Orthodox Saints

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I was just wondering if Catholics recognize and/or pray for the intercession of saints of the Orthodox Church?
 
Friend_Of_Rome said:
I was just wondering if Catholics recognize and/or pray for the intercession of saints of the Orthodox Church?
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I’d thought that this topic was banned, but in looking it back up - the ban expired in January 2009.

Originally Posted by Catherine Grant
Temporary Ban: Effective immediately and expiring January 7, 2009.

A spitting match of whose saints are more holy or righteous has sadly become a recurring topic on the Eastern Catholicism forum. The contemptible theme of “our saints are better” seems to draw out the worst in some of our posters. In order to assist them in not being in an occasion of sin, to promote fruitful dialogue, and to allow the board to return to its stated purpose, discussion about the Roman Catholic Church’s recognition of St. Photius, St. Gregory Palamas, or the recognition of sainthood for any other saints on the Eastern or Oriental Catholic or Orthodox calendars is now under a temporary ban. The recognition of western saints by Eastern churches is likewise banned.

This ban is effective for both the Eastern Catholicism and Non-Catholic Religions forums at CAF. If you see a new post which violates this temporary ban, please refrain from responding to it and report it to the moderators using the red triangle in the top right of the post.
For the time being, this ban will be applied narrowly. If it becomes problematic, it will be applied broadly. Questions about these topics should be addressed to the CAF apologists or to one’s priest or spiritual director. Questions about the policy may be addressed to me via PM. I expect all posters to review the purpose of the Eastern Catholicism forum and to post within the forum’s guidelines.
 
I got put in the naughty box for discussing EO saints once, and we were not being rude. But, I did violate the rules, so I am cool with it.

I doubt that there are any rules against it, from the Church’s standpoint.
 
Friend_Of_Rome said:
I was just wondering if Catholics recognize and/or pray for the intercession of saints of the Orthodox Church?
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I’m sure that the celebration of the Feast Days of Orthodox Saints is continued in many Eastern Catholic Rites/Churches - Like St. Christina, St. Basil, St. John Chrysostom.

Even Roman Catholic Church calendars celebrate some Orthodox Saints, like St. Nicholas and Sts. Cyril & Methodius.

Then there are some Orthodox Saints that perhaps NO Catholic Rite/Church would celebrate, like those of the most recent centuries:

Like St. Innocent of Alaska, St. Herman, St. John Maximovich - as they lived after the Eastern Catholic Churches entered into Communion with Rome.

Also New Martyr Jose Munoz-Cortez since he converted from the Catholic Church to the Orthodox Church. roca.org/OA/149/149c.htm

And certainly not St. Peter the Aleut because he became a New Martyr at the hands of Catholic Spanish monks. allsaintsofamerica.org/orthodoxy/peter.html
 
ralphinal said:
I got put in the naughty box for discussing EO saints once, and we were not being rude. But, I did violate the rules, so I am cool with it.

I doubt that there are any rules against it, from the Church’s standpoint.
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Apparently the rules against it expired Jan. 2009. So it should be fine for discussion now. We all just have to be careful considering it was once a banned topic.
 
The particular saint(s) I had in mind and forgot to mention are Czar Nicholas II and his family, who were named “passion bearers” by the Orthodox. The reason why I’d presume that a Catholic could still, theoretically, “admire” them is because they were killed for their beliefs: namely, love of God, love of Mary, love of the Church.

I only ask because I have an icon of the royal family and I want to make sure I’m not straying into disobedience. lol

By the way, two things: 1 - the czar’s wife was actually a devoted Protestant, converted, and ended up becoming a saint in the Orthodox Church. Wow. 2 - I think our little discussion would be allowed without worry. How petty is that, to get into a war about whose saints are holier! For goodness sake, they’re all saints! :highprayer:
 
I could be wrong, but I think the ban happened because they’re NOT all saints, depending on which Church and which saints we’re talking about. Certainly both churches don’t recognize each others’ post-schism saints, even though we have plenty in common from the ~1,000 years before we went our separate ways.
 
Friend_Of_Rome said:
By the way, two things:

1 - the czar’s wife was actually a devoted Protestant, converted, and ended up becoming a saint in the Orthodox Church. Wow.

2 - I think our little discussion would be allowed without worry. How petty is that, to get into a war about whose saints are holier! For goodness sake, they’re all saints! :highprayer:
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  1. What was the Czar’s wife’s name? They’re couple that had several children, one being the little Anastasia who, as secular legend has it, survived, right? And now there’s a Disney Movie about her.
So then this woman was a convert to Orthodoxy from Protestant and then died as a new Martyr? Cool! Jose Munoz-Cortez was also a convert to Orthodoxy, but from the Catholic Faith, and then died as a new Martyr.
  1. I agree with you. As long as no one goes off the deep end, this topic should be safe. 🙂
 
The czar’s wife’s name was Alexandra. She was a German, by birth. A Lutheran, I believe.

So, yeah, this is most definitely post-schism. I’d just like to note that the icon isn’t going to be the focus of my prayer-life or anything - more like what Mother Angelica calls “a holy reminder.” :nun2:
 
Friend_Of_Rome said:
The czar’s wife’s name was Alexandra. She was a German, by birth. A Lutheran, I believe.

So, yeah, this is most definitely post-schism. I’d just like to note that the icon isn’t going to be the focus of my prayer-life or anything - more like what Mother Angelica calls “a holy reminder.” :nun2:
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Of course, the focal point of your prayer-life would be Christ.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think you are trying to find out from a Catholic perspective if it is alright for you to:
  1. Is it alright for you to have the icon in your home?
  2. Is it alright for you to Venerate the Icon since it is of a family of Orthodox (non-Catholic) Martyrs?
  3. Is it alright for you to ask those represented on the icon to intercede for you?
Is this right?
 
I would imagine there would be some Orthodox saints that Roman Catholics would not want to pray with…such as St. Alexander Nevsky, who fought Catholic crusaders atop Lake Peipus, or St. Peter the Aleut (whose feast day is tomorrow, incidentally) who was martyred by Spanish Catholics.
 
SingleMomMonica said:
Of course, the focal point of your prayer-life would be Christ.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think you are trying to find out from a Catholic perspective if it is alright for you to:
  1. Is it alright for you to have the icon in your home?
  2. Is it alright for you to Venerate the Icon since it is of a family of Orthodox (non-Catholic) Martyrs?
  3. Is it alright for you to ask those represented on the icon to intercede for you?
Is this right?
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Not wrong to ask ANYONE you believe led a holy life to intercede for you - no saint would become canonised if not for miracles produced through intercession PRE-canonisation.

If you admire them, have the image in your home. I wouldn’t venerate it though - I don’t venerate a picture of my deceased grandmother or grandfather, as much as I might pray for them and even (occasionally) TO them, and firmly as I believe that they have as good a chance as any saint of being in heaven.

Neither would I put such an image in my home shrine with my pictures of canonised Saints that are recognised by Rome. To do so seems distinctly un-Catholic - mixing the sacred with the mundane.
 
Byzantine_Wolf said:
I would imagine there would be some Orthodox saints that Roman Catholics would not want to pray with…such as St. Alexander Nevsky, who fought Catholic crusaders atop Lake Peipus, or St. Peter the Aleut (whose feast day is tomorrow, incidentally) who was martyred by Spanish Catholics.
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That’s St. Herman of Alaska who is tomorrow. St. Peter the Aleut is September 24th. 😉
 
Nine_Two said:
The OCA calander says otherwise (although I can’t link directly to it due to its use of javascript, oca.org/FSlives.asp and either search for him or look up Dec. 12). Clearly it is time for a fight to the death to determine who is right!
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Very well. We shall duel at dawn tomorrow.
 
Byzantine_Wolf said:
Very well. We shall duel at dawn tomorrow.
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It seems that you both may be right depending on how you are thinking of it. The calendar you gave lists St. Herman of Alaska for Sunday the 13th and it lists St. Peter the Aleut on saturday the 12th.
 
jimmy said:
It seems that you both may be right depending on how you are thinking of it. The calendar you gave lists St. Herman of Alaska for Sunday the 13th and it lists St. Peter the Aleut on saturday the 12th.
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Yep, we both celebrate St. Herman on the 13th (which was what I meant by “tomorrow” it’s right around midnight here, so tomorrow is a hard to define term), but the OCA celebrates St. Peter on Sept 24th with All Saints of Alaska. The EP today (or tomorrow depending). To be honest I like the idea of a seperate day for him. 🙂
 
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