The Evil Eye

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scapularkid8

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Do Eastern Catholics (Greeks, Arabs, etc.) also believe in the Evil Eye?

I know the Orthodox do and even have set prayers for removing it, I was just curious as to how the whole idea would fit into Catholicism in the East if it’s at all accepted.

I like the amulets for their art/fashion appeal, but I don’t think I’d ever wear one out of fear of the Eye, even though many Eastern Christians believe it exists.

http://sozernet.com/images/nazar3inchlarge.jpg
 
Generally I think the last thing a person with any sense would want to see is an evil eye, especially if he were troubled by one.
 
What, exactly, do you mean by the Evil Eye?
What is your reason for thinking that the Orthodox believe in it?
Do you mean that the Orthodox Church teaches the existence of such a thing, or only that some individual members of the church do so?
 
The Orthodox churches, from my research (I could be completely wrong) do teach that it exists. They have different opinions on how to remove the effects of it though (i.e. a layperson praying for the victim, or whether a priest should pray over them).

By the Evil Eye I mean the idea that envy in someone’s glance at you or your possessions could cause you harm as an effect of the sin of envy they committed against you.
 
scapularkid8 said:
see the section on “Vaskania”

goarch.org/ourfaith/ourfaith7079
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What bothers me about the info on the goarch.org site is that they actually included this ‘secret rite boardering on magic’. It not only boarders on magic, it basically IS magic, and a ridiculous superstition. I personally find it slightly irresponsible that they include that without outright denunciation. Those evil eye pendants are garbage! The idea that the baptismal cross an Orthodox Christian wears is not enough “protection” and needs to be supplemented with “magical” folk-charms is downright blasphemous. A priest would be right to reprimand an Orthodox Christian walking around with one of those things, let alone approaching the chalice wearing anything of the sort! 🤷 Sadly, it’s an ancient superstition present in mostly mediterranean cultures. Sorry, I really do hate those things. 😃
 
Patrick1982 said:
What bothers me about the info on the goarch.org site is that they actually included this ‘secret rite boardering on magic’. It not only boarders on magic, it basically IS magic, and a ridiculous superstition. I personally find it slightly irresponsible that they include that without outright denunciation. Those evil eye pendants are garbage! The idea that the baptismal cross an Orthodox Christian wears is not enough “protection” and needs to be supplemented with “magical” folk-charms is downright blasphemous. A priest would be right to reprimand an Orthodox Christian walking around with one of those things, let alone approaching the chalice wearing anything of the sort! 🤷 Sadly, it’s an ancient superstition present in mostly mediterranean cultures. Sorry, I really do hate those things. 😃
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Superstitions like these are found in many cultures, not just mediterranean. The article does state outright that the Church rejects magical practices and rites.

In both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches there are practices that might be considered superstitious.

Personally, I always thought burying a St. Joseph statue upside down in your yard to sell your house was a bit odd. 🙂
 
Madaglan said:
Personally, I always thought burying a St. Joseph statue upside down in your yard to sell your house was a bit odd. 🙂
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WOW! That’s interesting that I never thought of that as superstitious, but on second thought…!

I guess we all have practices that seem superstitious, but have roots in real faith.
 
Burying a St. Joseph statue may have started innocently enough (I’m not exactly sure how it started, though). But now, it is superstition and is not condoned by the Church.
 
Snerticus said:
Burying a St. Joseph statue may have started innocently enough (I’m not exactly sure how it started, though). But now, it is superstition and is not condoned by the Church.
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I don’t know the origins. I’m not really against the practice as such; I only heard about it for the first time several years ago. I’ve never had to sell a house, so maybe I’m biased. 😃
 
This secret rite is described as follows: "The exorcist (not a priest but an old woman) prepares a vial of olive oil and a small glass of water. She dips a finger in the oil, rubs it in a sign of the Cross on the victim’s forehead and lets one drop fall onto the water; she repeats the process, making a cross on the forehead, on the chin and both cheeks. If the devil is indeed present, the four drops of oil in the water join to form the ellipsoid shape of an eye. The ritual then calls for the reading of prayers and repeating the four signs of the Cross; the drops of oil will not join in the water, but will disperse."

This, by definition, is NOT an Orthodox rite, but folk custom that probably passes over into superstition.
 
Patrick1982 said:
What bothers me about the info on the goarch.org site is that they actually included this ‘secret rite boardering on magic’. It not only boarders on magic, it basically IS magic, and a ridiculous superstition. I personally find it slightly irresponsible that they include that without outright denunciation. Those evil eye pendants are garbage! The idea that the baptismal cross an Orthodox Christian wears is not enough “protection” and needs to be supplemented with “magical” folk-charms is downright blasphemous. A priest would be right to reprimand an Orthodox Christian walking around with one of those things, let alone approaching the chalice wearing anything of the sort! 🤷 Sadly, it’s an ancient superstition present in mostly mediterranean cultures. Sorry, I really do hate those things. 😃
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Take a look at the traditional folk dress of these countries and you will find TONS AND TONS of symbols guarding against the Evil Eye and against evil and promoting fertility. Take a look at the needle work, the jewelry, EVERYTHING…EVEN the needle work that was found on the priest’s vestments and on the needle work for the altar linens…

Are you a convert by any chance??😊
 
I , with my past protestant background , can not get a lot of things about some believes .
When Byzantyne Catholic Clergyman offered ''to sanctify my house ‘’ , I was thinking long time , on what believe the sanctification of the house is based ?

Also , I can not understand , how the people refuse to solve some business or life matters in some religious celebratiions , I mean the celebrations which are celebrated in the middle of the working week , not at a week end .🤷

We indeed do have many celebrations , and if some of them is on Thursday than it is usually untill Monday…

There are the people who do not even go out of the house during those celebrations , just because they believe that some bad fortune will happen to them in the future 😊

I can not understand on what ground the believe in ‘‘evil eye’’ is based.
Its indeed the question for me as well
 
Patchunky said:
Take a look at the traditional folk dress of these countries and you will find TONS AND TONS of symbols guarding against the Evil Eye and against evil and promoting fertility. Take a look at the needle work, the jewelry, EVERYTHING…EVEN the needle work that was found on the priest’s vestments and on the needle work for the altar linens…

Are you a convert by any chance??😊
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…dunno why that would matter, or why it would make the superstition any less ridiculous. 🤷 Yeah, I was raised Roman Catholic.
 
My Catholic wife lived nearly alll her life in the Philippines, and I have found that very many in her country are firmly convinced in ghosts (and so she will not stay overnight here in the US in many places if she thinks it may be haunted). And many of those in her country actually believe in witches that fly though the air (and lack the bottom half of their bodies). I have made it clear that I do not accept these things but this has no effect. However, I never thought any of this is intrinsic to Catholicism, but is no more than superstition that belongs to the culture she lived in. I am sure that there are some similar things true of Catholics in the West, such as carrying around things that the person believes is lucky, but is that part of the religion that the person follows?
 
I grew up in the Latin Rite, so that doesn’t really apply to this question, but the Evil Eye was a long part of the culture in which I was raised. A lot of people from the Latin (Italian, Spanish) culture believe in the Evil Eye. It’s more cultural than religious, at least the way I grew up.
 
Evil Eye or “bad eye” ? ,it is a common belief in India as well.In sanskrit ,it is “DRISHTI DOSHAM” -meaning harm due to the staring of eye with jealousy,anger etc.
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scapularkid8 said:
Do Eastern Catholics (Greeks, Arabs, etc.) also believe in the Evil Eye?
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You’re talking about the *malochi. *At least that’s what I was told it was in Italian growing up. I’ve seen the Portuguese do it too. It’s witchcraft. Normally its old bitter women who have gone so far into self-hate that they’ve risked becoming stale salt. Anything to do with the occult is condemned in the Catechism.

Those who are not “in the Church” do this kind of stuff when they get angry at each other. I don’t know if you’ve heard the saying, “Scratch a German and underneath you’ll find a barbarian.” This thought goes far beyond the Germans. It goes really for any appararently civilized people.

If someone gives you an evil eye. Don’t wear a stinking amulet. That is becoming an active participant in the occult. Instead see a priest if you feel your conscience is being besieged by an unknown messenger. I know some gumbatti that wear the gold sharks tooth. They claim it’s for good luck. I just think it’s dumb and it seperates you from Christ.
 
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