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UnityofTrinity
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Is this true? 
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Elijahmaria
Guest
My question is do the Orthodox in Communion with Rome accept a limited use of artificial birth control…?Is this true?
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Friar_David_O.Carm
Guest
I do not know about that.
But Eastern Catholics are Catholic. They hold to what the Catholic Church teaches.
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MartyrForJesus
Guest
How could they? Contraception is gravely sinful and is an infallible teaching of the Church.
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AnthonyJ
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Since they are Catholic, No.
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Dan_Daly
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I have looked into this same question, as I was very surprised and disturbed to hear the same thing.
The answer you will get is…it depends.
Yes some Orthodox do tolerate articial contraception.
Eastern Rite Catholics do not, as they are indeed Catholics.
The Orthodox describe themselves as “Catholic” but so do all sorts of people, it does not make it so. You will find it is very difficult to get an answer to questions along the lines of “What does the Orthodox Church teach about…?” Because different factions sometimes teach different things.
The Orthodox have much to teach us. In many cases they live more authentically orthodox lives than Catholics. However, the fact that some in their heirarchy can accept a grave evil like contraception does show the peril one places themselves in when they are seperated from Rome.
Pax Christi
The answer you will get is…it depends.
Yes some Orthodox do tolerate articial contraception.
Eastern Rite Catholics do not, as they are indeed Catholics.
The Orthodox describe themselves as “Catholic” but so do all sorts of people, it does not make it so. You will find it is very difficult to get an answer to questions along the lines of “What does the Orthodox Church teach about…?” Because different factions sometimes teach different things.
The Orthodox have much to teach us. In many cases they live more authentically orthodox lives than Catholics. However, the fact that some in their heirarchy can accept a grave evil like contraception does show the peril one places themselves in when they are seperated from Rome.
Pax Christi
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Alveus_Lacuna
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Processing my robot response…
ERROR ERROR ERROR Without Rome there are condoms without Rome there is DOOM.
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Dan_Daly
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I think you are misunderstanding me. My point was that without Rome, one loses the True guide of the ship- one falls into error, as is the case here.
However, many people in the Catholic church have fallen into this same error and many other ones. In the US, Catholics contracept at the basically the same rate as anyone else. My point was that in spite of their seperation, many Orthodox do live lives that in many ways are virtuous.
Protestantism is an horrific heresy. That doesn’t mean that I (a Catholic) can’t learn how to live a more Christian life from Protestants in many cases. At the same time, I must pray and work for their conversion and enterance into the One True Church.
That is the point I was trying to make about the Orthodox.
Contraception: evil.
Rome: Essential.
Hopefully, I cleared things up enough that you can see we agree on that.
However, many people in the Catholic church have fallen into this same error and many other ones. In the US, Catholics contracept at the basically the same rate as anyone else. My point was that in spite of their seperation, many Orthodox do live lives that in many ways are virtuous.
Protestantism is an horrific heresy. That doesn’t mean that I (a Catholic) can’t learn how to live a more Christian life from Protestants in many cases. At the same time, I must pray and work for their conversion and enterance into the One True Church.
That is the point I was trying to make about the Orthodox.
Contraception: evil.
Rome: Essential.
Hopefully, I cleared things up enough that you can see we agree on that.
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MartyrForJesus
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I like this post.
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Cavaradossi
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Or perhaps the Orthodox do not have such a pessimistic view of sexuality as the Catholics do. How strange that the families typically have three or more children at my parish. Given Orthodoxy’s evil allowance for contraception (an allowance which must be accompanied by pastoral care), one might think the confused Orthodox laity would just have endless depraved intercourse without ever producing children, as would our evil and impious clergy who advise the laity on such matters (including the reminder that multiplying is definitely a primary purpose of marriage).
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Cavaradossi
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Christ is the helmsman of the Church. Never once in the liturgy have I seen the bishop of Rome mentioned, much less called the guide of the ship.
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Dan_Daly
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With charity, you are putting words into my mouth. I haven’t called any Orthodox laity depraved or any Orthodox clergy evil or impious. In fact, I’ve spoken highly of the virtiuous lives many lead.
Contraception is evil, and the ends do not justify the means. No amount of pastoral guidance can permit one to defy the will of God. This is a lesson many- Orthodox, Catholics, and others need to take to heart.
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Dan_Daly
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The Catholic Church was founded by Christ, and the Bishop of Rome is His vicar on earth.
I do not intend to turn this thread into a discussion of larger issues, but this should make it clear for the OP that the Orthodox are not “catholic” in the way the Catholic Church means Catholic. The papacy is not an optional item in the Catholic mindset.
Again, though you will find many varying views on the Bishop of Rome among various Orthodox sources, some further from the truth and some closer.
Pax Christi
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Cavaradossi
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And the Orthodox Church professes that it is the Church which started at Pentecost, and that it is the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church (meaning that the Catholic Church is not from the Orthodox perspective catholic at all). I don’t see how this is a very helpful thing for either you or me to bring up.
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Jeffgo
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The simple fact is, contraception was condemned by the early Church. Orthodox who accept the use of contraception must admit that they are acting out of touch with the Early Church. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America even admits that the current permissive views regarding contraception are out of step with what the early Christians believed: goarch.org/ourfaith/ourfaith7101 Do a control-F search for “contraception” to see what I mean. The Church Fathers attest to this as well; I can supply quotes if necessary.
That being said, I’ve gotten the impression that the Orthodox are more apprehensive on contraception than the Protestants. The Orthodox priest whom I dialogued with for a while was staunchly against it, and some of the Orthodox writings I’ve read on the subject mention that there is disagreement on the issue amongst theologians.
I would hope that all Orthodox reject the hormonal forms of birth control (ie: the pill, depo-provera, etc.) since these forms have to potential to prevent a newly-conceived embryo from implanting (that’s called an abortion…)
As for the Eastern Catholic Churches, in terms of official teaching, they are in union with Rome, not just canonically, but in terms of moral theology as well. In other words, they are against it. If they were for contraception, I don’t think they’d be in union with Rome. However, given the widespread acceptance of contraception that exists amongst laity (and even some clergy) in the Roman Rite, I would not be surprised if such views have become common in the Eastern Catholic Churches as well. Either way, their teachings are the same as that of the Roman Church, as they would be on any other moral issue.
That being said, I’ve gotten the impression that the Orthodox are more apprehensive on contraception than the Protestants. The Orthodox priest whom I dialogued with for a while was staunchly against it, and some of the Orthodox writings I’ve read on the subject mention that there is disagreement on the issue amongst theologians.
I would hope that all Orthodox reject the hormonal forms of birth control (ie: the pill, depo-provera, etc.) since these forms have to potential to prevent a newly-conceived embryo from implanting (that’s called an abortion…)
As for the Eastern Catholic Churches, in terms of official teaching, they are in union with Rome, not just canonically, but in terms of moral theology as well. In other words, they are against it. If they were for contraception, I don’t think they’d be in union with Rome. However, given the widespread acceptance of contraception that exists amongst laity (and even some clergy) in the Roman Rite, I would not be surprised if such views have become common in the Eastern Catholic Churches as well. Either way, their teachings are the same as that of the Roman Church, as they would be on any other moral issue.
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Cavaradossi
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Potentially abortifacient contraceptives are not permitted.
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MartyrForJesus
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This is a Catholic board. He simply stated the Catholic position, and said that the Orthodox are incorrect.
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GaryTaylor
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You can do a search here on this topic also. We ran this into the ground a few times here.
Peace
Peace
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Marybeloved
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You mean as pessimistic a view as that of the Church Fathers?
I’ll take that kind of “pessimism” any day! 
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GaryTaylor
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Perhaps the moral-ethical view is correct in the CC as in relation to the history of the ECFs?
One does not quantify the other:shrug:
There’s a theory, in a church were there’s no such thing as infallibility then Father may well be in error…no?
I doubt anyone thinks about it. Its “contraceptives” we think about, and how they fit in Gods Kingdom.
You keep referring to the clery as evil and impious others may begin to believe it. However muliplying and contraceptives do not belong in the same sentence. Two different theorys to life. One is life, the other prevents life, and is a very “un-natural” way.
Peace
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