May I attend the Finnish Orthodox Church when traveling when no Catholic Church is nearby?

[EphelDuath]

I’m going to be spending two weeks in the outskirts of Vaasa, Finland. It’s too inconvenient for the friends I’m staying with to take me to a Catholic parish in the city, so I was wondering if I could fulfill my Sunday Mass obligation at a local Finnish Orthodox Church’s Divine Liturgy.

Can anybody tell me any local traditions I should know before I go there? The local language here is Swedish which I speak almost nothing of, and I’ve never attended Divine Liturgy in a language I can’t speak before.

Thank you for the help & God bless!

 

[5Loaves]

It’s too inconvenient for the friends I’m staying with to take me to a Catholic parish in the city, so I was wondering if I could fulfill my Sunday Mass obligation at a local Finnish Orthodox Church’s Divine Liturgy.

There is no Sunday obligation for you if you are truly unable to get to a Catholic Church there.

You can certainly go to an Orthodox Church for Liturgy anytime, anywhere. If you will be visiting your friends during the Feast of the Ascension the Orthodox will probably have a Festal vigil the night before Ascension and Divne Liturgy the day of the feast, both of which would be wonderful to take part in.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

There is no Sunday obligation for you if you are truly unable to get to a Catholic Church there.

While this is true we do have an obligation to make sure that we can make it to Church on the required days when we are traveling on vacation.

Your pastor can dispense from this obligation. Tell him your situation.

 

[rciadan]

Better yet, see if your pastor can give you a dispensation to receive communion at the Orthodox Church, since you truly cannot get to a church that is in communion with the Bishop of Rome. I think he will allow it…

 

[The_Idiot]

His RC Pastor may permit it though I’m exceedingly doubtful ] but the chances of the Orthodox priest permitting him to approach the Chalice are miniscule.