Why do Orthodox hate Catholics so much?

[ASimpleSinner]

It greatly depends on the particular jurisdiction/eparchy and even with the parish. I have found the most zealous anti-Catholics to be converts to Orthodoxy, and most of them in a particular jurisdiction that has prided itself on attracting converts from Protestant and Evangelical churches. It seems perhaps they do not loose much of the anti-papal baggage. I eventually pulled my kids out of an Orthodox coop school of this particular jurisdiction because we were clearly made to be “outsiders” as it was clear we were going to remain Greek Catholic and not become Orthodox of their particular jurisdiction. I walked out of several of this priest’s overtly anti-Catholic polemical sermons, and enough was enough.
FDRLB

I have witnessed the same. A mission parish of the jurisdiction of which you speak meets at a Greek Catholic parish. When their bishop came, his comment to the Greek Catholic pastor was “This is a nice spiritual place.” My pastor, nonplussed, pointed out “well your grace it IS a church.” The bishop was, of course, a convert himself… some other comments that were made were rather startling.

I don’t ascribe this to all Orthodox everywhere, but if we are to be realistic, YES that strain of anti-Catholic or contra-distinctive tendancy is out there. Anyone who surfs the net and comes accross other forums with a high percentage of converts or websites created by the same can see that.

 

[Diak]

I don’t think the “new” Catholic practice can be rightly termed Catholic; it’s completely against Catholic tradition, and traditional Catholics realize that.

Before you make blanket statements of what is “absolutely against” the Church and attempt to make yourself competent to judge what is, as you put it, “rightly termed Catholic” perhaps you should have some perfunctory knowledge of Catholic Canon Law.

844 §3. Catholic ministers administer the sacraments of penance, Eucharist, and anointing of the sick licitly to members of Eastern Churches which do not have full communion with the Catholic Church if they seek such on their own accord and are properly disposed. This is also valid for members of other Churches which in the judgment of the Apostolic See are in the same condition in regard to the sacraments as these Eastern Churches.

It is certainly your right to reject Canon Law and other Magisterial proclamations which do not line up with your personal opinions, but please do not judge the Church for making these.
FDRLB

 

[Diak]

So Orthodox and Greek Catholics (oops, did I just offend someone?)

Not this Ukrainian Greek Catholic.
FDRLB

 

[Alethiaphile]

First, the title of the OP is an overgeneralization. I will venture to say that the Orthodox, as a rule, don’t “hate” Catholics. At least, that is my experience as a Catholic who has attended and fellowshipped with many Orthodox Christians in America. In Serbia or the Ukraine, it may be a different story.
The East-West divide always had a political dimension as well as theological, and that grew as the divided ossified into an East-West geographicla divide. As already mentioned, there is the sack of Byzantium by western crusaders in 1204. There is the invasion of Russia by the Germanic Teutonic Knights. The Catholic takeover of originally (according to my understanding) Orthodox Poland. The Croats vs. the Serbs.
If one looked at No. Ireland, one would think that Catholics and Protestants generally hate each other, but in fact it is a political conflict there, only secondarily theological.
Most Orthodox simply believe that Catholics are theologically mistaken. At least, again, that is my experience. Joe

 

[samoht]

After reading some of the threads I find it quite disconcerting and even shamelessly pety. How can we as supposed good and decent Christians find fault on many things that really do not matter. After all do we not all pray to the same God whatever religion we are. How can we be so caught up on clanish tribal mentality that we can so easily find fault with our fellow man and how he worships. That is something of the distant past not our present where we claim to be of one accord with our fellow man.

Did not Jesus say that he who is without sin can cast the first stone? And were there any takers? No. Do not look for the speck in your neighbor’s eye until you look at your own.

I say disconcertaining but I really mean sick at heart that we choose to find quarrel with our fellow man. To the core of my being I am almost heartbroken. Where will it end. Why must we need for everyone to be like us or that other person.

Some will say “I mean no offense to my neighbor” but only question the way his form of faith differs from my own. Does that make sense? If we question and put down how a man faith practices differs from ours then are we not really putting him down?

The 72 years I have spent on this earth has shown me so many ways that men worship. Does that mean that he is any better or worse than I? Of course not.

We should accept our differences and celebrate our similarities. Is that not what Our Lord would want us to do?

Please, no more posts on who hates who but rather who loves his fellow man as he does himself.

God Bless us all.

Thomas Eby…

 

[VARC]

So just because Orthodox vigorously disagree with Rome on some issues, then they are hateful and anticatholic. Cmon What examples do you have?

 

[ASimpleSinner]

So just because Orthodox vigorously disagree with Rome on some issues, then they are hateful and anticatholic. Cmon What examples do you have?

Where do you get the impression that disagreement is = to hateful or anticatholic?

Go spend an hour or two looking at the Orthodox Research Institute, reading through Photius Jones’ website, or a wee bit of time on OrthodoxChristian.net.

If you don’t see some very snyde anti-Catholic undertones, you really don’t want to.

 

[mardukm]

Dear brother Heckesh,

Are you aware that you use of “Roman Catholic Church” to define the entire Catholic Church (including the Eastern churches) is highly offensive to some Catholic Christians?

I am rather fascinated you would do that when you use the term “Orthodox” to describe both Oriental and Eastern Orthodoxy without giving any distinction to their differences or the differences between the different national churches that comprise each group.

May I ask which Catholic Church you are a member of? Your name sounds Oriental Catholic (as distinct from Eastern Catholic). I am Oriental Catholic, a Coptic Orthodox in communion with Rome.

I, for one, appreciate your distinction between Oriental and Eastern Orthodoxy. I believe there is a lot of false ecumenism going on between the Orientals and Easterns. I don’t want to be misunderstood. I appreciate and applaud the efforts in understanding and search for common ground between Oriental and Eastern Christians. But I call it false ecumenism because it fails to include the Catholic Church. There are many things that Orientals and the Latin Church have in common. However, towards the Oriental Orthodox, these similarities with the Latins (and concucurrent differences from the Easterns) don’t seem to raise any eyebrows among the Eastern Orthodox, yet towards the Latins, these differences are cause for derision and disunity.

I don’t think this is the thread to discuss specifics about these similarities with the Latin Church, so that is all I will say.

Blessings,
Marduk

 

[dessert]

Please, no need to be defensive! I believe this was a sincere question. Possibly it could have been worder a little better.

The question has occurred to me, as well, when I first started learning about Orthodoxy. Specifically, when I came across the contrasting views that Catholic and EO churches have concerning the validity of eachothers sacraments.

I think it is like when a person doesn’t want to mix their meat with the veggies on their dinner plate. Some scream oh no they are mixed I can’t eat that now! That is defensive!

 

[Heckesh]

Why do you assume I am using the term “Roman” Catholic to include or exclude Eastern Catholic churches? You don’t really know, do you?

No I don’t, hence my question.

As it is, I have lately been using the term as a synonym for Latin Catholic, distinguished from Eastern Catholics. I thought it was OK. Millions of Catholics of the Latin rite call themselves Roman Catholic without batting an eye. Try it out yourself, next Sunday after Mass ask aloud “how many of you people are calling yourselves Roman Catholics?” and see. You know I am right about this.

Nice try, but you were labeling the entire Catholic Church as the “Roman Catholic Church” in your posting. That’s different than what you suggest above. What you’re suggesting would not go over well with my Byzantine-Ruthenian fellow faithful at the Divine Liturgy.

I know for a fact that you do not all think alike. As far as I am concerned the Latin Sui Iuris church, the Ruthenian Sui Iuris church and the Syro-Malabar Sui Iuris church are the parts of the church in communion with the Roman Pontiff. They should ALL be proud to call themselves Roman Catholic, but you make a big deal out of it.

The Pope is the Vicar of Christ on Earth in the Catholic Church – not just the Latin Rite.

But if you don’t like the term applied to you, the East would gladly take it back, **because the Byzantines are Romans **and only refrain from using the term for themselves because of the confusion in the public mind with your church. So Orthodox and Greek Catholics (oops, did I just offend someone?) are stuck with a 19th century invention if a name YOU apply to them to differentiate them from your church.
I think that this is a tempest in a teapot, and you are just looking for an excuse to be offended.

It took you a while, but you tipped your hand! (Alarm Siren Here) Were you telling the truth earlier? Byzantine Catholics in perfect communion with the Pope are NOT “Roman Catholics.” You are wrong about that. Terribly wrong. You need to study a bit.

Use whatever term you feel is appropriate to get your idea across. This is supposed to be a place to share information and you have your knickers in a twist.

No, I didn’t. I asked an honest question. Re-read my post. I will admit that your characterizing Byzantine Catholics as “Roman Catholics” is offensive but that is neither here nor there.

 

[Heckesh]

It is absolutely against the Tradition of the Latin Church to distribute Communion those those who are not Catholics, even the Orthodox.

The Orthodox and the traditional Catholic viewpoint is the right one: Communion is an outward sign of unity of faith, and should be reserved to those professing that Faith.

I don’t think the “new” Catholic practice can be rightly termed Catholic; it’s completely against Catholic tradition, and traditional Catholics realize that.

I highly doubt that an Eastern Orthodox would be communed at a traditional Catholic church, nor do I think they should be, just as Catholics shouldn’t be communed (or try to commune) in Orthodox churches.

Of course the state of affairs in the Middle East is such that Melkites and Orthodox frequently intercommune on both sides, with the tacit approval of the Churches. I would leave local traditions like that alone, but never officially encourage for it to be taken up elsewhere.

Actually the Catholic Church allows most Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches to receive communion in the Catholic Church. It’s the Orthodox churches that do not allow their faithful to receive.

 

[Hesychios]

It took you a while, but you tipped your hand! (Alarm Siren Here) Were you telling the truth earlier? Byzantine Catholics in perfect communion with the Pope are NOT “Roman Catholics.” You are wrong about that. Terribly wrong. You need to study a bit.

Are you kidding me?

I was going out of my way to be inclusive and you take offense again!

The Byzantines are the Romans, NOT talking about your Ruthenian Catholic church as such, but the Hellenes of the east, who always refer to themselves as Roman, for good reason. You can see that I mentioned the Orthodox AND the BC. But you chose to go south.

I think it is a perfect label for the Orthodox, because they continued the Roman empire for a thousand years further along in the east, and are known as Romans by their neighbors even today. I would probably call them Roman Orthodox though, or Roman Orthodox Catholics. If you don’t like the “offensive” moniker, your loss.

If the Ruthenian Catholics had wanted to use the term, God bless 'em. But I see that they prefer to use a 19th century substitute. Too bad.

You are kinda new to the Ruthenian church, aren’t you? :ehh: Have you transferred yet?

 

[Nicholas82]

My whole family is Roman Catholic. I certainly don’t hate them or their faith.

 

[ASimpleSinner]

Still, would you object to a Catholic priest giving the same instructions to, say, an Anglican? You are writing from a Catholic standpoint; try to assume the priest’s phronema.

Apples to apples!

Catholics view Anglican orders as null and void - Pope Leo XIII rules as much and that ruling still holds sway.

Different Orthodox may be prone to hold this opinion about Catholic orders, but as it stands, no binding ruling has been made by any council or other binding authority. When the Greek Catholic-Orthodox diocese of Johnstown was created in the 1930s, there was no talk of Chrismation or re-ordination. The PoC simply took in all ordained in the Greek Catholic Church as his own diocese.

If the priest is saying that since one no longer shares faith with the communion they are leaving, it would be inappropriate to continue to commune with them… Well that is perfectly logical. But it isn’t comparable to telling a soon-to-be Ex-Anglican to quit communing with the Anglicans.

 

[chris_molter]

1- no one likes to be told that they’re wrong.

2- 4th Crusade, Constantinople. (despite the Pope constantly telling the crusaders not to do it and excommunicating the lot, Rome still kept some of the stolen wealth and relics for centuries)

3- Cultural differences. Latins vs Greeks. Read about the problems between them during the crusades as well as the post 4th crusade conflicts

4- miscommunications/misunderstandings

5- different approaches to theology (not necessarily contradictory, but different)

6- add time to that mix and long memories

 

[Hesychios]

It’s the Orthodox churches that do not allow their [non-Orthodox] faithful to receive.

For good reason!

Unity of belief is a defining characteristic of Holy Orthodoxy. All people are held to the same high standard. Orthodox who need confession, and all Christians who believe non-orthodox theology must abstain.

Communion is a pinnacle of unity, a sign and seal of unity in Faith, not a means to achieve it.

Leave your gifts at the altar and go reconcile with your brother.

Reconcile, not beat him into submission…
*
Michael*

 

[catherineajt]

My whole family is Roman Catholic. I certainly don’t hate them or their faith.

Nor do I, and I was a member of the Orthodox church for a year. I certainly was dismayed by the disdain many in that church had for the Catholic Church. “Hate” is a strong word. “Scorn and disdain” might be better.

Even when my husband and I converted, my Roman Catholic inlaws were supportive–saddened because we were not in communion and could not partake together, certainly, but supportive! My middle son’s godmother (he had been baptized in the RCC) went out of her way to find Eastern Orthodox books and teaching materials for him, as well as icon prints. Even though it was not her tradition, she respected the Orthodox tradition.

 

[dessert]

The question was confusing to me at first that is why I have not responded much.
Orthodox hate? this is against the WORD
Which Orthodox?
Which catholics?
I have not heard how they hate here at all.
I used to call myself Roman and now just say catholic of the latin rite as per suggestion quite a while ago from an Orthodox.
I wish the OP poster peace as I need to get off this thread. Pax!

 

[Mickey]

I agree that the innovations (the Immaculate Conception for one) that the Roman Catholic church has instituted are perplexing, at least to me. That is why I was so happy to find the Eastern Catholic church.

The Eastern Catholic Church is required to embrace the IC doctrine.

 

[Mickey]

Either you’re running away from something very bad that happened, and are naturally negative, or you feel you have to convince yourself that it was that bad.

There is a third option.

After thorough prayer, discernment, and study, one becomes convinced that Holy Orthodoxy contains the fulness of truth—henceforth defending the Orthodox faith. Latin Catholics will construe this to be anti-Catholic because there are many issues in Holy Orthodoxy that do not mesh with Latin Catholicism.