That’s wonderful ~
:ehh: <— I do wish that CAF would add Spock ears to this little guy!!!
However, half of my family is (lapsed) Greek Orthodox and someone has made the case to me that I should return to that if Orthodoxy is true. Is it true?No.ok…Do you have a question or comment?
so much for this being a “discussion” forum.Both churches do not believe in Purgatory. The Orthodox do not. They do pray for the dead, but they do not believe in Purgatory. The “toll-houses” explanation isn’t doctrine, at least from what I understand (correct me if I’m wrong). Also, I’m not 100% sure of your explanation of the filioque, from the Catholic perspective. Orthodox do venerate Mary. The correct understanding is that she intercedes for us. I refrain from using the term “mediate” because it just confuses people as to how that relates to Jesus Christ as the Mediator. And yes, Orthodoxy believes that it is the true Church.Since the OP didn’t, I’ll add some content to this thread.
Since I am a Westerner, most of my inquiries are into Lutheranism vs. Catholicism. The Lutherans did not split from the Orthodox Church, so I would rather see us reunited with Rome and then start working on the Great Schism.
I’m not worried about the Filioque. I’m not a relavitist, but I understand that the exclusion or inclusion of that clause originally expressed the same truth with two different emphases. It is excluded because the HS proceeds from the Father ultimately. It is included because the HS proceeds equally through the Son because the Father and the Son hold all things in common.
I’m not worried about the question of the Roman Bishop, because he is recognized as authoritative whether he is above the others or first among equals. Again, I’m not a relativist and there is a best way to understand Rome’s role, but either way Rome is important.
Things like liturgy and sacraments are all the same, I believe. Of course practices differ, but those aren’t doctrines to my knowledge.
Both churches believe in Purgatory. The Orthodox see it as a journey more than temporal consequences and the Catholics vice versa, but again, that’s emphasizing one of two facets that exist in the doctrine of both churches.
Only the Catholic Church believes in Mary as co-redemptrix (well yes, it has not been confirmed yet, but it should be as I understand it), but they both believe She mediates and intercedes for us, right?
And what else have I missed that is a doctrinal difference?
Well, don’t the Orthodox believe that the souls of the dead are in temporary hell and darkness, where they are purified? That is essentially purgatory.
This thread has been retooled and put to better use by yours truly.OK, so the purpose of this thread is what?
No, we do not believe that. I don’t know where you got that information from.Well, don’t the Orthodox believe that the souls of the dead are in temporary hell and darkness, where they are purified? That is essentially purgatory.
This thread has been retooled and put to better use by yours truly.
Is that supposed to be a ‘cute’ question? There is only one.
You’re dead on.
ThanksCorrect. The “toll-houses” are a local tradition among Slavic Churches, hardly canon across the board. There is nothing similar to Purgatory in Orthodoxy.
I have actually heard on an Orthodox podcast (sorry I can’t remember which one but I listen to many) that it’s also gaining popularity in Greece now with blessed Fr. Seraphim Rose’ book The Soul After Death and that the US is where it is mostly rejected. But no, it’s not doctrine and it’s not that similar to Purgatory.
There is a generally sincere effort on the part of some people to conflate the beliefs of both groups in an attempt to find “common ground”, and (hopefully) get around these barriers to ‘unity’ (a unity the nature of which up to this very day which has never been actually defined).