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I think that the article touches on an important point - that the influence of a strengthened Orthodoxy will be most definitely be felt in the EU. What I find naive is what I've heard many times on this board - that Orthodoxy's numbers are "insignificant" in comparison to the Roman Catholic church, and that somehow, it was always that way. That's to betray a serious lack of knowledge of history, where the tables were turned (as if the dark ages never happened, and the political and religious ramifications of that, or that the Byzantine empire never existed), and it also shows an ignorance of the experience of most of these Eastern European countries, where the religion is predominantly Orthodox, and the Roman Catholic church is a small sidenote. It's a typical American and Western attitude to measure everything by Western values and Western religion.

Obviously, the article deals in speculation, but the speculation is based on what is really happening right now. Whether it will be an Orthodox century or not (in Europe) remains to be seen. But I would not so easily dismiss it.

Priest Thomas

Please tell me this opinion was mistakenly posted. Or maybe you're unfamiliar with the gospel, or the Kingdom of God, where repentant murderers and prostitutes and Pharisees are entering the Kingdom ahead of the righteous?

Priest Thomas

Paul,

He does not stay at home. I saw him in person in Miami in the early 90s and even have a photo of me receiving a gift from him (he gave small crosses and medals to all present).

Tony

I think Orthodoxy could have a significant influence in the world, but it has a few traditional problems to overcome. In many areas, it has been tied too closely to the civil governments. If there is one thing Orthodoxy could learn from Catholicism, it is that this alliance can corrupt both the Church and the state. Orthodoxy is often an ethnocentric religion tied to one country and its culture. This leads to the third point, Orthodoxy has lost any missionary zeal it once had. Its interesting that the great Orthodox missionaries of the past are venerated, but seldom imitated. Numerically, Orthodoxy outnumbers all the Protestants in the world, combined. If it could get its act together and present the image of a unified Church to the world, it could have a major impact, especially in areas where western culture is foreign and unwelcome.

Randy, CHRIST IS RISEN! I have spent a good deal of time over several years inside the Patriarchate of Moscow and found a more vibrant spiritual life exists there than I have ever seen anywhere in the world. As one elderly priest told me, "Father, during the Communist times, we were ALL in a sense forced to compromise our faith somewhat and all of us were listed as 'agents' in one way or another...but I don't think that you in the West could ever begin to understand what those times were like for us here."

In the end, I think that those of us who were living here in freedom should never judge our brothers and sisters that lived under very difficult circumstances elsewhere. It is the height of arrogance to do so. What I tried to suggest to you yesterday...I shall repeat again today: The GOOD NEWS tells us that God always forgives the sins of our past---staking all His hope on our future and His confidence in us and that we will do better as we grow in our relationship with Him! Who here can say what we might be forced to do if OUR MOTHERS and family members were threatened??? May the Lord forgive us ALL for the times when we have sold Him short out of either laziness or compromise!

In His great mercy,
+Fr. Gregory

Again, I think this is an incorrect sterotype of Orthodoxy, to say that it's lost its missionary zeal. Although communism was a significant set back, Russia missionized the new world with St. Herman, et al, and today, Orthodoxy is exploding in Africa, experiencing rebirth and renewal in Russia and Albania (and many other places) and in the Southern and Western part of the US Orthodox missions are popping up all over the place. The Orthodox Christian Mission Center [ocmc.org] can always do more, but it has become a significant force for Orthodox missions in the world.

It bears repeating - Orthodoxy was devastated by communism. How long do you think it will take to rebuilt itself? A recent statistic I heard is that the number of priests in Russia, in the past 15 years, has increased dramatically. The number of parishes, as the article stated, went from 6,000 to 27,0000, the number of monasteries quadrupled - and there is much more to be done. Many of these strong Orthodox countries are trying to rebuild their own churches and religious communities, let alone their societies and economies, devastated by communism. It will still be many years until they can look outward at other lands which need the truth of the gospel.

Regarding ethnocentricity - yes, in some places it is a problem. But, there is another side to that coin - the respect that Orthodoxy has for culure, to sanctify it and embrace it. This is very attractive to many cultures. One protestant convert to Orthodoxy, now a priest in the OCA, stated that when he was a protestant missionary in China, he lamented that the Chinese response was "one more Christian, one less Chinese." He felt this was the great flaw of Western Christianity, and he saw in Orthodoxy the answer to this problem.

Priest Thomas

This is not the first time I have heard this century called the Orthodox Century. I suspect that only certain Orthodox see it that way. To me, it comes across like a slogan to help motivate existing Orthodox christians to be faithful, and to grow in their faith, but that's all to the good. Within the Catholic Church we have things like the Year of the Eucharist, but there are specific devotions that go with that. In order to make an Orthodox Century, perhaps some sort of specific devotions are called for there as well. After all, the missionary aspect of the Orthodox message is not very effective within the U.S. as far as I can see. Growth seems to accompany general population shifts, instead.

I fail to see how Orthodox missionary efforts in the US can be seen as ineffective? The Antiochian Archdiocese has increased its number of parishes from 60 to 210. The majority of the priests in their Archdiocese are converts. A significant number of priests in the OCA are converts. Yes, numerically the OCA, historically stronger in the Eastern US, has seen a decline, but there are many factors that contributed to that decline (and the subsequent increase of Roman Catholics). In our own parish, we lost hundreds and hundreds of people in mixed marriages who were forced to sign an agreement that their children would be raised in the Roman Catholic church. Those families were virtually lost forever to Orthodoxy, unless they can rediscover their roots, which seldom happens beyond eating perogi. And statistically, the decline seems to be over.

We have to understand that "missionary efforts" in the US are going to be unlike any in history. No longer are you going to walk into some pagan tribal area and baptize the whole lot of them. Mission work is done person to person, face to face. The church grows one person by one person in this country.

Priest Thomas

Please forgive my ignorant....

Randy, HE IS RISEN AND IN OUR MIDST! Don't worry about it Bro, we're all ignorant about things here and there...that's why we come here to learn and expand our minds and hearts and souls! Nothing to apologize for.

Much love to you...in Him Who is our Risen Lord,
+Fr. Gregory

Thank you again Father Gregory...

I felt I am not worth in the eyes of our Lord Jesus Christ with my fast judgement and weak on forgiveness.

Randy, +The Risen Christ bless you! You are worth sooooooooooooooooooooooo much---that we human beings could not even BEGIN to express how precious YOU ARE to the Lord! He suffered and died and Rose from the dead for YOU...and had you been the ONLY person on earth, He would have gladly done it just for YOU! Be assured of His immeasurable love for YOU...and be assured of our love too!

In His Holy Name,
+Fr. Gregory, who asks for your holy prayers!

Yes, missionary efforts and results in the U.S. are different. I think those efforts need to be carefully monitored and supervised. The RCs are growing numerically. But I have noticed, depending on the RCIA program in a particular parish, some disturbing results. Oh, they are getting the numbers, but often converts coming through that RCIA process are still whatever brand of Protestant they were beforehand, in terms of beliefs and practices. In other words, they are Catholic in affiliation, only. However, in other parishes, the RCIA programs actually do teach Catholic doctrine and are effective. I hope you folks are controlling the learning process and doing some screening of your converts, so you don't end up with crowds of hostile, former Protestants - another phenomenon I have noticed in some Orthodox Churches.

Dear Friends,

Personally, I think that Catholics and Orthodox should both rejoice that they are getting converts in this day and age!

We're still divided, but what unites us is more than what divides us.

I've seen and assisted Protestants and agnostics join the Latin Catholic, Eastern Catholic, Orthodox and Western Orthodox Churches - including a number of retired Lutheran Pastors!!

I have never told anyone who e-mailed me or called me for information that they should not go toward the Church they were inclining towards.

Of course, I would love it if everyone were good, pirhohi-eating Ukrainian Catholics!

However, that is not to be . . .

I rejoice equally when a Dr. Jaroslav Pelikan becomes Orthodox or when a Scott Hahn becomes a Catholic!

Sorry, but that's just the way I am . . .



Alex
Birthday Boy

No catechetical process is going to erase the memory of former protestants. Not every convert is Frank Schaeffer, and most of them are quite respectful, even thankful, of their former delusion. But there's also nothing wrong with these converts openly pointing out their former errors to teach others.

On May 21, our parish will host Clark Carlton, the author of "The Faith," and other books. He will speak on "Why I Became Orthodox." If someone takes it as a rant against protestantism, so be it. I can't stop them.

Priest Thomas