Using Eastern Catholicism as a vehicle to convert protestants?

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notredame_999

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Would it be appropriate for latin rite catholics to refer protestants uncomftorable with western christian customs- celibate clergy, confessional box, holy water, statues etc. to eastern rite catholic churches?

I have read that orthodoxy is growing among protestants who see the light in terms of sacraments and apostolic succession, but still can’t shake the image of Rome being the “whore of babylon.” Is this true? Should we latin catholics utilize the eastern rites as a vehicle to convert people?
 
notredame_999 said:
Would it be appropriate for latin rite catholics to refer protestants uncomftorable with western christian customs- celibate clergy, confessional box, holy water, statues etc. to eastern rite catholic churches?

I have read that orthodoxy is growing among protestants who see the light in terms of sacraments and apostolic succession, but still can’t shake the image of Rome being the “whore of babylon.” Is this true? Should we latin catholics utilize the eastern rites as a vehicle to convert people?
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In my experience most protestants who convert to the Orthodox Churches does so because they can not get past the papacy. That hurdle is still present with the Eastern Catholic Churches.
 
notredame_999 said:
Would it be appropriate for latin rite catholics to refer protestants uncomftorable with western christian customs- celibate clergy, confessional box, holy water, statues etc. to eastern rite catholic churches?

I have read that orthodoxy is growing among protestants who see the light in terms of sacraments and apostolic succession, but still can’t shake the image of Rome being the “whore of babylon.” Is this true? Should we latin catholics utilize the eastern rites as a vehicle to convert people?
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I’m not sure. If they see Rome as the “whore of Babylon”, I don’t see that being Eastern Catholic would change that because they would have to accept the teachings of the Universal Catholic Church and the fact the Eastern Catholic Churches are in Communion with Rome.

However, if they are comfortable with Eastern Catholicism’s theology, practice, etc., but don’t have issues with the Latin Church that’s another issue.

I suppose one ought to look at it on two levels. The deeper level would be that Protestants uncomfortable with essential dogmas of Catholicism really should consider if they should convert at all. The other level is if they are fine with the dogmas of the Church, but feel spiritually at home in an Eastern Catholic Church, they should become Eastern Catholic. But to become Catholic, and still hold such views against Rome/Latin Church isn’t advisable, IMO.
God Bless,
Pakesh
 
There is also the fact that a converting protestant would canonically be enrolled in the Latin Church as protestantism is seen as western.

A “converting” Orthodox would be canonically enroled in the closest version of the Eastern Catholic Church.
 
notredame_999 said:
Would it be appropriate for latin rite catholics to refer protestants uncomftorable with western christian customs- celibate clergy, confessional box, holy water, statues etc. to eastern rite catholic churches?

I have read that orthodoxy is growing among protestants who see the light in terms of sacraments and apostolic succession, but still can’t shake the image of Rome being the “whore of babylon.” Is this true? Should we latin catholics utilize the eastern rites as a vehicle to convert people?
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Should you use them??? That is what greko catlics are for you? this is why orthodox feel pity for such grko catolics! Now all see your view of such so called eastern catlics - just steppimg stones!
 
Volodymyr said:
Should you use them??? That is what greko catlics are for you? this is why orthodox feel pity for such grko catolics! Now all see your view of such so called eastern catlics - just steppimg stones!
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Hold on. thats not how I view them. The Catholic church is neither greek nor latin nor slav. My point was however, that they (eastern churches) can be used for conversion of heretics who hold hostilities to latin churches.

Relax
 
Br David
Regarding your last post. Is that policy actually enforced, i,e, a converting Protestant becoming RC, a converting Orthodox becoming EC.
 
Seamus_L said:
Br David

Regarding your last post. Is that policy actually enforced, i,e, a converting Protestant becoming RC, a converting Orthodox becoming EC.
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As far as I am aware yes it is but not every priest and DRE out there is actually aware of this so the people might not be informed of this.
 
notredame_999 said:
Would it be appropriate for latin rite catholics to refer protestants uncomftorable with western christian customs- celibate clergy, confessional box, holy water, statues etc. to eastern rite catholic churches?

I have read that orthodoxy is growing among protestants who see the light in terms of sacraments and apostolic succession, but still can’t shake the image of Rome being the “whore of babylon.” Is this true? Should we latin catholics utilize the eastern rites as a vehicle to convert people?
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You make it sound like Eastern Catholics are to be front men, like fake Orthodox, or ‘Catholic Lite’.

If this notion is not offensive to Eastern Catholics it should be.
 
Seamus_L said:
Br David
Code: 
                                      Regarding your last post. Is that policy actually enforced, i,e, a converting Protestant becoming RC, a converting Orthodox becoming EC.
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It is canon law.

Is there a tendency to ignore the canons in the Catholic church under the Pope? Personally I don’t think so, but anything is possible. What I do believe happens is that Protestant converts who may wish to become EC are given permission through the appropriate channels. It is the equivalent of economy.
 
notredame_999 said:
wing among protestants who see the light in terms of sacraments and apostolic succession, but still can’t shake the image of Rome being the “whore of babylon.” Is this true? Should we latin catholics utilize the eastern rites as a vehicle to convert people?
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Most people I’ve known who have converted to Orthodoxy from Protestantism have seriously looked into Catholicism, and none have seemed to hold the belief that Rome is the whore of Babylon. The idea that people convert to Orthodoxy because they agree with Rome but believe Rome is evil is just plain wrong.
 
Nine_Two said:
Most people I’ve known who have converted to Orthodoxy from Protestantism have seriously looked into Catholicism, and none have seemed to hold the belief that Rome is the whore of Babylon. The idea that people convert to Orthodoxy because they agree with Rome but believe Rome is evil is just plain wrong.
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I agree.

Some people don’t give inquirers enough credit for intelligence.
 
I personally know protestants who chose the Orthodox Church for the sole reason that they could not accept the papacy.
 
ByzCath said:
I personally know protestants who chose the Orthodox Church for the sole reason that they could not accept the papacy.
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Yes, that’s not being argued. Did these people believe that Rome was evil, the whore of Babylon?

Obviously if you choose Orthodoxy you have to reject what the papacy entails.
 
Hi brother David,
ByzCath said:
I personally know protestants who chose the Orthodox Church for the sole reason that they could not accept the papacy.
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They are not alone. I know Catholics who can not accept the Papacy. They should be excommunicated latae sententiae but it seems they call themselves Catholic and take communion anyway.

If what you say about certain Protestants is truly the case, and they are choosing Orthodoxy solely because of the Papacy, then that would mean they must be thinking the Papal Catholic church and the Holy Orthodox church are roughly equivalent in all things but the Papacy, which simply cannot be.

That would be a real misunderstanding, as serious as it is simplistic, and as uninformed as they are they would be no better converts to the Catholic church than to the Orthodox church. They would be converting into an illusion of their own devising.

But that is what the OP seems to suggest here, isn’t it? If a Protestant doesn’t like the Roman Catholic church why not suggest the EC as an alternative? I have seen that suggested in the forums of CAF more than once before. I am not surprised people of average intelligence or better often turn down such a proposition.
 
Hogwash. Anyone can become an Eastern Catholic. Whether they are formerly protestant, LDS or Wiccan. This policy of Protestants becoming roman rite Catholics is not true. If they want to be coptic catholic they have every right to.
 
The impression I’ve gotten is that it’s an overlooked technicallity, as well it should be. Former Protestants should be allowed to be Eastern Catholic if they so desire, just as Orthodox should be allowed to become Roman Catholic if they wish.
 
I did know someone that chose to become Eastern Catholic when converting from Protestantism (I don’t remember which denomination) because he felt it was the best of both worlds, the unity of the Catholic Church with the spirituality of the Orthodox Church. He obviously did have to come to grips with the Papacy however, and as others have said that’s the most significant objection for most Protestants.
 
After one reads the fathers, and understands the “rights and Privileges” of the patriarchs are affirmed (even if Rome has been slow to concede this) I feel it becomes a lot easier to become Eastern Catholic. Especially one of the Patriarchal churches.
 
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