orthodox church, I will abandon the Catholic Church. and I love the pope, but I am scared that my homesickness for my liturgy will make me orthodox (with no beef against Catholics). Please give your thoughts.
 
Archangel_Mike said:
I am a Byzantine Catholic, and I live in a place where the closest Byzantine liturgy is 4 hrs away, and Latin is an hr away. There is a beautiful orthodox church 2 miles away though, but I love the liturgy of saint John Chrysostom so much that I feel if I went to liturgy over at the orthodox church, I will abandon the Catholic Church. and I love the pope, but I am scared that my homesickness for my liturgy will make me orthodox (with no beef against Catholics). Please give your thoughts.
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Would you be able to attend the Orthodox parish without losing your Catholicism? That would seem to be a happy medium. 🙂

Peace and God bless!
 
I understand that the line between who’s Melkite and who’s Orthodox in the Middle East is very fluid.

Same for Syriac Orthodox/Syrian Catholic.

And I’ve heard similar stories about Eastern Europe, too. (“Oh, we’re Orthodox here. Only the Priest is a Greek Catholic”–punchline of a true story.)

It seems only in the US is this line so sharp.
 
dixibehr said:
I understand that the line between who’s Melkite and who’s Orthodox in the Middle East is very fluid.

Same for Syriac Orthodox/Syrian Catholic.

And I’ve heard similar stories about Eastern Europe, too. (“Oh, we’re Orthodox here. Only the Priest is a Greek Catholic”–punchline of a true story.)

It seems only in the US is this line so sharp.
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That punchline could be written for my Melkite parish. 😛

Not only are many of our members Antiochian Orthodox, some of the most active members, including members of the Parish Council, are Antiochian Orthodox. This despite the fact that there is an Antiochian Orthodox parish just a few miles away; it’s a “convert parish”, made up primarily of Evangelicals who converted to Eastern Orthodoxy en masse some decades ago, and the “old country” Antiochians tend to mesh better with the Melkites. 🤷

Speaking for myself, I know I could attend an Orthodox church regularily without losing any of my Catholicism, but I neither foresee that being necessary, nor do I expect that everyone would feel the same way.

Peace and God bless!
 
Ghosty said:
…Speaking for myself, I know I could attend an Orthodox church regularily without losing any of my Catholicism, but I neither foresee that being necessary, nor do I expect that everyone would feel the same way.

Peace and God bless!
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I would suggest seeking out the blessing of one’s priest before attempting such a thing. But as you say, it happens a lot.

I might be in a similar situation myself in the future. I would not feel my Orthodoxy at risk if I worshiped with Roman Catholics.

Michael
 
Archangel_Mike said:
I am a Byzantine Catholic, and I live in a place where the closest Byzantine liturgy is 4 hrs away, and Latin is an hr away. There is a beautiful orthodox church 2 miles away though, but I love the liturgy of saint John Chrysostom so much that I feel if I went to liturgy over at the orthodox church, I will abandon the Catholic Church. and I love the pope, but I am scared that my homesickness for my liturgy will make me orthodox (with no beef against Catholics). Please give your thoughts.
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Christ is risen!

I am so often saying to my fellow Catholics how spoiled we are that we have so many opportunities for the Mass- in my little town, 4 Catholic churches, each with daily Mass and each with minimum 4 weekend Masses, and then people will belly ache about how Father says the Mass (and I’m no angel- I can be sitting there being annoyed by something he does, too)- when there are so many places in the world where there’s no priest for months at a time etc. and many other places where it is dangerous even to go to Mass.

And here you are in the heartland with your challenging situation. I’m humbled yet again… and so grateful for the riches available to me, even sometimes in tarnished forms…

In the “Christ is risen!” thread you mention you were attached before to the Holy Resurrection Monastery. I think you should be talking with Father Maximos or one of the other monks there you were close to about this situation. Have you been asking them for guidance?

Great Week, Monday Matins I was at the Greek Orthodox church about a 15 mins drive from my home, Tues Hours and Presanctified Liturgy I was at a small and wonderful Russian Orthodox Parish 45 minutes drive from home, Wed, Th., Fri. afternoons to evenings I was at the Byzantine church, 45 minutes drive, I normally go to about once a month or so (they had no services on Mon and Tu) and Saturday Anastasis Services and Divine Liturgy back at the local Greek Orthodox. I didn’t have an Eastern Catholic option for Mon and Tu and I’d have loved to be with my Byzantine friends for Pascha but didn’t feel safe driving home at 3am from that distance. I felt very blest to have Orthodox options for those other days, even as I did not partake of the Eucharist when at the Orthodox liturgies.

I’m a Latin Rite Catholic and I don’t see myself changing Rites, so it is conceivable to me you could attend the Orthodox church in your neighborhood without finding yourself leaving the Catholic Church. But, again, I think you should be seeking spiritual direction from your spiritual father who at this point seems most likely back in Newberry Springs, (or are they moved now to Valyermo?) because if the the closest Byzantine liturgy is 4 hrs away I’m guessing you probably haven’t got the connection with their priest that you had with those at Holy Resurrection Monastery.

Are you on the byzcath.org/forums ? If not check it out. You are in my prayers.
 
Archangel_Mike said:
I am a Byzantine Catholic, and I live in a place where the closest Byzantine liturgy is 4 hrs away, and Latin is an hr away. There is a beautiful orthodox church 2 miles away though, but I love the liturgy of saint John Chrysostom so much that I feel if I went to liturgy over at the orthodox church, I will abandon the Catholic Church. and I love the pope, but I am scared that my homesickness for my liturgy will make me orthodox (with no beef against Catholics). Please give your thoughts.
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I am Orthodox and if my only option was a Melkite Catholic Church, I would go, and talk to the Priest about Communing. We do have the SAME Sacraments.:eek:
 
The downside however, might be that you could end up in an environment where the teachings of the Catholic Church are regularly attacked as being false.
 
The downside however, might be that you could end up in an environment where the teachings of the Catholic Church are regularly attacked as being false.
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That can happen in Latin parishes as well; the recent statement of the Chairman of the German Bishop’s Conference seems to publically deny the sacrificial nature of Christ’s death. lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/apr/09042107.html
 
Agreed. One can hear just about anything in a Catholic Church that runs contrary to the Church’s teaching.
 
Thanks guys, I went there for Great Vespers, and it was beautiful, but I have no fear of being orthodox now (not there is anything wrong with that), as I was there as a strong catholic. It was kinda funny to see the look on the priest’s face after I told him I was catholic. (he saw me make the sign of the cross the eastern [original] way, and I greeted him with “Christos Voskrese”, and stayed chanting in tune, without having to use the book. and then to hear I was catholic… it was almost comical to see the expression on his face. I will be coming back, but as a catholic, not as an orthodox.
 
mlouise007 said:
Christ is risen!

I am so often saying to my fellow Catholics how spoiled we are that we have so many opportunities for the Mass- in my little town, 4 Catholic churches, each with daily Mass and each with minimum 4 weekend Masses, and then people will belly ache about how Father says the Mass (and I’m no angel- I can be sitting there being annoyed by something he does, too)- when there are so many places in the world where there’s no priest for months at a time etc. and many other places where it is dangerous even to go to Mass.

And here you are in the heartland with your challenging situation. I’m humbled yet again… and so grateful for the riches available to me, even sometimes in tarnished forms…

In the “Christ is risen!” thread you mention you were attached before to the Holy Resurrection Monastery. I think you should be talking with Father Maximos or one of the other monks there you were close to about this situation. Have you been asking them for guidance?

Great Week, Monday Matins I was at the Greek Orthodox church about a 15 mins drive from my home, Tues Hours and Presanctified Liturgy I was at a small and wonderful Russian Orthodox Parish 45 minutes drive from home, Wed, Th., Fri. afternoons to evenings I was at the Byzantine church, 45 minutes drive, I normally go to about once a month or so (they had no services on Mon and Tu) and Saturday Anastasis Services and Divine Liturgy back at the local Greek Orthodox. I didn’t have an Eastern Catholic option for Mon and Tu and I’d have loved to be with my Byzantine friends for Pascha but didn’t feel safe driving home at 3am from that distance. I felt very blest to have Orthodox options for those other days, even as I did not partake of the Eucharist when at the Orthodox liturgies.

I’m a Latin Rite Catholic and I don’t see myself changing Rites, so it is conceivable to me you could attend the Orthodox church in your neighborhood without finding yourself leaving the Catholic Church. But, again, I think you should be seeking spiritual direction from your spiritual father who at this point seems most likely back in Newberry Springs, (or are they moved now to Valyermo?) because if the the closest Byzantine liturgy is 4 hrs away I’m guessing you probably haven’t got the connection with their priest that you had with those at Holy Resurrection Monastery.

Are you on the byzcath.org/forums ? If not check it out. You are in my prayers.
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I might know you… what is your name… I was eldest child of that large family that moved to Iowa 6 yrs ago, but we were going to church there for 3 years before we moved, so I might know you.
 
Archangel_Mike said:
I might know you… what is your name… I was eldest child of that large family that moved to Iowa 6 yrs ago, but we were going to church there for 3 years before we moved, so I might know you.
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I’m up in the SF Bay, not down by the monks at HRM-- wish I were closer to them some times 🙂 I hear Father Maximos often on Father Tom’s “Light of the East” radio program and had a long chat with him in the airport after the Orientale Lumen Conference conference in San Diego last year. I love the series of interviews Catherine Alexander did with them on Youtube youtube.com/user/YourWordFromTheWise
 
Archangel_Mike said:
I might know you… what is your name… I was eldest child of that large family that moved to Iowa 6 yrs ago, but we were going to church there for 3 years before we moved, so I might know you.
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Were you also in a parish there in southern CA in addition to going to HRM? Which one? I might have met your priest at the OL Conference.
 
Seamus_L said:
The downside however, might be that you could end up in an environment where the teachings of the Catholic Church are regularly attacked as being false.
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Ummm yeah that’s what we Orthodox due on Sundays during and after the Divine Liturgy…is talk about the Catholic Church. Give me a break !
 
Pravoslavac said:
Ummm yeah that’s what we Orthodox due on Sundays during and after the Divine Liturgy…is talk about the Catholic Church. Give me a break !
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Same here, the only time I even think about the Roman Church is on this forum, otherwise Orthodox all the time. Maybe someday we will be one:)🙂
 
Pravoslavac said:
Ummm yeah that’s what we Orthodox due on Sundays during and after the Divine Liturgy…is talk about the Catholic Church. Give me a break !
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Why the sarcasm?

Do you think it is constructive and adds to the discussion?

Did the person to whom you are responding say that all the Orthodox do before and after the DL is talk about the Catholic Church?
 
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