www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West From Orthodox to Catholic Journey Home Interview

Mary,

Thank you for once again bringing balance to the farce...

I have read several of James Likoudis' writings and, while I may not agree with the tone of his works, I find some of his argumentation interesting and many of his writings informative. Certainly he is the polemic counterpoint (rather weightier, IMHO) to hack anti-Catholic Orthodox apologists like Michael Whelton. But his incessant reference to our Orthodox bretheren as "dissident Easterners" makes him sound far more arrogant and condescending than I think he needs to be to make his points.

But as Father Deacon Randall has pointed out in previous posts, polemics does not build up the Body of Christ. Hence I tend to avoid texts which smack of anti-anything (Catholic or Orthodox). Unlike some, I would rather emphasize points of agreement, synthesis or complimentarity. I would not, therefore, be inclined at all to see any ontological difference between our two communions.

God bless,

Gordo

Dear Joe,

Not a tu quoquo, but perhaps a tu quoque!

Not applied to you, of course, but as John Hancock says in 1776: We can't have a revolution without offending _somebody_!

Changing religions involves the judgment, whether explicit or implicit, that those who remain in the previous religion are wrong. We can't get around that, but at least we can be nice about it.

As you, my former fellow-parishioner, have always been.

Best,
Karl

That's just it we shouldn't be seeking a revolution but a reunion polemist such as Whelton-Orthodox and Likoudis don't serve that puropse only dig our feet deeper into our seperate trenches, look we figured out a way to live together for a 1000 years despite our differences and we should seek to reclaim that without sacrificing each traditions authentic different tradition and spirituality.
We need not be at war for our differences are not as severe as the Protestant and apostolic church's divide.
I don't see Pope Benedict and Patriarch Bartholemew behaving like this.

I saw on EWTN that Joseph Pasquella, a former Eastern Orthodox deacon, will be the guest on 'The Journey Home' on April 30th at 8pm. http://www.ewtn.com/journeyhome/index.asp

-Wolfgang

ah yes the "dissident Easterner" term. Haven't seen those offensive words in any document since Vatican II- too bad about Likoudi's anger.

A bit offensive and triumphalistic, for sure. But, honestly, I have seen this kind of thing alot more in Orthodoxy.

Sadly,
Alice

Hello...

It is indeed sad to see one carry negative baggage into the Church they're "transferring" to (converting).

Of course, I won't be carrying that with me over to the Greek Church. I've already lived in Byzantine life with all the beliefs already instilled in me that is also found in the Orthodox Church.

So, for me, it's just a matter of changing the boundaries and also have my full participation of Holy Mysteries. I just need spiritual growth because I want to go to Heaven in spite of my bad shortcomings and weakness.

Of course, I'll always pray for unity.

SPDundas
Deaf Byzantine

There is a Catholic message board (that I will not name) that has a moderator who converted from the Greek Orthodox Church to the Latin Catholic Church when she married her husband.

She never spoke a harsh word about Orthodoxy.

Ancient and venerable Arab proverb: never spit in the well you drank from!

Fr. Serge

There was a woman on last night who was Russian Orthodox, then Mormon, and now Catholic.

She didn't seem bitter towards anybody.

I have no problem with those who convert from Orthodoxy to Catholicism or the reverse. Unfortunately, I know people who have been Baptist, then Episcopalian, then Catholic, then Orthodox, and on and on. Some folks seem to be religious dilettantes who wander aimlessly from one church to another, all the while complaining about the defects of the church they most recently left. I have a hard time accepting that such people seriously believe in anything.

I suppose that is like a person who goes from job to job every year without any discernable pattern that shows professional development and single mindedness. I hear what you are saying. I would distinguish between those whose ecclesiastical journey shows some sign of having a genuine "telos" (goal) and those who just hop from church to church out of indecisiveness or lack of coherent reasoning. But even in those cases, we should pray for them and be thankful that they are still somewhere in the Church, or in imperfect communion with the Church (protestant). Just my opinion.

Joe

I was raised Southern Baptist and am now Byzantine Catholic. In between, I journeyed through the United Methodist Church, the Episcopal Church, and the Orthodox Church. My journey was not one of aimless wandering and it is most certainly not the case that I do not seriously believe in anything.
Ryan

Ryan,

Your journey shows a clear progression. I would distinguish this from someone who is raised baptist, becomes Roman Catholic, then becomes Wiccan, then becomes a Scientologist, then becomes an Orthodox, then becomes Hindu, then ends up worshipping the flying spaghetti monster (apparently a favorite of shallow, pop-internet skeptics)