Orthodox and Communion

[Legal_Eagle]

Are the Orthodox Churches in communion with each other? For example could a Russian Orthodox person receive Communion in a Greek Orthodox or Ethiopian Orthodox Church?

Peace,

 

[Bluegoat]

Are the Orthodox Churches in communion with each other? For example could a Russian Orthodox person receive Communion in a Greek Orthodox or Ethiopian Orthodox Church?

Peace,

There are two groups you have mentioned in your post. The Greeks, Russians, and others are all part of what is often called the Eastern Orthodox Church. All those groups are in communion with each other. The Ethiopians, along with some others, are part of the Oriental Orthodox Church. The EO and the OO are not in communion.

 

[dzheremi]

The Russian person could receive in the Greek Orthodox Church, and vice-versa, but not in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Ethiopians normally would not be able to receive at either church (though I personally know of exceptions to this). The Ethiopian Orthodox Church (along with the Coptic Orthodox Church, the Malankara Orthodox Church, the Armenian Orthodox Church, the Eritrean Orthodox Church, and the Syriac Orthodox Church) is what is commonly called “Oriental Orthodox”, while the Greek, Russian, Romanian, Bulgarian, etc. churches are “Eastern Orthodox”. They differ in their acceptance or rejection of the Christological formula of Chalcedon (the EO accept it, the OO reject it), and hence have not shared communion on an official, non-restricted level for about 1500 years. There have been various proposals to mend the Chalcedonian schism over the centuries, but at present they have not been successful, and any intercommunion you may find between the two families is necessarily limited to certain rather strict circumstances (e.g., a Copt and a Greek can each receive in the Greek Orthodox Church in Egypt if they are married to one another; outside of Egypt, Greeks and Copts cannot intercommune).

It is a great tragedy, but also one which is worked on by people of good faith on both sides up to this very day (really, starting quite recently; see documents from the 1990 inter-Orthodox ecumenical meeting in Geneva; this was the start of the modern dialogue, though there were more general statements made in the late 1960s and before).

 

[Legal_Eagle]

There are two groups you have mentioned in your post. The Greeks, Russians, and others are all part of what is often called the Eastern Orthodox Church. All those groups are in communion with each other. The Ethiopians, along with some others, are part of the Oriental Orthodox Church. The EO and the OO are not in communion.

The Russian person could receive in the Greek Orthodox Church, and vice-versa, but not in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Ethiopians normally would not be able to receive at either church (though I personally know of exceptions to this). The Ethiopian Orthodox Church (along with the Coptic Orthodox Church, the Malankara Orthodox Church, the Armenian Orthodox Church, the Eritrean Orthodox Church, and the Syriac Orthodox Church) is what is commonly called “Oriental Orthodox”, while the Greek, Russian, Romanian, Bulgarian, etc. churches are “Eastern Orthodox”. They differ in their acceptance or rejection of the Christological formula of Chalcedon (the EO accept it, the OO reject it), and hence have not shared communion on an official, non-restricted level for about 1500 years. There have been various proposals to mend the Chalcedonian schism over the centuries, but at present they have not been successful, and any intercommunion you may find between the two families is necessarily limited to certain rather strict circumstances (e.g., a Copt and a Greek can each receive in the Greek Orthodox Church in Egypt if they are married to one another; outside of Egypt, Greeks and Copts cannot intercommune).

It is a great tragedy, but also one which is worked on by people of good faith on both sides up to this very day (really, starting quite recently; see documents from the 1990 inter-Orthodox ecumenical meeting in Geneva; this was the start of the modern dialogue, though there were more general statements made in the late 1960s and before).

Thanks, guys (or gals) Learn something new every day. Y’all have given me lots to research. Thanks again.