Orthodox to Catholic - How's it done?

[Melchior]

Confession? Confession + something else?

 

[Melchior]

I asked this in the Apologetics forum because I could not post here for some reason. But this seems like the best place for it.

If a Orthodox Christian wants to become Catholic, what do they need to do? Go to confession only? Confession + something else?

Mel

 

[Irenic]

I asked this in the Apologetics forum because I could not post here for some reason. But this seems like the best place for it.

If a Orthodox Christian wants to become Catholic, what do they need to do? Go to confession only? Confession + something else?

Mel

I remember either reading or hearing once that all that would be required was to make a profession to hold the Catholic faith (I imagine it’s the same profession I made when I came into the Catholic Church last Easter Vigil.)

 

[Mintaka]

Are you talking about someone Eastern Orthodox becoming a Catholic, or some kind of Christian with generally Orthodox and Nicene beliefs, or what? I think we need clarification here!

Assuming someone is already a baptized Christian of some stripe, the person would only need to talk to their Catholic parish priest and ask what needs to be done. Usually, one is asked to take classes to make sure the person does believe those things vital to being Catholic. If the person already is pretty knowledgeable and does agree with Catholic positions, the priest has the option either to admit you immediately or to work with you privately on any troublesome bits.

Now, if someone were Eastern Orthodox and adult, the person would probably have already been baptized, received Communion, etc, and all those sacraments would be regarded as totally valid by the Catholic Church. So there wouldn’t be much needing done besides accepting doctrine, notifying the priest, and moving into a pew. (Though again, you might be asked to take classes for orientation’s sake.)

Generally one does go to Confession before receiving one’s first Communion as a Catholic, but I don’t think that’s so much a requirement as just good practice. I mean, if some absolutely saintly Orthodox guy, who’d already received all the applicable sacraments in his own church, wanted to become Catholic and accepted Catholic doctrine, I think the priest could just say, “Now you’re part of our communion” and he would be.

I believe I’m right in saying that Orthodox children and babies (since they receive Communion from infancy) which enter the Catholic Church are also generally admitted to Communion. This is no big deal in an Eastern Rite Catholic church, of course, but it’s also what Latin Rite Catholic churches are supposed to do for them. If you’ve been taking valid communion since you were ten days old or something, there’s no point depriving you of it.

(I think this is very cool, btw. I remember that a few years before my First Communion, I read about how some future saints got admitted to Communion when very young because they had memorized their catechisms at the same time their older siblings did, and proved to their pastor’s satisfaction that they understood the concepts. I thought this sounded like a good deal, and was extremely sad that we had no catechisms to memorize and thus no way to get in early.)

 

[vern_humphrey]

It’s a two-step process:

1. Find a Catholic church.
2. Tell the pastor you’re Orthodox and would like to become Catholic.

The conversion is quite simple – in fact, if you’re Orthodox, you can already take communion in a Catholic church – something Protestants cannot do.

 

[Melchior]

Are you talking about someone Eastern Orthodox becoming a Catholic, or some kind of Christian with generally Orthodox and Nicene beliefs, or what? I think we need clarification here!

Assuming someone is already a baptized Christian of some stripe, the person would only need to talk to their Catholic parish priest and ask what needs to be done. Usually, one is asked to take classes to make sure the person does believe those things vital to being Catholic. If the person already is pretty knowledgeable and does agree with Catholic positions, the priest has the option either to admit you immediately or to work with you privately on any troublesome bits.

Now, if someone were Eastern Orthodox and adult, the person would probably have already been baptized, received Communion, etc, and all those sacraments would be regarded as totally valid by the Catholic Church. So there wouldn’t be much needing done besides accepting doctrine, notifying the priest, and moving into a pew. (Though again, you might be asked to take classes for orientation’s sake.)

Generally one does go to Confession before receiving one’s first Communion as a Catholic, but I don’t think that’s so much a requirement as just good practice. I mean, if some absolutely saintly Orthodox guy, who’d already received all the applicable sacraments in his own church, wanted to become Catholic and accepted Catholic doctrine, I think the priest could just say, “Now you’re part of our communion” and he would be.

I believe I’m right in saying that Orthodox children and babies (since they receive Communion from infancy) which enter the Catholic Church are also generally admitted to Communion. This is no big deal in an Eastern Rite Catholic church, of course, but it’s also what Latin Rite Catholic churches are supposed to do for them. If you’ve been taking valid communion since you were ten days old or something, there’s no point depriving you of it.

(I think this is very cool, btw. I remember that a few years before my First Communion, I read about how some future saints got admitted to Communion when very young because they had memorized their catechisms at the same time their older siblings did, and proved to their pastor’s satisfaction that they understood the concepts. I thought this sounded like a good deal, and was extremely sad that we had no catechisms to memorize and thus no way to get in early.)

I meant Eastern Orthodox. Thank you for your response.

Mel

 

[Damascus]

Mel, Its pretty easy from what I hear. I dont think you will see it that way in the other or opposite senario.

 

[TimOliv]

Well, it depends. Every Latin Church in this Diocese insists upon the candidate going through RCIA and being confirmed.

I know its wrong, but that’s how they do it. They did it to my mother when she converted from the Greek Orthodox Church.

However, if you go to an Eastern Rite Church, you go to confession and join the parish and there you go. While I do not know for sure, I assume that there is something that the Eastern Rite Church would give you as far as documentation indicating you’ve been received into communion with Rome. Otherwise, if you ever wanted to go to a Latin Rite Church and had only Orthodox Sacramental records, you might find yourself between a rock and hard place.

For the record, I have gotten so many answers from the Chancery with regards to why they confirm Christians who were validly confirmed, none of them are satisfactory and none of them have basis in Church Teaching.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

As I recall, one should not convert from Orthodox to Latin. One is required to convert to the equivalent Eastern Catholic Church.

My only experience with this was a teenager who was baptized in the Latin Church. His parents divorced when he was young, and his mother raised him in the Coptic Church. He was on his way to college and thought he could maintain his faith better in the Latin Church. Since he was returning to the Latin Church, Confession was all that was necessary. [He had had excellent training and could have taught us a few things.]

 

[Image_of_God]

Why do people leave the Orthodox Churches? I mean they are beautiful Churches. I just wonder why someone would leave.

 

[Deacon_Ed]

Irenic is correct. The only thing that is required is a profession of faith after which he/she would be received into the Church.

Deacon Ed

 

[Cavaille-Coll]

This happened in my parish last summer. A Russian Orthodox man wanted to become Catholic, so he made a simple public profession of faith at Sunday Mass and that was it. I’m sure there was something to sign for the diocese, but it was not anything complicated, provided that he had a copy his baptismal records sent from his home parish in Russia.

 

[marlo]

Welcome Home!

I asked this in the Apologetics forum because I could not post here for some reason. But this seems like the best place for it.

If a Orthodox Christian wants to become Catholic, what do they need to do? Go to confession only? Confession + something else?

Mel

 

[Caesar]

I many cases of Orthodox to Catholic I believe the convert became part of the Easter Catholic counterpart to their Orthodox Church.

 

[sir_galahad]

Why do people leave the Orthodox Churches? I mean they are beautiful Churches. I just wonder why someone would leave.

Because only the Catholic Church has the fullness of truth and salvation.

 

[Melchior]

Well, it depends. Every Latin Church in this Diocese insists upon the candidate going through RCIA and being confirmed.

I know its wrong, but that’s how they do it. They did it to my mother when she converted from the Greek Orthodox Church.

However, if you go to an Eastern Rite Church, you go to confession and join the parish and there you go. While I do not know for sure, I assume that there is something that the Eastern Rite Church would give you as far as documentation indicating you’ve been received into communion with Rome. Otherwise, if you ever wanted to go to a Latin Rite Church and had only Orthodox Sacramental records, you might find yourself between a rock and hard place.

For the record, I have gotten so many answers from the Chancery with regards to why they confirm Christians who were validly confirmed, none of them are satisfactory and none of them have basis in Church Teaching.

That’s ashame. I am referring to someone who was also Greek Orthodox, though she has been Protestant for a number of years.

 

[Melchior]

As I recall, one should not convert from Orthodox to Latin. One is required to convert to the equivalent Eastern Catholic Church.

My only experience with this was a teenager who was baptized in the Latin Church. His parents divorced when he was young, and his mother raised him in the Coptic Church. He was on his way to college and thought he could maintain his faith better in the Latin Church. Since he was returning to the Latin Church, Confession was all that was necessary. [He had had excellent training and could have taught us a few things.]

This would be the wife of a Latin who may be returning to the church. I know she would be considered Eastern rite, which she is fine with. But the huband and kids would be Latin rite and she would be on most Sundays.

 

[Catholic_Mike]

The conversion is quite simple – in fact, if you’re Orthodox, you can already take communion in a Catholic church – something Protestants cannot do.

You sure? I thought that was only with some kind of permission.

 

[Melchior]

Why do people leave the Orthodox Churches? I mean they are beautiful Churches. I just wonder why someone would leave.

Beautiful but often, in many areas of the country, overly ethnic to their own detrminent and simply not practical - having not adapted to the concerns of the American world around them like the Catholic (and most protestant churches) have. She is also convinced that if one church holds the mantle of “the Church” her experience tells her that the Orhtodox Churches are too parochial to be the “one”. She fully acknowledges it’s validity, just not it’s practicality in raising kids to be faithful. It’s piety is geared for Eastern European and middleeastern monks more than laity.

Or to paraphrase Chesterton: She has found the Catholic Church to be alot bigger on the inside than looking in from the outside. Conversely, she has found Orthodoxy (in America) to be a lot smaller from the inside than looking in and listening to the claims from the outside. She should know she was raised in it.

Or to put it more simply. One seems truly universal. The other seems mainly ethnic and only concerned for it’s own. Maybe not fair, but you can only judge the fruit that you have tasted.

Plus, family unity is very important.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

RE Orthodox receiving Communion in Catholic Church.

You sure? I thought that was only with some kind of permission.

I don’t think the Catholic Church puts any restrictions on them. However, I think the Orthodox Church disapproves more or less strongly, and the Catholic Church asks them to respect the Orthodox teaching.