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Wow. I must say that I am glad my Orthodox friends will join my family in prayer before meals. They ask me to pray for them and I ask them as well. I must ask them if I should not have my husband say prayers before dinner. We wouldn't want dinner to become like Assisi.

I must say that I'm totally at a loss for coming up with any good reason why Catholics and Orthodox should refrain from praying together. To be perfectly honest, I find the idea to be offensive.

Ryan

I wasn't joking about the Wisconsin Synod. I happened to be at a Lutheran bash in Chicago a number of years ago. By what seemed to be pre-arrangement, the host announced that in a few minutes they would offer grace before meals. The Wisconsin Synod contingent arose from the chairs and filed out of the room, and did not return until the grace before meals was concluded. At the end of the meal they simply left the table when a similar announcement was made. Stunned, I asked what was happening - and to the extent that one could possibly explain such conduct, it was explained to me.

They did not seem to have provided their own salt, pepper, and other condiments, so I don't know how they managed - to say nothing of the rolls and butter.

Fr. Serge

My Dad can recall that as a young soldier that when prayers were said in public the RC's did not join in and frequently on such occasions the RC's left the parade ground to pray with the RC Chaplain, RC's did not pray with non RC's.

Mind you in those days if you were invited to a non Catholic wedding the RC's had to stay outside the whole time. So there was a time when Catholic did not pray with non Catholics. Marrying a non Catholic in those days and you could not get married in the church and were frequently married in the sacristy. So Catholics have come on a long way.

Only very recently was it permitted to have a Mass said for the intentions of non Catholic. Thats great as I can now have a Mass said for my late Mum who was not Catholic.

The joke about the Catholics bhind the screen in heaven who like to think they are the only ones up there comes to mind.

I know of what you are saying. After I left Calvinism I went to a Missouri Synod church and they always were making jokes about the Wisconsin folks.

When my Orthodox Presbyterian parents(For those in the UK they are in communion with the Free church of Scotland) have us over we feel that Praying with them is the better example than making a point of being in communion with the Pope. When they are at our house we use and Eastern prayer that doesn't make mention of Mary. It would only upset them and what good would that do?

Perhaps I was too quick to state my opinion, since admittedly I don't live it out completely. When I attend an Orthodox church, I certainly do join in the prayers...but the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is, after all, an approved and ancient prayer service of my own Church, the Catholic Church.

I also admit that I pray together with my Methodist family in the privacy of our home; but I can't help to think that private prayer with family members is different than public prayer with people of different faiths. When I attend my old Methodist church with my family, I do not join in the prayers. If my mother and I were to be praying in our home and she started praying something contrary to my Catholic Faith, for example, I would immediately stop mentally praying with her and say my own Catholic prayers.

Maybe it's inconsistent, but there it is! My hodge-podge of a practice.

I guess what I'm saying is that I think there's a big, big difference between hierarchs publicly praying with people from other confessions, and doing so in the privacy of one's home with immediate family members, or at a parish church wherein a liturgy which is a liturgical Rite of your Church is being served.

Alexis

I will continue praying with Orthodox and Roman Catholics, This Thanksgiving I will say grace with my whole family which includes Anglicans, R.C'S (1 Melkite) and 3 Muslims.

Melkites aren't "RCs."

Alexis

at my parish there will be an ecumenical service but only with those of the christian faith I hope they don't let heretics(Anglicans, Baptists, Fundies, Lutherans) etc... into the sanctuary

There is supposed to be a comma between rc and melkite...

World Day of Prayer for Peace
Pope John Paul II organized the first World Day of Prayer for Peace in Assisi, Italy, on October 27, 1986. More than 120 representatives of different world religions and Christian denominations spent a day together with fasting and praying to their God or Gods. The only major religious organization that was not present was Jehovah's Witnesses.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_Prayer

It seems this is as bad as it got with fasting and prayer to their own gods. No masses, or anything else.

Growing up, I lived in a small town with A LOT of churches for a town of less than 10,000 souls. Each year, the Sunday before Christmas, we had a carol stroll/sing, going from church to church where each held a short service and highlight their religious/ethnic traditions of the holiday, choir, scripture, sermonette, and prayers. The town was small enough and the churches close enough together to make this possible. All the churches in town participated except for the Missouri Synod Lutheran church. They would never pray or cooperate in any joint efforts with any of the other churches. It is one of my fondest memories of growing up, the comraderie and feeling of togetherness with my neighbors celebrating God's birth was wonderful, and it gave you a chance to see inside the other churches that you never went in. We prayed together and sang together. I am sure that God was pleased that we did, I have no doubt of that.

Terryville Congregational
Immaculate Conception RC (the "Irish church" as we called it)
St. Casimir Polish RC (my parish)
St. Michael Ukrainian GC
Ss. Cyril and Methodius Russian Orthodox (OCA)
St. Paul Lutheran (ELCA)
and Holy Trinity Lutheran (Missouri Synod-who did not participate)

Lest I be misunderstood, I feel I must clarify my comments. I did not say that I am opposed to Orthodox and Non-Orthodox praying together (such as blessing meals and so forth). I said that I was conflicted. If I were opposed, I wouldn't be conflicted. But the question of whether to pray along with others at a convocation, graduation, blessing of meals, etc. is just something I've been pondering in light of what the ancient canons teach. I don't have a firm opinion on the matter. I do think that we need to consider carefully whether there should be "official" joint prayer gatherings between Orthodox and Non-Orthodox. And I think that we should take the criticism of these types of events (by traditionalists such as the monks of Mt. Athos) seriously.

I make it habit not to attend non-Orthodox services, but in the event that I must (wedding, baptism, etc.) I politely make myself inconspicuous and as best as possible, spend the time meditating on God and praying. I honestly do not know if I would say the Nicene Creed with non-Orthodox, since the Western version adds the filioque. I would pray the Our Father. And I do join in family blessings and would pray with any of the brethren who needed my prayers.

Now, about this business with Assissi. Am I correct in my perception that Buddhists (and other non-Christians) were allowed into Catholic Churches, given permission to hold their services there, and were allowed to place idols on the holy altar where the sacrament is reserved? If this did indeed happen and if Pope John Paul II or the Vatican never offered an explanation and apology, then how can there not be outrage among Catholics over this? Think of it this way.

Let's bracket the fact that this happened at the Vatican. Let's say some local diocesan Bishop (Catholic or Orthodox it makes no difference) invites the local Hindu community to the Cathedral for prayer and discussion about world peace. Now let's say that most people expect a little gathering outside the Cathedral, a generic joint prayer, and a few hugs. But, what actually happens is that the Bishop invites the Hindus to come into the Church and offer their prayers to Shiva. In fact, they are permitted to put an idol of Shiva up on the altar in front of the tabernacle that houses the blessed sacrament. Then they fall down and worship it. Afterward, they are given warm send off by the Bishop and his staff.

Now, if you read or heard about this story, what would your reaction be? And if the Bishop was perfectly in the right by allowing the Hindus to do this, then why can't any lay person put a Buddha or Shiva in their icon corner?

Here is a passage of Scripture upon which we should reflect:

What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. You cannot drink of the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. (I Corinthians 10:19-21).

Now, my friends, what is it to allow pagans to come into the Church, place an idol on the holy altar and then pray to their false gods (which are in reality, demons)? Is this not sacrilege and blasphemy? Should not those who do such things be held accountable? Is the Pope above God's law and is the Pope above godly discipline? And when Orthodox see Roman Catholic leaders permitting the worship of demons on their altars, what are we supposed to think? Can I pray with Pope John Paul II who gives his tacit approval to demon worship? Folks, I'm not speaking in hyperbole. I had read a little about all of this "Assissi" stuff years ago but I thought it was just a kind of get together to say a generic peace prayer and share hugs. I never realized that the Vatican was giving its churches over to idolaters in order to worship the devil's minions.

Now, am I wrong about this? If the facts are what they are (if I understand them correctly) then how is this activity promoted by the previous pontiff and the Vatican not sacrilege or blasphemy? Is this really a little minor error or piccadilo?

Scripture clearly teaches that we should not have fellowship with idolators or those who approve of such evil. In fact, St. Paul says that with such persons we should not even eat (I Corinthians 5:11-12). So, tell me, if any ordinary diocesan Bishop did what John Paul II did, what would have happened to him? I am not trying to start a flame war but I am truly shocked and amazed at what I have learned here. Frankly, I would have thought that such things were just fictions made up by anti-Catholics. But apparently, this grave sin is real.

Joe

Can anyone give me a valid explanation how this could be? I doubt it. I have to agree with Joe and the question now is what am I to do as a Catholic. The sex scandal in our Church almost drove me away but for my the sake of my wife I stayed.

I have to agree with the remarks that Joe made. The placing of an idol on an altar is blasphemy.

In Christ:
Einar

Joe and Einar,

Well, as Cardinal Ratzinger said during the events themselves: "This cannot be the model."

And many Catholics were, apparently, scandalized and horrified. It is a truly frightening thing that churches built for the worship of the Holy Trinity could be given over in a "goodwill" gesture to those who worship false gods in a space dedicated to the Only and Supreme God. What must God think of this?

It is definitely a wake up call; for even if one believes that what the Church teaches is totally orthodox, if those orthodox teachings are violated on such a grand, official, and all-encompassing scale - well, what do orthodox teachings for the faithful matter in all this, in the face of their hierarchs allowing right belief to be trampled upon? Doesn't it sort of become a moot point?

And the thing is, although this happened in Catholic churches, the Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox took part in this, too. Really none of the Apostolic Churches are guilt-free in this entire affair. And that's a scary thought!

Alexis