Preparing to attend a Greek Orthodox Divine Liturgy

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It certainly seems to me that in the words of current canon law, the CCC, and UR that the Church recognizes the jurisdiction of the Orthodox over their faithful, while maintaining that the Church herself supplies the authority for such jurisdiction, which ultimately comes from Christ.
 
I would also point to the example set for the faithful by numerous Catholic clergy, including popes, who have participated in prayer with the Orthodox.
 
Yes, you can attend other church services for many legitimate reasons and pray with other Christians. To say otherwise does not reflect the current mindset of the Catholic Church.
 
Well, how about that?! Turns out it’s acceptable to read the Bible, pray, sing, and preach while in the vicinity of other Christians. Shocking…

@vonsalza can I have some of your popcorn?
 
From EWTN

Catholics MAY attend Protestant services and may sing, pray, etc. but they CANNOT and SHOULD NOT ever receive communion in a non-Catholic church. That is considered COMMUNICATIO IN SACRIS and is still forbidden by canon law (#1365). However, one can still be very devout, loyal, obedient and an orthodox Roman Catholic and at the same time be ecumenical. Attending non-Catholic prayer services is not forbidden. Receiving any sacrament or alleged sacrament in a non-Catholic church is forbidden. Catholics cannot consider a Protestant worship service as fulfilling their Sunday obligation, however, and must still attend a Catholic Mass. Only absolute necessity can a Catholic go to an Eastern Orthodox church for their Sunday obligation when there is no Catholic Church (Latin or Byzantine) in a reasonable distance.

This is exactly what i thought. You are allowed to go to an Orthodox or Protestant Church and pray, but you cannot Receive. You also can’t use it as a substitute for your Obligation to attend a Catholic Mass.

http://www.ewtn.com/v/experts/showmessage.asp?number=441348
 
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Canvas said:
Only absolute necessity can a Catholic go to an Eastern Orthodox church for their Sunday obligation when there is no Catholic Church (Latin or Byzantine) in a reasonable distance.
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In such a case, there is no obligation, at least as I understand it.
 
Canvas said:
You are allowed to go to an Orthodox or Protestant Church and pray, but you cannot Receive
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There are circumstances in which the Catholic Church does permit you to receive communion from the Orthodox. As to whether the Orthodox will permit you, that’s another matter.
 
I saw in the Misselette that under certain circumstances Orthodox can Receive Communion at a Catholic Church, but I think a lot of Orthodox would not reciprocate. I think in some Orthodox Churches, even other Orthodox visiting send notice to the Pastor before attending a service. I am not bashing Eastern Orthodoxy—I have family that is Orthodox.
 
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Canvas said:
I saw in the Misselette that under certain circumstances Orthodox can Receive Communion at a Catholic Church, but I think a lot of Orthodox would not reciprocate. I think in some Orthodox Churches, even other Orthodox visiting send notice to the Pastor before attending a service.
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This is all correct.
 
That is from the 1917 Code of Canon Law (canon 1258) and is not in the 1983 Code.

Are you arguing that the current Church laws are invalid?
 
An Orthodox priest who becomes Catholic will be a Catholic priest without a new ordination as the Catholic Church accepts all the 7 Sacraments/Mysteries the Orthodox Church have.

A protestant priest or pastor will be ordained a deacon/priest after at least three years in most dioceses and some years of study to complement their Philosophical and Theological studies to include the “Catholic beliefs”.
 
From reading Vatican documents, it seems quite clear that the Church discipline on this has changed significantly since V II.

So was Pope Francis in violation of Church law when he commemorated the 500th Anniversary of Protestantism in Sweden with Lutherans and delivered a homily?

As Lutherans and Catholics, we pray together in this Cathedral, conscious that without God we can do nothing. We ask his help, so that we can be living members, abiding in him, ever in need of his grace, so that together we may bring his word to the world, which so greatly needs his tender love and mercy. — Pope Francis
 
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The concept of “obligation” is foreign to the Eastern Orthodox praxis. We attend out of desire and cooperation in our salvation but never obligation.

Please do not take this to mean we are more lax in our attendance at Divine Liturgy, if anything we consider it a more serious manner. It is more of a difference in mindset than application.

Fr. Dcn. John
 
Eastern Rite theology tends to be less “legalistic”. For example, sin is more a disease than a crime, persay.
 
I didn’t say splitting up the Church was something to celebrate. It is a terrible tragedy.

But I don’t see a problem praying with other non-Catholic Christians or that having a dialogue and good relations with other Christians is bad.
 
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