For any Orthodox Converts: Why did you leave the Catholic Church for the Orthodox Church?

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StMarina303ad

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I am curious as to the reasons why my fellow Orthodox Christians converted from the Catholic Church to Orthodoxy. Please tell us your stories.
 
Mickey said:
The fullness of truth. 👍
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I agree with your statement.

I want to dig a little deeper though.

Can you expand on it a bit? Maybe give some specifics that you came across in your journey that lead you to believe the Orthodox has the fullness of truth?
 
StMarina303ad said:
Can you expand on it a bit?
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I began to seriously study Church history. I learned about the Church praxis and teachings when the Church was one–before the great schism. I studied the role of the early papacy before the division. I studied the seven Ecumenical councils. My library swelled with books relating to lives of saints, Church history, and theology. The Divine Liturgy of Sts Chrysostom and Basil spoke to my heart. I have a particular love for everything monastic!

After years of prayer and discernment, my wife and I were received into Holy Orthodoxy. We are at great peace.

Have you seen the movie, “Ostrov”?
It is the essence of Holy Orthodoxy! 🙂
 
Mickey said:
I began to seriously study Church history. I learned about the Church praxis and teachings when the Church was one–before the great schism. I studied the role of the early papacy before the division. I studied the seven Ecumenical councils. My library swelled with books relating to lives of saints, Church history, and theology. The Divine Liturgy of Sts Chrysostom and Basil spoke to my heart. I have a particular love for everything monastic!

After years of prayer and discernment, my wife and I were received into Holy Orthodoxy. We are at great peace.

Have you seen the movie, “Ostrov”?
It is the essence of Holy Orthodoxy! 🙂
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You’re right your journey is near idential to mine!

Do you remember anything in all that study that really shocked you?

No I’ve never heard of that movie.
 
StMarina303ad said:
Do you remember anything in all that study that really shocked you?
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Plenty!

The Latins added the Filioque clause after almost 1000 years.

The post schism doctrines of purgatory, IC, and papal infallibility/supremacy were not a part of the undivided Church.

Pope Honorius was heretic.

I could go on and on…but you get my point. 🙂
 
Mickey said:
That would be for a different thread.
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Well not necessarily. Why don’t you let him know what discoveries you found out when you did your research prior to converting to Orthodoxy?
 
srferdave said:
What do Orthodox believe about the Pope?
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I guess we could ask you first which Pope are you refering to? The Pope of Alexandria? Where the term “Pope” was first used to describe a Patriarch. Although it was then as still is today used to describe the Patriarch of Alexandria. Later on, the Patriarch of Rome began to use the same title.

Since this is Catholic Answers not Coptic Answers I assume you mean the Pope of Rome.

The Orthodox believe that Pope of Rome is Patriarch for his juristiction that of Roman Church, just as the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople is the Patriarch of his juristicition that of the Greek Church, just as the Pope of Alexandria is the Patriarch of the Coptic Church, etc., etc.

The Pope of Rome just as each Patriarch as stated in the Councils of the Church are equal as all Bishops are equal with one another.

Orthodoxy recognizes that the Pope of Rome is in schism because the Church of Rome decided to separate themselves from the historical Church. To be sure, just as all Orthodox Churches do, they still maintain a valid priesthood and continued apostolic succession. However, they have added things which were never part of the Faith as originally hand down to us from Jesus and the Apostles. When the Roman Church left Orthodoxy it lost the infallibility which the Holy Spirit uses to guide the Church to prevent it from teaching error. Which is why only the Orthodox Church still maintains the purity of the Faith.

The Orthodox Church waits with open arms for the Roman Church to come back home. But will not accept her home until she changes her ways. Much like a loving family would want their wayward child to come back home but not until that child repented and stopped using drugs. Once Rome renounces the false teachings it has come up with over the last 1,000 years or so and again embraces the Christian Faith as given to us by Christ and his Apostles she can come back into union with the Orthodox Church and based on the ancient secular/historic significance of the city of Rome would be considered 1st Among Equals again.
 
I went in the opposite direction. I guess that’s a different thread. Sorry.
 
srferdave said:
So do you have several Popes at once?
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Today’s Roman Catholic understanding of “Pope” is completely different that the ancient Christian understanding of it. It means father and anyone can use it call a priest; however, traditionally, the Alexandrian Patriarch was called Pope and then the Roman Patriarch decided he wanted to be called Pope too so know both Patriarchs are known by the name Pope. I’m not personally aware if any other Patriarch is referred to as Pope, although there would be nothing wrong with it if they were. It’s simply a term of endearment.

There can only be 1 Patriarch over each jurisdiction. There is a Patriarch over Rome, a Patriarch over Constantinople, a Patriarch over Alexandria, a Patriarch over Antioch, a Patriarch over Jeruselem and a Patriarch over Moscow (which entered the top 5 Patriarchs when Rome left the rest of the Church).

Since Rome left the Church, the Roman Patriarch has changed the role of Patriarch in a way that the Church. Example: just in the last 100 years or so (maybe 200 now) the Pope of Rome now claims that the Church is Infallible only because the Pope of Rome is Infallible whereas the teaching of the Church has always been that the Church in Infallible because it is the Holy Spirit which leads it - Infallible decisions are only made in a council of the Church - not from 1 person, the Pope of Rome speaking excathedra. Such a concept is completely foreign to the historic Church and was actually condemned by earlier Roman Popes.
 
StMarina303ad said:
Today’s Roman Catholic understanding of “Pope” is completely different that the ancient Christian understanding of it. It means father and anyone can use it call a priest; however, traditionally, the Alexandrian Patriarch was called Pope and then the Roman Patriarch decided he wanted to be called Pope too so know both Patriarchs are known by the name Pope. I’m not personally aware if any other Patriarch is referred to as Pope, although there would be nothing wrong with it if they were. It’s simply a term of endearment.

There can only be 1 Patriarch over each jurisdiction. There is a Patriarch over Rome, a Patriarch over Constantinople, a Patriarch over Alexandria, a Patriarch over Antioch, a Patriarch over Jeruselem and a Patriarch over Moscow (which entered the top 5 Patriarchs when Rome left the rest of the Church).
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So who is your Pope right now?
Since Rome left the Church, the Roman Patriarch has changed the role of Patriarch in a way that the Church. Example: just in the last 100 years or so (maybe 200 now) the Pope of Rome now claims that the Church is Infallible only because the Pope of Rome is Infallible whereas the teaching of the Church has always been that the Church in Infallible because it is the Holy Spirit which leads it - Infallible decisions are only made in a council of the Church - not from 1 person, the Pope of Rome speaking excathedra. Such a concept is completely foreign to the historic Church and was actually condemned by earlier Roman Popes.
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I’ve always understood that the Pope is only infallible in Faith and Morals. And this infallibility is directed from the Holy Spirit. The Pope himself is NOT infallible. The Pope DOES make mistakes like the rest of us, but the Holy Spirit guides him infallibly when it comes to Faith and Morals. Thats how I understood it.
 
StMarina303ad said:
Today’s Roman Catholic understanding of “Pope” is completely different that the ancient Christian understanding of it. It means father and anyone can use it call a priest; however, traditionally, the Alexandrian Patriarch was called Pope and then the Roman Patriarch decided he wanted to be called Pope too so know both Patriarchs are known by the name Pope. I’m not personally aware if any other Patriarch is referred to as Pope, although there would be nothing wrong with it if they were. It’s simply a term of endearment.
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Is there historical evidence that the word “Pope” was applied to Alexandria before is was applied to Rome? I was under the impression that was up in the air.
StMarina303ad said:
… and a Patriarch over Moscow (which entered the top 5 Patriarchs when Rome left the rest of the Church).
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Well that depends on whether you date “Rome leaving the rest of the Church” in the 11th century or the 15th century. Because there was no Patriarch of Moscow until the 15th century.
StMarina303ad said:
Since Rome left the Church, the Roman Patriarch has changed the role of Patriarch in a way that the Church. Example: just in the last 100 years or so (maybe 200 now) the Pope of Rome now claims that the Church is Infallible only because the Pope of Rome is Infallible whereas the teaching of the Church has always been that the Church in Infallible because it is the Holy Spirit which leads it - Infallible decisions are only made in a council of the Church - not from 1 person, the Pope of Rome speaking excathedra. Such a concept is completely foreign to the historic Church and was actually condemned by earlier Roman Popes.
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It’s important to distinguish official Catholic teaching from statements made by individual Catholics. For example, I have many many time heard Catholics say that the Pope is infallible whenever (!) he teaches anything about faith or morals; but the official Catholic teaching (from Vatican I, to be specific) only says that the Pope is infallible when he makes an ex cathedra statement.
 
srferdave said:
So who is your Pope right now?

I am a Greek Orthodox Christian of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, New Rome, founded by St. Andrew the Apostle and older brother of St. Peter. Our current Patriarch is His All Holiness,Bartholomew. He is the Ecumenical Patriarch of the Orthodox Church and the 270th successor of St. Andrew the Apostle. He is not use the title Pope as does his fellow Patriach of Alexandria. You can trace all the successors of St. Andrew up to Bartholomew at: ec-patr.org/list/index.php?lang=en

I’ve always understood that the Pope is only infallible in Faith and Morals. And this infallibility is directed from the Holy Spirit. The Pope himself is NOT infallible. The Pope DOES make mistakes like the rest of us, but the Holy Spirit guides him infallibly when it comes to Faith and Morals. Thats how I understood it.
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Kudos! You understand the role of the Roman Pope the way the Roman Catholic Church currently sees it; however, the ancient Christian Church never saw that any one person, called Pope or not, could be infallible in any matters including faith and morals. It is the Church that is Infallible as the Holy Spirit directs the Orthodox Church just as it did in the Early Church when Rome was still a part of it.

In the 1800’s a Pope of Rome declared himself infallible (in issues of faith and morals) and part of the Catholic Church broke away from the Roman Catholic Church. Why? Because they knew that declaration to be error, to be foreign to the historical Church. Plus if you look at the teachings of the popes in matters of faith and morals in the early Church you will see that often the Roman Popes contradicted themselves - 1 major issue in particular stands out in my mind: the Filioque.

The Holy Spirit guides the Church entire, not one person. That has always been the Tradition of the Church.
 
Oops … Should have reloaded the page before I posted. :o
srferdave said:
The Pope DOES make mistakes like the rest of us, but the Holy Spirit guides him infallibly when it comes to Faith and Morals. Thats how I understood it.
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Well, at any rate your in good company. (See my last post.)
 
StMarina303ad said:
The Holy Spirit guides the Church entire, not one person. That has always been the Tradition of the Church.
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I agree with this. But what happens when 2 people in the same church have 2 different views on one issue?
 
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