Receiving a blessing from an Orthodox priest

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TwoNames

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Hello

Is it okay for a Catholic to receive a blessing from an Orthodox priest? Let’s say an Orthodox priest asks if you want a blessing, and you as a Catholic say “yes, please”. Would there be anything wrong with that? I know of such an example and I would say that it’s quite alright, nothing wrong. Is there something I may be missing (since they are in schism unfortunately)?

God bless!
 
My intuition is that your intuition is right to be suspicious. But I know of no prohibition - unlike sharing sacraments…
 
We could always ask ourselves ‘why ask for a blessing from someone who denies the primacy of the chair of Saint Peter…?’
 
I guess it would be fine because the Orthodox have valid sacraments which means that their priests (Holy Orders) are valid.
 
You just made me remember the time when I was sent by the Protestant news agency I worked for at the time to cover the World Council of Churches’ assembly.

One evening, at the hotel, I held the elevator door open for an Orthodox priest. We exited at the same floor, I said “Good night, Father” and started going to my room. He said “wait a minute”, I stopped and turned, and he gave me a sonorous blessing right there in the corridor.

Fond memories.

😊
 
Aulef said:
We could always ask ourselves ‘why ask for a blessing from someone who denies the primacy of the chair of Saint Peter…?’
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This very thought has crossed my mind, but I prefer to think that we are working towards unity (though we should be), and any courtesies such as that, which we can pay to each other, are a good thing.

I view Catholicism and Orthodoxy as “not really united, but not totally divided either”. They are true Churches (capital C) with true sacraments and, aside from a few sticking points here and there, basically the same theology, just expressed differently. I would have absolutely no issue with receiving their sacraments in the event of necessity, assuming they would administer them to a Latin.
 
This is exactly what is nagging me when I think about it.
Aulef said:
We could always ask ourselves ‘why ask for a blessing from someone who denies the primacy of the chair of Saint Peter…?’
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This is exactly why I feel it would be a good thing actually:
HomeschoolDad said:
This very thought has crossed my mind, but I prefer to think that we are working towards unity (though we should be), and any courtesies such as that, which we can pay to each other, are a good thing.
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Aulef said:
We could always ask ourselves ‘why ask for a blessing from someone who denies the primacy of the chair of Saint Peter…?’
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I thought that the Orthodox accepted the primacy of the chair of St. Peter in a unified church, but did not accept papal infallibility or universal papal jurisdiction. Papal infallibility and universal papal jurisdiction go way beyond papal primacy of honor.
 
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It would be fine.
I used to have a teacher (college professor) that is an Eastern Orthodox priest, I would not deny him from giving me a blessing.
 
All sacraments in the Orthodox Church are valid as sacraments within the Catholic Church. An Orthodox becoming Catholic doesn’t receive the Sacraments again so they just make a profession of faith and if needed go to Confession before receiving the Eucharist. That also means that deacons are validly ordained deacons, priests validly ordained priests and bishops validly ordained bishops. There is “some” paperwork to do at the Catholic bishop´s office and the Vatican. It should be noted that the priest´s parish or the bishop´s diocese don’t follow him into the Catholic Church.

The official greeting when meeting an Orthodox priest is actually to say: “Bless, Father.” and the same when you or he are leaving.
 
TwoNames said:
This is exactly what is nagging me when I think about it.
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Aulef:
We could always ask ourselves ‘why ask for a blessing from someone who denies the primacy of the chair of Saint Peter…?’
Click to expand...
This is exactly why I feel it would be a good thing actually:
HomeschoolDad said:
This very thought has crossed my mind, but I prefer to think that we are working towards unity (though we should be), and any courtesies such as that, which we can pay to each other, are a good thing.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
If I thought of it, I could end up developing a mild scruple over encouraging a schismatic priest to exercise his priesthood, and thus not only confirming him in his schism, but performing priestly functions outside of the jurisdiction of the One True Church (which is a sin, is it not?). However, per the recent moves of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches towards unity, I think we can safely say “it’s different with the Orthodox”. I see them as “not entirely in, but not entirely out either”.

I see no harm in receiving a blessing from an Orthodox priest.
 
Well, in terms of Church teaching and authority, only one is integral: the Catholic Church. Thus, she is the only one who can give us a full valid, licit and legitimate blessing. It is her divine right…
 
kapp19 said:
My intuition is that your intuition is right to be suspicious.
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HomeschoolDad said:
I could end up developing a mild scruple over encouraging a schismatic priest to exercise his priesthood, and thus not only confirming him in his schism, but performing priestly functions outside of the jurisdiction of the One True Church (which is a sin, is it not?).
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Aulef said:
Well, in terms of Church teaching and authority, only one is integral: the Catholic Church. Thus, she is the only one who can give us a full valid, licit and legitimate blessing. It is her divine right…
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Look: Pope Francis asked an Orthodox clergyman Patriarch Bartholomew for his blessing. Obviously it is a great honor to receive a blessing from an Orthodox priest.

 
I suggest keeping this conversation only in the realm of doctrine because including what the Popes did (not only Pope Francis but at least the 115 ones since Pope St. Leo IX) will add a new and long sub-topic.
 
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The Orthodox have what is called “Apostolic Succession” which means valid ordinations and are seen as Church in the eyes of the Catholic Church. The protestants are not Church but ecclesial communions and are without Apostolic Succession (no matter what they say about themselves) since they lost AS when the bishops who left the Catholic Church during the reformation and after started ordaining people/priests as bishops with a changed rite, without the permission of the pope etc.

The Orthodox Have Apostolic Succession | Catholic Answers
 
Aulef said:
I suggest keeping this conversation only in the realm of doctrine
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Who shall we trust on what doctrine says about receiving a blessing from an Orthodox clergyman - Aulef or Pope Francis?
 
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