Venerating Orthodox Icons

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Hi, All. Although I am a Roman Catholic and do love the Church, I am in awe of Hawaii’s Myrrh-Streaming Iveron Icon, a Russian Orthodox Icon, and I would one day love to venerate the Icon and be anointed by the Icon’s Myrrh. I do not wish to become a member of Orthodox Church, I just want to venerate the Wonderworking Icon. However, I want to keep with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, so would it be alright if I venerate Hawaii’s Myrrh-Streaming Iveron Icon?

Thank You,
Lauren
 
Well.
As far as I am concerned there is absolutely nothing wrong with venerating Orthodox icons I am a Melkite Catholic my grandmother was Greek and Orthodox we still venerate some orthodox icons in September I think there is nothing wrong with it.
And I think no matter are you Catholic ,Orthodox or even moron as long as you believe in the Christ and do good deeds you will go to heaven
Well that’s what I think
 
I didn’t realize that there was so much intermixing. But are we called to separate ourselves from anything that doesn’t agree with our faith? I’m horribly confused. My pastor said that the ROC does not answer to the Pope.
 
I have had the opportunity to venerate the Iveron icon of the Mother of God on three separate occasions now, when its caretaker brought it to various Orthodox parishes near where I happened to be.

You shouldn’t have to worry about attending/interrupting an Orthodox Divine Liturgy to venerate her icon, if you are interested. While some parishes may celebrate the Liturgy with the icon in the church, that hasn’t been the case when I have seen it. Instead, each time that I have seen the Iveron icon brought to parish it was on a weekday, and the parish in question has held a (non-Eucharistic) prayer service to the Mother of God, followed by a period of time, usually a few hours, when anyone who is interested can venerate it (i.e., cross yourself and kiss it).

You don’t have to be Orthodox to venerate the Iveron icon, or any other icon for that matter. While I could understand how Roman Catholics might be scandalized to see another Catholic venerating an Icon of some post-schism Orthodox saint who is not recognized as such by Rome (e.g., St. Gregory Palamas), the Iveron icon is of the Mother of God. If you are concerned, I would ask your priest.
 
Mazen_El_Ghoz said:
Well.
As far as I am concerned there is absolutely nothing wrong with venerating Orthodox icons I am a Melkite Catholic my grandmother was Greek and Orthodox we still venerate some orthodox icons in September I think there is nothing wrong with it.
And I think no matter are you Catholic ,Orthodox or even moron as long as you believe in the Christ and do good deeds you will go to heaven
Well that’s what I think
Click to expand...
I hope you will have the opportunity to venerate the Iveron Hawaiian Myrrh-streaming Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. In May a number of the faithful of my parish, myself included, were blest to venerate the icon at Holy Virgin Cathedral two blocks from our church.
 
Lauren517 said:
Hi, All. Although I am a Roman Catholic and do love the Church, I am in awe of Hawaii’s Myrrh-Streaming Iveron Icon, a Russian Orthodox Icon, and I would one day love to venerate the Icon and be anointed by the Icon’s Myrrh. I do not wish to become a member of Orthodox Church, I just want to venerate the Wonderworking Icon. However, I want to keep with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, so would it be alright if I venerate Hawaii’s Myrrh-Streaming Iveron Icon?

Thank You,
Lauren
Click to expand...
I hope you will have the opportunity to venerate the Iveron Hawaiian Myrrh-streaming Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. In May a number of the faithful of my parish, myself included, were blest to venerate the icon at Holy Virgin Cathedral two blocks from our church.
 
Lauren, I was also blest with my family to venerate this icon a couple years ago, in a small store-front church in southern California. The church was filled with the intense fragrance of roses, and as we prayed, beads of oil developed, like dew drops, on the surface of the icon and on both sides of the glass cover of the kiot (icon box).

It is difficult to describe the feeling and atmosphere there, except to say that there was peace, and a sense the she was there walking among us, her children.

(P.S. - a brief video clip youtube.com/watch?v=uGYCN48zTtw)

I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t visit and venerate this icon, given the opportunity.
 
brittrossiter said:
I have had the opportunity to venerate the Iveron icon of the Mother of God on three separate occasions now, when its caretaker brought it to various Orthodox parishes near where I happened to be.

You shouldn’t have to worry about attending/interrupting an Orthodox Divine Liturgy to venerate her icon, if you are interested. While some parishes may celebrate the Liturgy with the icon in the church, that hasn’t been the case when I have seen it. Instead, each time that I have seen the Iveron icon brought to parish it was on a weekday, and the parish in question has held a (non-Eucharistic) prayer service to the Mother of God, followed by a period of time, usually a few hours, when anyone who is interested can venerate it (i.e., cross yourself and kiss it).

You don’t have to be Orthodox to venerate the Iveron icon, or any other icon for that matter. While I could understand how Roman Catholics might be scandalized to see another Catholic venerating an Icon of some post-schism Orthodox saint who is not recognized as such by Rome (e.g., St. Gregory Palamas), the Iveron icon is of the Mother of God. If you are concerned, I would ask your priest.
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St. Gregory Palamas is on the calendar of saints in at least two Eastern Catholic Churches-the Melkite and Ruthenian Churches.
 
Lauren517 said:
Hi, All. Although I am a Roman Catholic and do love the Church, I am in awe of Hawaii’s Myrrh-Streaming Iveron Icon, a Russian Orthodox Icon, and I would one day love to venerate the Icon and be anointed by the Icon’s Myrrh. I do not wish to become a member of Orthodox Church, I just want to venerate the Wonderworking Icon. However, I want to keep with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, so would it be alright if I venerate Hawaii’s Myrrh-Streaming Iveron Icon?
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Absolutely, yes! It’s a beautiful way to peek into Heaven through the window that an icon provides.

Just be mindful of, when in Moscow, so to speak, to do like the Russians. The church will probably have hours set aside for public veneration, so try to be there then, not when they are celebrating the Divine Liturgy. Additionally, pay attention to the manner in which the icon is venerated and try your best to do the same, even if you botch a few details.

In my experience visiting Orthodox churches, they are welcoming and respectful of other Christians visiting, especially Catholics, because they understand the veneration of images.

I hope that you have a blessed visit and may share with us how it went.

Pax Christi
 
A Russian friend of mine said that, much as for us, they may receive Holy Communion in Catholic churches in the absence of an Orthodox church within reasonable distance.

Pax Christi
 
I want to thank all of you for your very helpful posts! May God Bless all of you!
 
RyanBlack said:
St. Gregory Palamas is on the calendar of saints in at least two Eastern Catholic Churches-the Melkite and Ruthenian Churches.
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Indeed he is - thanks for correcting me! I should have picked a better example.
 
One cannot say, this person may have been permitted by his bishop personally. This does not mean it applies to anyone else or in other circumstances.
 
Mazen_El_Ghoz said:
Well.
And I think no matter are you Catholic ,Orthodox or even moron as long as you believe in the Christ and do good deeds you will go to heaven
Click to expand...
WRONG.

Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus; outside the Church there is no salvation.
 
Ariana_Katlyn said:
The Russian Orthodox Church is not affiliated with the Pope. Here is the list of Churches that are: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Catholic_rites_and_churches

Catholics can only receive the Eucharist at Churches who follow the Pope. As to venerating a sacred relic, I think it would be best not to.
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Sorry to say this, but what you are saying is in direct discordace with the Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church. Both the CIC/1983 and the oriental codex, as well as at least one papal declaration or encyclic state quite clearly that not only is receiving Eucharist and penance from the hands of Orthodox clergy not invalid or sinful for Roman Catholics, but more, it is, under the ennumerated conditions, even “licite” (as in, not “illicit”).

Honestly, and I am not reprimanding anyone, God forbid, especially not anyone who is out of my jurisdiction, but I always thought it was not all that, how to say it, “wise”, to say publicly things that are in discordance with the Magisterium. One should be careful there.

Please do not be angry with me, an Eastern Orthodox bishop, for pointing this bad habit out, but I have met it far too often and far too much, that Roman Catholics said things like these. In no way does my post mean to infer that I consider such bad habits or wrong practice a representation of all Catholicism or eve of all Roman Catholicism. I just state I have met this a lot. Like, really, a lot.

And a practical matter: even if we (Orthodox clergy) are not bound by the Roman Catholic Magisterium, those of us who have a loving heart do offer Eucharist, Unction and Penance to Roman and Eastern Catholics (if certain conditions are met). We do not have your Magisterium (sometimes I ponder it might not be so bad to have an office like that…), but we can do this even though. One day all priests and bishops, Eastern and Western alike, will stand before the Throne of our Father in Heaven and He will ask each one of us why we refused His mercy in form of Eucharist or Penance or Unction to His child here and here and here. What will we say? Do not get me wrong, you cannot serve these Holy Mysteries to everyone who walks through the door, that would be very bad, but I see too often such… dead letter and red tape over life and mercy. Personally, I met more cases where the terms and conditions could, with a little help and good will, be met so the Holy Mystery could be served, than those where it was truly impossible.

And if I was ever, in a case or two, perhaps too trusting and too generous with the Holy Mysteries, with my head bowed down I ask my beloved Father in Heaven to forgive me, I only did it from the love in my heart, one which I know He put in there, not me.

However here reads this and will not disdain a blessing from an Orthodox bishop, please have it: Oh the Most Pure Lady Theotokos, who art the shining light leading us to your beloved son and our beloved master, please bless these souls here with your neverending intercession, patience and peace. Amin.

In Christ,
+Gavrilo, Bishop of Czechia, Synodal Exarchy of Vlahia
Greek Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Synod of Avlona (under omophor of His Beatitude Angelos)
 
As a catechumen, I still do not know many things about the Catholic Faith. What does it mean to venerate an icon? How does one venerate an icon?
 
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