Help - Why stay Catholic vs. moving to Eastern Orthodoxy?

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adf417 said:
There is much confusion on this fourm as to which Orthodox are in communion with each other and to me this is the outward sign of differences in communions.
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The “confusion” on the forum is forwarded exclusively by Roman Catholics who are trying to create an apparent problem to be solved by the supposedly unifying office of the papacy.

In reality there’s very little if any confusion.
 
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Vonsalza said:
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adf417:
There is much confusion on this fourm as to which Orthodox are in communion with each other and to me this is the outward sign of differences in communions.
Click to expand...
The “confusion” on the forum is forwarded exclusively by Roman Catholics who are trying to create an apparent problem to be solved by the supposedly unifying office of the papacy.

In reality there’s very little if any confusion.
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With all due respect, the confusion i speak of comes from the Orthodox side that does not match reality of Orthodox friends.

Peace!!!
 
No problem. I currently attend an OCA church.

The problem is easy enough to test, right?

Of the currently extant Eastern Orthodox Churches, which one currently suffers from a more limited communion?
 
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From Eastern Orthodoxy and Catholicism; Does it matter?:
Roguish said:
Have you spent some time at both an RC church and an EO church? If not, you really need to do that before you decide. Even though there are many points of agreement, the “community feel” of EO is very different from the “commuity feel” of the RC church.

And to be totally honest, it might depend a bit on your nationality, ethnicity, and your native language(s) too. The EO churches are definitely more “tied” to certain nationalities, languages, and ethnicities, than the RC church. Not that they won’t welcome you if you’re not “one of them” – they will. But realistically, the RC church is really more accessible regardless of one’s background. It’s also much more ubiquitous.

So, no theological arguments from me, more practical ones. Who knows, I might have swung to EO myself long ago if I’d spoken Russian and felt completely at home with their rituals. (No sarcasm intended.)
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The reason I’m quoting myself from that other thread, is that you (OP) seem to be trying to decide between RC and EO based purely on rational grounds, by evaluating from theological, ecclesiastical, and historical angles. But a religion is not defined solely by its theoretical aspects – not by a long shot. A religion is very much also defined by its community feel, and – whether you like it or not – by the cultures, ethnicities, and languages it is tied up with. Doesn’t mean you can’t join if you’re not from that background; but it is unwise not to take this into consideration.
 
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It’s unfair to say that it is only an EO/OO problem. Have you ever been to a Polish Catholic parish? Italian, Irish or predominantly German Catholic parish? Maybe you’re in the South Western United States where you have parishes that are predominantly Hispanic, in particular, Mexican. One can feel very out of place in one of those parishes.

I myself, as a Byzantine Catholic, when out of town and there is no Byzantine Catholic Church, my family and I attend Liturgy and an EO parish. We have been to some very ethnic ones but have always been welcomed and never felt out of place. Maybe it’s because we share the same Liturgy and we know what we are doing so we don’t seem “different.”

ZP
 
Sure. RCC churches do not feel precisely the same everywhere either. In fact where I live the RCC is very different from the Church in North America and West Europe. Still, generally speaking the RCC is a little more accessible than the Orthodox churches, as my experience goes. One reason for this is that the Orthodox do not make anywhere near the missionary effort that the RCC does (and did in the past). The result is that if you go to an EO Church in a country that is not historically EO, you’ll probably meet mostly immigrants and expats of Russian background, or Ukranian, or any historically EO country. On the other hand, if you go to an RCC Church in, say, Japan, you will meet 90% Japanese people, only the remainder being immigrants and expats. That’s still a very different experience for you if you’re a non-Japanese Catholic, of course, but I’m assuming the OP is looking to join an EO Church in his own country. That will likely be a big change for him if he’s used to going to an RCC Church in his own country.

Oh, and you’re right about the shared liturgy. A Byzantine-rite Catholic will feel at home more easily in an EO Church, of course.
 
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Thanks! I’ll try googling that specific letter now that I have a better idea of what I’m looking for.
 
I’m not really concerned about the community feel. The culture, ethnic background, language, etc. doesn’t matter much to me. I just want to be worshiping God in what I feel is the closest representation of what Jesus intended when he founded the Church some 2,000 years ago. I want to be in the Church that is the closest representation of the Fullness of the Faith. Once I feel comfortable saying that, then I need to be in that Church. To get there, I need to work out (for me personally) the issue of papal supremacy. The other stuff really doesn’t matter for me.
 
As the OP, I don’t care where my Church is…just so I am comfortable in saying I’m in the “right” one. Once I can say that, I don’t care what language, nationality, culture, etc., I find myself in. To that end, yes, I’m staying (generally speaking) in my home country regardless of RC vs EO vs CO vs any apostolic Church I might end up in.
 
I’m Byzantine Catholic and belong to a lovely parish but I’m in love with the community of the OCA parish in town and at times we attend there. Whether you stick with RC or go EO you will be in the “right” place either way.

ZP
 
Thanks Steve. I’m confident she’s waited the 18 days between her post and your reply with great anticipation.

Just couldn’t leave it on an ecumenical note, right?

🤣🤣🤣
 
BusterMartin said:
I don’t care what language, nationality, culture, etc., I find myself in.
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Okay, but have you actually spent some time with an EO community so far? If you have, good. If not, then I recommend you do that before making a final decision on conversion. I considered converting to EO some years ago, so I went to some EO parishes. I was made to feel very welcome, but that doesn’t change the fact that getting used to a different language, rituals, liturgy, habits, and people isn’t a small thing.

So I’m saying: don’t decide on theological grounds alone. The community aspect is an integral part of any religion.
 
steve-b said:
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Vonsalza:
Thanks Steve. I’m confident she’s waited the 18 days between her post and your reply with great anticipation.

Just couldn’t leave it on an ecumenical note, right?

🤣🤣🤣
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I support true ecumenism 😎

not false ecumenism
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You support pride, Steve. As such you hold Christ to his cross just a bit longer and Satan screams in delight.

Be proud, Steve.
 
steve-b said:
Jesus already answered that one. The apostles were in an argument over which one of THEM is the greatest. Jesus said it was Peter.
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You seem to be invoking Luke chapter 22. I don’t understand how this proves your point. This chapter first mentions Peter in verse 8, where Jesus orders him to prepare the passover meal. The passage about the question which of the disciples is greatest is much later (verses 23-27), where no disciple is mentioned by name. After that Peter is mentioned in verse 34, but in a context that’s unrelated to that question; same for verses 54 vv.
 
Roguish said:
So I’m saying: don’t decide on theological grounds alone. The community aspect is an integral part of any religion.
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Honestly, it might be the most important part, even as it pains a westerner to say this since it flies in the face of my comfortable traditions of legalism and scholasticism.
 
Vonsalza said:
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steve-b:
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Vonsalza:
Thanks Steve. I’m confident she’s waited the 18 days between her post and your reply with great anticipation.

Just couldn’t leave it on an ecumenical note, right?

🤣🤣🤣
Click to expand...
I support true ecumenism 😎

not false ecumenism
Click to expand...
You support pride, Steve. As such you hold Christ to his cross just a bit longer and Satan screams in delight.

Be proud, Steve.
Click to expand...
I’m proud to be Catholic, and that’s because I’m proud of Jesus and what He did. I’m also going to be obedient to Him being fully aware of the consequences out there for the one’s who are disobedient, and obstinate and refuse to bend their will to Our Lortd’s will for them.

Doing what He says demonstrates love for Him.
 
Just like the Orthodox are proud to be Orthodox in Christ’s Orthodox Church;
-like Anglicans in Christ’s Anglican Church
-like Baptists in Christ’s Baptist Church
-(ad infinitum)

As such, all you’re proving is that you’re a hard-liner for your faith. Just like the monks on Athos who are reasonably certain all non-Orthodox are going to hell, like the primitive Baptists in Appalachia who are reasonably certain all non-primitive Baptists are going to hell. Pride.

Yawn
 
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