Visiting Orthodox, Eucharist question...

  • Thread starter Thread starter rjrjrj
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
R

rjrjrj

Guest
I am Roman Catholic and I would like to visit a Orthodox Church (most likely a Greek Orthodox around where I live) and experience their masses. Since RCC believes that their Eucharist is valid, should I genuflect in their Church? Also, can I receive Eucharist?

P.S. Any advice to a first time visitor to be aware of?

Thanks
 
rjrjrj said:
I am Roman Catholic and I would like to visit a Orthodox Church (most likely a Greek Orthodox around where I live) and experience their masses. Since RCC believes that their Eucharist is valid, should I genuflect in their Church? Also, can I receive Eucharist?
Click to expand...
The RCC allows Catholics to receive communion in an Orthodox church. The Orthodox churches don’t, however, and priests usually refuse communion to people they don’t know to be Orthodox in good standing, so I would not attempt it.

Also, genuflecting is not part of Byzantine tradition, so you would look out of place (although not specifically forbidden).

You are welcome to participate in everything else though! Enjoy the Divine Liturgy.
rjrjrj said:
P.S. Any advice to a first time visitor to be aware of?

Thanks
Click to expand...
Check out the first few posts of this recent thread: A few questions about attending the Divine Liturgy
 
wynd said:
The RCC allows Catholics to receive communion in an Orthodox church. The Orthodox churches don’t, however, and priests usually refuse communion to people they don’t know to be Orthodox in good standing, so I would not attempt it.

Also, genuflecting is not part of Byzantine tradition, so you would look out of place (although not specifically forbidden).

You are welcome to participate in everything else though! Enjoy the Divine Liturgy.

Check out the first few posts of this recent thread: A few questions about attending the Divine Liturgy
Click to expand...
I’m under the impression, perhaps incorrectly, that the Roman Catholic church allows us to receive communion in an Orthodox Church, but there’s supposed to be a reason that requires it (I’m putting this very loosely, so may be off). That is, if there’s a Roman Catholic church we can go to, we’re supposed to go there, and may not generally elect simply to receive communion in an Orthodox Church.

I’ve wondered what the Roman Catholic instruction was on Orthodox services we might find ourselves at, such as weddings and funerals. May we, in the Roman Catholic view, receive communion?

I understand that the Orthodox position is more restrictive, but I’d appreciate somebody outlining it.
 
This is how I understand the issue (I’m Orthodox so forgive me if I misrepresent the Catholic practice):

The Catholic Church allows Orthodox to partake of the eucharist in their parishes if they so choose, but also cautions them to respect the prohibition of the Orthodox against doing so (the Orthodox do not allow their members to partake of non Orthodox sacraments). Catholics are not ordinarily to partake of Orthodox sacraments, but there are exceptions. For example, if you move to an area with no Catholic parishes but there are Orthodox ones, you could ask your bishop for approval to commune there (although you would also need the approval of the Orthodox priest, which he would probably be reluctant to give). Another example would be if you were dying and an Orthodox priest were available but not a Catholic one. This would be unlikely in western countries, but conceivable in eastern ones like Russia, etc. The reasoning behind this is that Catholics recognize the validity of Orthodox sacraments, but consider them illicit, while Orthodox do not recognize the validity of non Orthodox sacraments.
 
Yeoman is correct. You may only receive out of necessity. Please read the following Canon Law. Pay attention to 844.2.

Canon 844 (c.671 in the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches)
  1. Catholic ministers may licitly administer the sacraments to Catholic members of the Christian faithful only and, likewise, the latter may licitly receive the sacraments only from Catholic ministers with due regard for parts 2, 3, and 4 of this canon, and can. 861, part 2.
2. Whenever necessity requires or genuine spiritual advantage suggests, and provided that the danger of error or indifferentism is avoided, it is lawful for the faithful for whom it is physically or morally impossible to approach a Catholic minister, to receive the sacraments of penance, Eucharist, and anointing of the sick from non-Catholic ministers in whose churches these sacraments are valid.
  1. Catholic ministers may licitly administer the sacraments of penance, Eucharist and anointing of the sick to members of the oriental churches which do not have full communion with the Catholic Church, if they ask on their own for the sacraments and are properly disposed. This holds also for members of other churches, which in the judgment of the Apostolic See are in the same condition as the oriental churches as far as these sacraments are concerned.
  2. If the danger of death is present or other grave necessity, in the judgment of the diocesan bishop or the conference of bishops, Catholic ministers may licitly administer these sacraments to other Christians who do not have full communion with the Catholic Church, who cannot approach a minister of their own community and on their own ask for it, provided they manifest Catholic faith in these sacraments and are properly disposed.
  3. For the cases in parts 2, 3, and 4, neither the diocesan bishop nor the conference of bishops is to enact general norms except after consultation with at least the local competent authority of the interested non- Catholic Church or community.
dcointin has provided an excellent interpretation of this Canon that is the normal interpretation.

Hope this helps!

Pax!
 
DeepeningFaith said:
Yeoman is correct. You may only receive out of necessity. Please read the following Canon Law. Pay attention to 844.2.

Canon 844 (c.671 in the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches)
  1. Catholic ministers may licitly administer the sacraments to Catholic members of the Christian faithful only and, likewise, the latter may licitly receive the sacraments only from Catholic ministers with due regard for parts 2, 3, and 4 of this canon, and can. 861, part 2.
2. Whenever necessity requires or genuine spiritual advantage suggests, and provided that the danger of error or indifferentism is avoided, it is lawful for the faithful for whom it is physically or morally impossible to approach a Catholic minister, to receive the sacraments of penance, Eucharist, and anointing of the sick from non-Catholic ministers in whose churches these sacraments are valid.
  1. Catholic ministers may licitly administer the sacraments of penance, Eucharist and anointing of the sick to members of the oriental churches which do not have full communion with the Catholic Church, if they ask on their own for the sacraments and are properly disposed. This holds also for members of other churches, which in the judgment of the Apostolic See are in the same condition as the oriental churches as far as these sacraments are concerned.
  2. If the danger of death is present or other grave necessity, in the judgment of the diocesan bishop or the conference of bishops, Catholic ministers may licitly administer these sacraments to other Christians who do not have full communion with the Catholic Church, who cannot approach a minister of their own community and on their own ask for it, provided they manifest Catholic faith in these sacraments and are properly disposed.
  3. For the cases in parts 2, 3, and 4, neither the diocesan bishop nor the conference of bishops is to enact general norms except after consultation with at least the local competent authority of the interested non- Catholic Church or community.
dcointin has provided an excellent interpretation of this Canon that is the normal interpretation.

Hope this helps!

Pax!
Click to expand...
Thanks for that information. From that I would presume that Roman Catholics at an Orthodox service outside of a Holy Day of Obligation, such as a wedding, would not be able to receive communion, and the Orthodox priest would generally not be in a position to offer communion, even though the sacrament is valid. I have wondered about this, and this information clears that up.
 
Thank you all for your responses. Two things:
I do not plan on substituting RCC mass for an Orthodox, I just want to experience their mass.

Also, even though they do not genuflect as part of their tradition, because it is considered to be the Eucharist, shouldn’t Roman Catholics still bow?? let’s take it a step back, shouldn’t we still make the sign of the cross as passing by a Orthodox Church?

P.S. As many described above, I know we should only take Orthodox Eucharist at times of necessity. However, because of this, isn’t it STILL the Body of Christ??? hence the genuflecting/sign of cross…

Thanks
 
rjrjrj said:
Thank you all for your responses. Two things:
I do not plan on substituting RCC mass for an Orthodox, I just want to experience their mass.

Also, even though they do not genuflect as part of their tradition, because it is considered to be the Eucharist, shouldn’t Roman Catholics still bow?? let’s take it a step back, shouldn’t we still make the sign of the cross as passing by a Orthodox Church?

P.S. As many described above, I know we should only take Orthodox Eucharist at times of necessity. However, because of this, isn’t it STILL the Body of Christ??? hence the genuflecting/sign of cross…

Thanks
Click to expand...
St. Ambrose said to follow the custom of the church wherever you are.

In the United States, some Orthodox churches kneel at the consecration - if they do, then kneel with them. If they stand, stand with them. When you make the Sign of the Cross, do so in the Byzantine fashion, with your thumb, index, and middle finger pushed together to represent the Holy Trinity and your pinky and ring finger pushed to your palm to represent the hypostatic union. And of course, go from right to left.

Whenever I go to an Orthodox church, I generally approach to kiss the chalice and adore Christ, and receive a blessing from the priest. Some would advise against this, but Christ is Christ no matter whose chalice he is in, so I approach to adore anyway. And, since the priest is a priest, I cannot see how his blessing would harm me, but only edify me.

Orthodox also typically use profound bows to express adoration.

Also, the Byzantine custom is that Christ becomes present at the Epiclesis and not the Words of Institution, hence, I would focus on that part of the canon as when Christ becomes present in a Byzantine church.
 
As an unimportant side note in the Eastern Orthodox tradition the service is referred to as “The Divine Liturgy”, Mass refers specifically to the Roman Catholic service I believe, however if you do make the error of calling the Orthodox service “Mass”, it is unlikely anyone will mind or do anything more than correct you.
 
My understanding is that Catholics shouldn’t receive Communion in Orthodox churches unless there’s a necessity.

However, if you’d like to experience Divine Liturgy and receive Communion there too, maybe you can also try an Eastern Catholic church 🙂

God bless
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top