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I recently spoke to the priest of a byzantine catholic church, who told me that several orthodox families attend regular services. I assume that they take communion, at least some of them...and isn't that "forbidden" by the orthodox church? I wonder about this.

jkay:

The answer to your question, objectively, is "yes": the Orthodox Church forbids its members from receiving the Holy Mysteries in any other than an Orthodox Church.

A clarification: we do not "take" communion; we "receive" communion. There is a great deal of reason behind this distinction and it is not just semantics.

Some questions come to the situation. Is there an Orthodox Church within a reasonable distance of this Eastern Catholic Church? I knew an Orthodox priest who said he grew up in an Eastern Catholic parish (prior to WW1) and his family attended that parish because there was no Orthodox parish within a day's journey of their home. He also noted that one third of the parish was Orthodox and in the same position. So it might be a case of there being no other parish of their own within a decent driving distance.

Also, there have been individual pastoral situations where Orthodox Christians have been served by Catholic parishes: the one in which I grew up had a Greek Orthodox family--we lived at least a two hour drive from the nearest Greek Orthodox parish over some very poor roads. We welcomed them, with the blessing of their bishop.

This topic usually stirs up a lot of anger and usually misses the point of people in need of spiritual support. So I'd advise you to tread lightly in this area.

The question one ought to ask in this situation is what would you do if the situation were reversed? I think of the story Fr. Dmitri Dudko related in Our Hope, a series of samizdat sermons published during the last days of the Communist days in the Soviet Union. Two women, one Catholic and one Orthodox, walked forty miles to go to confession to the only functioning church in their district of Siberia. They supported and encouraged each other to make the distance. So ask yourself what you would do in a similar situation. Tha usually softens the situation--or should.

In Christ,

BOB

That story about the two women was really beautiful.

jkay

You said

have you actually observed that ?

Assumptions of that particular nature can be dangerous

Well, for the sake of my curiosity in the matter, if any of the orthodox DID receive communion at the BC church...

By the way, I just wanted to make it clear that I was in no way looking down on the families receiving communion there (if any of them in fact did). I just wonder, for example, if they DO that, according to them being orthodox, is their soul in danger so to speak? For example, what if a spouse within the orthodox family was catholic and they decided to attend the BC church to raise their children under 1 religion, and then all received communion there? I know for a fact there is an orthodox church within reasonable distance. I wonder how God would look at this situation.

And then if they DID receive communion at the BC church, would they be allowed to return to the orthodox church (just to attend services, or receive communion)? Would they be excommunicated?

I have read religious joint statements (ie USCCB's A Guide on Catholic Orthodox Marriages...) about catholic-orthodox marriages, and both parties seem to recognize the struggles that arise within such a marriage, but offer little suggestions to make one party feel less...bad? condemned?...if they agree to allow the other party's religion to dominate in the marriage.

I am an orthodox christian but have been struggling with my religion for a while now. I want to marry a catholic man and feel like there is no way to do so and at the same time both of us remaining in good standing with our religions, depsite the joint committees that, well, actually dont really offer any solutions that I've seen. I have actually attended BC churches. Several things have actually contributed to me feeling less comfortable with my church, and I wonder why these things have happened and why God put me on this path in my life. After all, I have never read/heard of any orthodox converting to catholic...has anyone else? I would be interested to know.

The answer from the Orthodox aspect, they would be permitted to attend services, but would not be permitted to receive any of the sacraments until they are sacramentally reconciled to the Church. There is no lead-way regarding this by the standards that have been set down upon the priests from the hierarchy. So in essence to your question, yes they would be under a self-imposed excommunication.

In IC XC,
Father Anthony+

So the short answer is --- Orthodox are welcome to recieve the sacraments at a Catholic Parish, although they are advised by the Catholic Church to respect the discipline of their own Church.

But they are thereafter excommunicated and not accepted back in their Orthodox Church?

A few observations from a source far more knowledgeable than I am:


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Whenever I read of these things, I reflect upon the Creed and I wonder.

I wonder what the Orthodox Churches believe when they chant the Creed.

I wonder why "Orthodox" doesn't seem to mean right believing, but rather seems to mean rigid, authoritarian, and uncharitable.

Two Lungs,

Since you are pontificating and passing judgment, the answer I gave is the policy of the Orthodox Church and norm for its communicants in the United States. I gave the response whether or not is popular with you as to what any Orthodox priest must enforce. Until such a time as the standards are changed these will be in force. I also recommend that you reread that one point in my previous post that states they would be welcomed back after sacramental reconciliation as prescribed by the hierarch. Maybe you missed that sitting up on your high horse?

I find your last remarks to be anything but charitable, but yet judgmental.

Father Anthony+

Father Anthony,

Please forgive my lack of charity. You did state the position of the Hierarchy, and are required to follow it in practice.

Apology accepted.

In IC XC,
Father Anthony+

Father Anthony summarizes succinctly the position of the Orthodox Church.

The Catholic Church is united by communion with the Pope of Rome. The Orthodox Churches are held together by a unity of Faith and mutual communion. The Catholic Church can have looser rules about intercommunion because her unity consists in unity with the Apostolic See of Rome. The Orthodox insist on unity in all matters of Faith before intercommunion can take place. There are different ecclesiologies (i.e. doctrines of the Church) demonstrated by the different rules.

Jkay must make a decision about which doctrine of the Church she believes. If her thinking is more in line with the Catholic Church and she is marrying a Catholic man, she should ask to be received into the Catholic Church. (This will admittedly make their married life less complex). If she believes as the Orthodox Church does, and/or wishes to remain within the Orthodox Church, the sacramental discipline of the Orthodox Church needs to be humbly and faithfully maintained. Her marriage to a Catholic man must take place in the Orthodox Church (permission for which should easily be able to be obtained by her husband's Catholic Bishop) and take care that she herself receives the Mysteries of Confession and Holy Communion in the Orthodox Church alone. I have seen mixed marriages like this work very well. I hope hers can.

Faithfulness, tempered with love and humility, are what we all need.

Fr David Straut