Orthodox questions from a Catholic

[Claire_from_DE]

If I were staying in a town where there were no Catholic churches but there was an Orthodox church, I would want to attend divine liturgy at the Orthodox church. Would I be welcome to do this?

If I were there for several weeks without access to a Catholic church and I asked the priest for permission to receive the Eucharist would he be likely to allow it?

If I needed to confess, would this be allowed? I know Orthodox sacraments are valid.

 

[bpbasilphx]

f I were staying in a town where there were no Catholic churches but there was an Orthodox church, I would want to attend divine liturgy at the Orthodox church. Would I be welcome to do this?

Yes.

**If I were there for several weeks without access to a Catholic church and I asked the priest for permission to receive the Eucharist would he be likely to allow it?

If I needed to confess, would this be allowed? I know Orthodox sacraments are valid.**

No to both questions, unless you were in danger of death.

 

[josephdaniel29]

If I were staying in a town where there were no Catholic churches but there was an Orthodox church, I would want to attend divine liturgy at the Orthodox church. Would I be welcome to do this?

If I were there for several weeks without access to a Catholic church and I asked the priest for permission to receive the Eucharist would he be likely to allow it?

If I needed to confess, would this be allowed? I know Orthodox sacraments are valid.

Our parish is right down the street from a Catholic diocesan headquarters and we have Catholics visit occasionally. Of course anyone Catholic, Orthodox or Pagan are welcome in our parish.

As to receiving the sacraments those are reserved for baptized and chrismated Orthodox Christians who have properly prepared themselves with prayer and fasting.

Yours in Christ
Joe

 

[Claire_from_DE]

Thanks for the info. What kind of prayer and fasting do Orthodox do before confession and communion? As a Catholic, I examine my conscience and pray for forgiveness before both. I remember as a child having to fast from food and water from midnight before receiving Eucharist, now the fast is only an hour and water is allowed.

 

[DL82]

**If I were there for several weeks without access to a Catholic church and I asked the priest for permission to receive the Eucharist would he be likely to allow it?

If I needed to confess, would this be allowed? I know Orthodox sacraments are valid.**

No to both questions, unless you were in danger of death.

If you were a Catholic in danger of death, and had to receive final sacraments from an Orthodox priest, or vice-versa, would the priest be right to ask you to repent of your (in his view) heresy before giving absolution? Would he be dispensed and allowed to give you the benefit of the doubt in pronouncing absolution on an unrepentent (in his view) heretic? I can see how this situation could become more problematic than not receiving final sacraments at all.

 

[Claire_from_DE]

A Catholic priest would not ask an Orthodox believer to repent of being a heretic and would be permitted to absolve him of his sins. There would be the presumption that, although the believer may have been objectively in error in some of his beliefs, he held them in good faith and not in rebellion against God or the Church. Therefore, subjectively, no sin would be imputed to him.

If I were in danger of death and was asked by an Orthodox priest to repent of heresy (which i don’t know that he would ask) I would have to reply that I was not conscious of being in heresy but, if indeed I was, I most earnestly beg the Lord to have mercy on me.

Catholic sacraments are available to Orthodox believers in case of true need. According to the response to my question, Orthodox sacraments are available to Catholic believers who are in danger of death. I would certainly ask for them. They are the same sacraments although we may define them differently. Orthodox priests are true priests and their sacraments are true sacraments and connect me with Jesus. If I were in a location where I were unable to go to mass, I would attend divine liturgy and praise and adore the Lord even though I could not receive him. I accept the Orthodox patriarchs have apostolic succession and I would be bound by their discipline as to who can receive the sacraments.

Being Catholic and believing that the pope is the successor to Peter and has a kind of primacy that the Orthodox don’t accept, I would be in heresy if I formally joined the Orthodox church. But I wish it were possible for us to be united.

 

[wynd]

What kind of prayer and fasting do Orthodox do before confession and communion?

Unless medically necessary, Orthodox Christians fast from the time they get up until after they receive communion. I am not sure if there is a general requirement of prayer. As far as I know, it is on a case-by-case basis according one’s spiritual state in life in consultation with one’s priest or spiritual father.

 

[josephdaniel29]

Unless medically necessary, Orthodox Christians fast from the time they get up until after they receive communion. I am not sure if there is a general requirement of prayer. As far as I know, it is on a case-by-case basis according one’s spiritual state in life in consultation with one’s priest or spiritual father.

The amount of fasting varies as well. If you haven’t received in a while sometimes your spiritual father will prescribe a longer period of fasting.

Yours in Christ
Joe

 

[Claire_from_DE]

Is a spiritual father like a spiritual director? Is it usually the local priest? Do most Orthodox believers have one? I don’t think most Catholics have spiritual directors although many do.

 

[josephdaniel29]

Is a spiritual father like a spiritual director? Is it usually the local priest? Do most Orthodox believers have one? I don’t think most Catholics have spiritual directors although many do.

It can be your parish priest or maybe a pious monk or nun. It’s really whoever God places you with. We must always remember God places us with our spiritual father for the sake of both of our salvations. Everything is done for a reason.

Yours in Christ
Joe

 

[Milliardo]

I think this has been answered already, but anyway…

If I were staying in a town where there were no Catholic churches but there was an Orthodox church, I would want to attend divine liturgy at the Orthodox church. Would I be welcome to do this?

Certainly. The Orthodox Church is open to all, so you can certainly attend Divine Liturgy.

If I were there for several weeks without access to a Catholic church and I asked the priest for permission to receive the Eucharist would he be likely to allow it?

No, he wouldn’t; you would have to be chrismated into Orthodoxy to do so.

If I needed to confess, would this be allowed? I know Orthodox sacraments are valid.

Again, no. The priest would listen to your problems though and can give advice, but Confession would not be conferred to non-Orthodox.