As a Catholic priest, my actions are governed by Catholic universal law as well as by diocesan particular law, promulgated by my own bishop. The Orthodox priest, on the other hand, is to follow the law and the norms of his Church and of his bishop, which govern him.My Catholic daughter and her Greek Orthodox husband took their baby to the Greek Orthodox church after the 40 days. The priest wouldn’t give my daughter a blessing when he found that she was a Catholic. As my son said," a Catholic priest would have happily given her Greek Orthodox husband a blessing."
I’m not sure what to say. I know many Orthodox priests who happily give blessings to non-Orthodox. I’ve even had a handful of Orthodox bishops give me blessings. None of them, however, were Greek Orthodox. Perhaps it is something in their Greek Orthodox rules/norms that don’t allow for that. I’m sorry to hear about your daughter’s experience.My Catholic daughter and her Greek Orthodox husband took their baby to the Greek Orthodox church after the 40 days. The priest wouldn’t give my daughter a blessing when he found that she was a Catholic. As my son said," a Catholic priest would have happily given her Greek Orthodox husband a blessing."
Some of the prayers in the 40-day Churching ceremony refer to restoring the woman to Communion and making her worthy to receive the Body and Blood of Christ. Since your daughter cannot receive Holy Communion in the Orthodox Church, I would imagine that is why she could not be Churched along with the baby.My Catholic daughter and her Greek Orthodox husband took their baby to the Greek Orthodox church after the 40 days. The priest wouldn’t give my daughter a blessing when he found that she was a Catholic. As my son said," a Catholic priest would have happily given her Greek Orthodox husband a blessing."
Just to add a bit of clarity to my response here: The Churching is a ceremony about the return of an Orthodox mother to the Church, after her absence due to childbirth. She she is not Orthodox, she is not returning to the Church after an absence.Some of the prayers in the 40-day Churching ceremony refer to restoring the woman to Communion and making her worthy to receive the Body and Blood of Christ. Since your daughter cannot receive Holy Communion in the Orthodox Church, I would imagine that is why she could not be Churched along with the baby.
Good catch - I assumed blessing in the original post meant a standard blessing from the priest. I wasn’t thinking that the original post might be referring to something else.Some of the prayers in the 40-day Churching ceremony refer to restoring the woman to Communion and making her worthy to receive the Body and Blood of Christ. Since your daughter cannot receive Holy Communion in the Orthodox Church, I would imagine that is why she could not be Churched along with the baby.
I often get irritated when people of other faiths look for reasons to criticize the actions of priests of the Catholic Church when they refuse to do what these people want done. So, I will give this Greek Orthodox priest the right to do what he thinks is best.My Catholic daughter and her Greek Orthodox husband took their baby to the Greek Orthodox church after the 40 days. The priest wouldn’t give my daughter a blessing when he found that she was a Catholic. As my son said," a Catholic priest would have happily given her Greek Orthodox husband a blessing."
If she so much as stood with the rest of the congregation for a divine liturgy she’d be blessed multiple times by the priest. I’ve never met an Orthodox priest that would outright refuse to give the ol’ “Father Son and Holy Spirit” over anyone, let alone the Catholic spouse of one of his parishioners. That leads me to believe, as others noticed, that she may not have been allowed to be directly involved in certain blessings having to do with the “churching” of the mother, since she isn’t Orthodox and therefore they wouldn’t apply to her. Greeks are hardly stickers for the rules in my experience, nor would a Greek Orthodox priest in the US be unfamiliar with mixed Orthodox/Catholic marriages or unaware of pastoral sensitivity.This is typical behavior of the Greeks and, more commonly, of the Russian. Frankly, it is little more than instigative. The entire idea proceeds from an idea that the individual requesting a blessing is a schismatic and [potentially] questionably not baptized. Ask the Oriental Orthodox with a much more reasonable ecclesiology/mystagogy and they would never refuse.
I’m curious to the point of this thread, though. Are we to discuss if this is commonplace or official Orthodox policy or whether it is theologically correct or …?
Makes perfect sense. I mean a Catholic priest wouldn’t give a known non-Catholic communion. Another church acting in a similar manner in a Eucharistically related blessing cannot be seen as odd in that context.Some of the prayers in the 40-day Churching ceremony refer to restoring the woman to Communion and making her worthy to receive the Body and Blood of Christ. Since your daughter cannot receive Holy Communion in the Orthodox Church, I would imagine that is why she could not be Churched along with the baby.
Some of those yes, but as you say only in danger of death. Plus it’s well known the Orthodox are even stricter on their Eucharistic rules than the Catholic Church is about them.And @Padres1969, that is untrue. A Catholic priest would consume a “known non-Catholic” - case in point: Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Church of the East and even (this is where I become uncomfortable) Protestants in danger of death without the ability to approach their own ministers.
Members of the Orthodox Churches and of the Church of the East need not be in danger of death in order to receive Holy Communion in the Catholic Church.Some of those yes, but as you say only in danger of death. Plus it’s well known the Orthodox are even stricter on their Eucharistic rules than the Catholic Church is about them.
As RyanBlack said, Orthodox and the Church of the East members needn’t be in risk of death. Additionally, Eastern Orthodox might be stricter than Catholics, but Armenians and Syriacs are broadly much more willing to commune someone if they know they’re Catholic than the random Catholic priest communing an Orthodox individual.Some of those yes, but as you say only in danger of death. Plus it’s well known the Orthodox are even stricter on their Eucharistic rules than the Catholic Church is about them.
I have no experience with the Syriac Orthodox, but I have received Holy Communion from an Armenian Apostolic priest who knew that I am Catholic.As RyanBlack said, Orthodox and the Church of the East members needn’t be in risk of death. Additionally, Eastern Orthodox might be stricter than Catholics, but Armenians and Syriacs are broadly much more willing to commune someone if they know they’re Catholic than the random Catholic priest communing an Orthodox individual.
I trust that you meant to use some other verb than “consume”…I am, after all, a priest and not a cannibal. I don’t consume people…be they Catholic or non-Catholic :yup:And @Padres1969, that is untrue. A Catholic priest would consume a “known non-Catholic” - case in point: Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Church of the East and even (this is where I become uncomfortable) Protestants in danger of death without the ability to approach their own ministers.