www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Prior to Vatican II, was it permissable...

For Eastern Catholics to attend Orthodox services? I know it's not permissable to try to recieve communion, but what about attending other services outside the Divine Liturgy.

Again, I'm looking for the pre-Vatican II position, not post.

Thanks to anyone who knows the answer.

Blessings,
Mary

The answer appears to be different, depending on whether one asks Easterns or Westerns.

From Greek-Catholics, the answer is in the affirmative.

Fr. Serge

Thank you Fr. Serge. The EC P.O.V. is what I was looking for.

Blessings!

From an old guy, from Boston, of 'mixed heritage' RC and Greek Orthodox, my pastor and the Sisters said: attendance at a Greek Orthodox litugy fulfilled the Sunday Mass obligation. Communion was a no-no. The Orthodox were schismatics (i.e., not in good standing with Rome), but not 'heretics' like the Protestants who had no 'grace' whatsoever. The Orthodox Eucharist was 'valid' (i.e., the 'real thing') but not 'licit', (i.e. sanctioned by the Church). Great conflict for an 8 year old.

I remember Sister telling me my mother had a 'good chance' of going to heaven even though she wasn't Catholic. That was certainly comforting.

It's little wonder I went with the Jesuits whose charism was the instruction of the ignorant. (A 'corporal work of mercy' by the way.)

JB

The mother of Bl. Leonid Feodorov, though interiorly convinced of the truth of the Catholic Faith, initially delayed conversion because she'd been told by a Latin priest that her conversion would necessitate a cessation of her assisting @ Orthodox services:

"Although our chapel [that of Father Zerchaninov] fully satisfies me, not many liturgical office can be celebrated there. However, it was too much for me to stay sitting at home during services. But I made an effort and for a month I did not attend Orthodox services; I began again later and this time I stayed away from them for two months. But this abstention had a disastrous effect on me; I 'melted' as they say..."

Later, Metropolitan Andrei Sheptytsky came to Petrograd incognito. Said Madame Feodorov:

"Seeing his angelic kindness, I felt full of courage and I began to ask him if I could not visit Orthodox churches simply to pray, and not so as to receive unction from the priest on the eve of feasts or to kiss the cross or the Gospels.

"'But,' the bishop replied, astonished, 'why should you not recceive unction from the priest or kiss the cross and the Gospel? All these are holy things. You may go and pray in Orthodox churches.'"

From the great Metropolitan Andrei himself. Liubov Dmitrievna Feodorov was certainly not the only one he said this to, nor was he the only Greek Catholic hierarch of his time to make similar statements.