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dvdjs
Guest
Moreover, the Balamand agreement requires Orthodox to accept the right of Greek Catholic churches to exist. That’s probably a major reason why it has not been “received” by the Orthodox.
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malfunkshun
Guest
I didn’t leave the Roman Catholic Church. I was never Roman Catholic. We disagree, lets leave it at that.I’m sorry to hear that you are leaving the one true Church for a schismatic church. I highly recommend…
…God Bless,
Holly
In Christ,
Ash
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Sunflower15
Guest
Anyone, please correct me if I’m wrong, but:
- ALL Holy Orthodox and ALL Catholic churches have unbroken & direct link to the original church established by Our Lord, EQUAL ‘claim’ so to speak,
- this includes ALL Sacraments, ALL Apostolic succession requirements, ALL original dogma & doctrine, including the Early Fathers of the Church [East & West],
- both sides have ADDED SOMEthing, but NEVER substracted ANYthing, from the original Church, Sacraments, dogma, doctrine, teachings or Tradition,
- during times of Christian persecution, ALL Orthodox & Christians were persecuted about equally AND aided each other, if needed, since they were on ‘the same boat’, for a Christian is a Christian to those who persecute Christians,
- ALL Orthodox and ALL Catholics pray to the same Trinity, hope for the same salvation, revere the same Holy Mother & the Communion of the Saints [all whom God chooses to manifest to us as saints, whether we know & acknowledge them by name or not], rejoice in the hope of eternal life with the Creator in Heaven [which means there will be both Orthodox & Catholics present!], and will cry in joy when Our Lord comes again,
- Am I wrong so far?
- So, if the Catholics write the teachings & doctrines in dogmas & catechisms rather than in Liturgical chants, or vice versa, AND if God has given us, in His infinite Mercy, some saints as living examples to each camp unknown to the other, AND if the expressions of the Holy Tradition is a little different for each [according to customs, language, sacred art forms, rituals, etc.],
- Does that make us any less ‘family’?
We are like siblings fighting one another for our OWN glory, rather than supporting each other -for the GLORY of the Father- Who grieves when He sees us like this! 
- How about the Passion, Death & Resurrection of Our Lord - for WHOM was it? Not for all? Then, WHAT is the problem???
- Isn’t GOD the ONLY source of Truth, Goodness, Justice, Light, Wisdom, Life, Mercy, and ALL that is intrinsically good? SO, obviously, God is with each or our churches then, even if there is some Evil attacking and tempting and even causing some destruction,
- Can ANY Catholic, Orthodox, Reformer, Evangelical truly completely understand & assimilate ALL of GOD within him/her?
So, how do we know that each wasn’t given a special gift -meant to be shared with the others- in order to become ONE family of Christians for God.
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Sunflower15
Guest
Am I the only one who thinks it quite ridiculous that either would even attempt to ‘evangelize’ the other? Like ‘preaching to the choir’ no? We believe in mostly the same things, but in quite different ways…:banghead:
Sadly, you know not what you are talking about at all. If you did, you would not have copy/pasted a bunch of articles. Malfunkshun was never a Catholic of any stripe. How can he be leaving the RCC if he was never a part of it?
Also, if I remember correctly, RCs aren’t supposed to be evangelizing the Orthodox per the Balamand Agreement from the 1990s.
In Christ,
Andrew
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Holly3278
Guest
I’m sorry to hear that you are leaving the one true Church for a schismatic church. I highly recommend that you read the following articles:
catholic.com/library/Authority_of_the_Pope_Part_1.asp
catholic.com/library/Authority_of_the_Pope_Part_2.asp
catholic.com/library/Origins_of_Peter_as_Pope.asp
catholic.com/library/Papal_Infallibility.asp
catholic.com/library/Peter_and_the_Papacy.asp
catholic.com/library/Peter_the_Rock.asp
catholic.com/library/Peter_Primacy.asp
catholic.com/library/Peter_Roman_Residency.asp
catholic.com/library/Was_Peter_in_Rome.asp
catholic.com/library/Peter_Successors.asp
catholic.com/library/Immaculate_Conception_and_Assum.asp
catholic.com/library/Eastern_Orthodoxy.asp
catholic.com/thisrock/2005/0504bt.asp
catholic.com/thisrock/2008/0810fea3.asp
catholic.com/thisrock/2009/0905fea6.asp
catholic.com/library/Filioque.asp
God Bless,
Holly
My apologies to both of you. I guess I didn’t read the original post well enough.
And yes, I admit that I do not know much about the Orthodox Church. Also, I did not know I was violating an agreement about not evangelizing the other group. Regardless, I sincerely apologize.
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malfunkshun
Guest
Yeah, it’s kind of ridiculous. It wasn’t my purpose to start a debate thread, but that’s what it turned into. I shouldn’t have let myself get pulled into a debate to begin with, but I couldn’t help but respond to that first post by the RC who came off with such a superior attitude and basically called the Orthodox sacraments worthless.Am I the only one who thinks it quite ridiculous that either would even attempt to ‘evangelize’ the other? Like ‘preaching to the choir’ no? We believe in mostly the same things, but in quite different ways…
Every time I posted a rebuttal I felt bad afterward, as if it was the wrong thing to do. I know that participating in this thread has mainly just fueled my pride and hasn’t accomplished anything of real value. It’s mainly served to distance myself from God and damage my spiritual health.
If I can come away from this enriched in any way, it can be summed up by a quote from the last scene of the movie, ‘Burn After Reading’.
CIA Superior: What did we learn, Palmer?
CIA Officer: I don’t know, sir.
CIA Superior: I don’t know either. I guess we learned not to do it again.
CIA Officer: Yes, sir.
Ironic, poignant, and tragically funny.
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Sarpedon
Guest
Are you basing your life philosophy around the opinions expressed by random people on an internet message board?Yeah, I really didn’t come here to argue; I just wanted to post that I was a catechumen now. There were some supportive people and I appreciate it.
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meridith
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5Loaves
Guest
I hope you’ll also remember those who were welcoming and who preferred not to stay around and engage in the negative sidetracking of your OP. You remain joyfully in my prayers for the Catechumens during the Divine Liturgy.
My priest, Byzantine Catholic, prayed for the rest of the soul of His Eminence Archbishop Job of Chicago and the Midwest (OCA) in our Divine Liturgy the week of his falling asleep. Fr Thomas Loya, Byzantine Catholic this week on his program. #274 likewise reflected on “two great Orthodox leaders: the late Archbishop Job and His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew”. He speaks of Archbishop Job now “contemplating the face of God in heaven” - expressing no question there of salvation.
As I mentioned before in PM you might find Catholics on the other forum a better community. Many have just ceased posting here at all.
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5Loaves
Guest
I hope you’ll also remember those who were welcoming and who preferred not to stay around and engage in the negative sidetracking of your OP. You remain joyfully in my prayers for the Catechumens during the Divine Liturgy.
My priest, Byzantine Catholic, prayed for the rest of the soul of His Eminence Archbishop Job of Chicago and the Midwest in our the Divine Liturgy the week of his falling asleep. Fr Thomas Loya, Byzantine Catholic this week on his program. #274 likewise reflected on “two great Orthodox leaders: the late Archbishop Job and His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew”. He speaks of Archbishop Job now “contemplating the face of God in heaven” - expressing no question there of salvation.
As I mentioned before in PM you might find Catholics on the other forum a better community. Many have just ceased posting here at all.
My priest, Byzantine Catholic, prayed for the rest of the soul of His Eminence Archbishop Job of Chicago and the Midwest in our the Divine Liturgy the week of his falling asleep. Fr Thomas Loya, Byzantine Catholic this week on his program. #274 likewise reflected on “two great Orthodox leaders: the late Archbishop Job and His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew”. He speaks of Archbishop Job now “contemplating the face of God in heaven” - expressing no question there of salvation.
As I mentioned before in PM you might find Catholics on the other forum a better community. Many have just ceased posting here at all.
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malfunkshun
Guest
Why would you think that or even ask that? I could ask you a similar question and it would be just as retarded: Do you really think a person is liable to form a life philosophy based on a limited exchange of opinions with random people on a message board?
Yeah, I haven’t forgotten the first responses to the thread. What came after was like getting cold water thrown in my face, is all. Thanks for the prayers, I need 'em.I hope you’ll also remember those who were welcoming and who preferred not to stay around and engage in the negative sidetracking of your OP. You remain joyfully in my prayers for the Catechumens during the Divine Liturgy.
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5Loaves
Guest
You were just in my prayers today, dear catechumenYeah, I haven’t forgotten the first responses to the thread. What came after was like getting cold water thrown in my face, is all. Thanks for the prayers, I need 'em.
May you have a very blest Theophany! I hope I can sleep tonight I’m so looking forward to tomorrow. 
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Hesychios
Guest
Amen!You were just in my prayers today, dear catechumen
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Hesychios
Guest
Such a small world!
Being originally from Chicago, Father Tom Loya was my pastor (as you know), I was very fond of him and he was instrumental in my growth as a Christian, as well as a good friend. Later, Archbishop Job accepted me into Holy Orthodoxy, and I had the honor of assisting him vest for liturgy at Holy Trinity cathedral on several important occasions. It was distressing to learn of his passing.
His Eminence, Archbishop Job
Memory Eternal!
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Sarpedon
Guest
You seemed to be making commentary on Catholic “attitudes,” and I wasn’t sure what those observations were based off. After rereading your post I think you were talking about actual face-to-face experiences, but the same principal still holds. Regardless, individual attitudes of individual people play no part in rationality.
In regards to your hypothetical question, I would say yes. I have known people who have rejected Catholicism because the individual Catholics they knew were not very nice. Not the most rational way to go about it! I’m not saying you are necessarily doing the same thing.
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lufty
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Thank you Sunflower. I was totally ready to have my account deleted after reading this thread…thanks for the good Christian thoughts.Am I the only one who thinks it quite ridiculous that either would even attempt to ‘evangelize’ the other? Like ‘preaching to the choir’ no? We believe in mostly the same things, but in quite different ways…
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Aramis
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The Church says that the Orthodox are close enough that they are still, in some way, a functional part. Many forget this; they need prayers.Thank you Sunflower. I was totally ready to have my account deleted after reading this thread…thanks for the good Christian thoughts.
As for malfunkshun:
Congratulations, best wishes, many years.
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Monty61
Guest
I married an Orthodox girl 5 years ago. I am Roman Catholic. I go to the Orthodox Church with her and she comes to the Catholic Church with me. Some Sundays we actually do both. She is working on her PhD in Orthodox Theology. We don’t get too hung up on the differences, although she can easily give a lecture on them. Neither one of us plans to convert.
We had our church wedding in her Orthodox Church in Romania, with the permission of my Bishop. We had 2 Orthodox priests and a Roman Catholic priest. Everyone commented on how beautiful it was that we had both Churches represented, and expressed the conviction that they wished for unity with the Catholic Church. It was the Orthodox wedding ceremony and the Catholic priest participated.
We had our church wedding in her Orthodox Church in Romania, with the permission of my Bishop. We had 2 Orthodox priests and a Roman Catholic priest. Everyone commented on how beautiful it was that we had both Churches represented, and expressed the conviction that they wished for unity with the Catholic Church. It was the Orthodox wedding ceremony and the Catholic priest participated.
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Andrew_Phillip
Guest
I’m a Ukrainian from Australia, so we often see marriages between Catholic and Orthodox believers.
It is important to note that scripture indicates that union with a non-believer (or someone outside of your own Church) can with the approval of God, lead to the sanctification and salvation of the other person by virtue of that union.
Originally (in the biblical times) this was only thought to apply when there was a union between believers and non-believers, but today, non-believers might be those from another Church.
It’s up to God - and He respects love and commitment enough to save a soul on that basis.
Congratulations… and I hope you are following tradition and bringing up the children in their mothers’ Orthodox tradition.
It is important to note that scripture indicates that union with a non-believer (or someone outside of your own Church) can with the approval of God, lead to the sanctification and salvation of the other person by virtue of that union.
Originally (in the biblical times) this was only thought to apply when there was a union between believers and non-believers, but today, non-believers might be those from another Church.
It’s up to God - and He respects love and commitment enough to save a soul on that basis.
Congratulations… and I hope you are following tradition and bringing up the children in their mothers’ Orthodox tradition.
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meridith
Guest
If one is Orthodox, and one is Catholic, then they are BOTH believers! Neither one is an unbeliever!
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