I hope the following questions aren’t too personal (and if they are please let me know).
It’s just that I am going through RCIA, but after discussions with my EO friends I am beginning to have some doubts about the Catholic Church.
Why did you become Eastern Orthodox?
There were several reasons, but this is the core one that led us on that road. Both my husband and I disagreed with the withholding of the Eucharist from infants and young children. We worried that the required CCD classes, which we had to pay for, that our child needed to take in order to receive Holy Communion, was tantamount to buying a sacrament. None of the Roman Catholic churches we talked to would allow us to prepare our children at home for their First Communion–we had to pay for a CCD class. The Orthodox Church does not withhold the Sacrament from children. We found this to be a powerful statement and in line with the original practices in the early Church.
Why did you revert back to the Catholic Church through the Byzantine Catholic Church?
**We were disgusted with the politics of the OCA (Orthodox Church in America) as well as the local politics in our parish (the only orthodox parish in our area). We had a pastor who had many issues we could not reconcile, who put money ahead of Christ. We began to look into other Eastern churches–because the Divine Liturgy is, for us, the most powerful form of worship, and also because of the infant communion issue. We found the Byzantine-Ruthenian Catholic church, and are blessed to be able to worship there. We are cautiously stepping in, obviously, but feel very much like the Prodigal Son–beloved and welcomed! **
Were there doctrinal reasons involved in all this?
**Not sure what you mean by doctrine–probably the infant communion issue was a doctrinal issue? The Eastern Churches were allowed to retain all their traditions when they reunited with Rome (some, like the Maronite Churches, never split, though), and we were amazed that there was a Catholic church which did not withhold Eucharist from the little ones. As Jesus said, “Do not hinder these little ones, but let them come to me”! **
I would really appreciate if you would tolerate my eighteen year-old inquisitiveness.
I want to learn so much, and sometimes it seems there is so little time to learn it. :juggle:
**Since you’re 18 you have plenty of time.
As a young grad student I attended a nondenominational Christian church, realized my error, and returned to the Catholic Church. And again, at 34, am returning again. Now I know why the Church is referred to as our Mother–she welcomes us back with open arms with forgiveness. **
