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Hello,
I am new to this forum, and I hope I'm posting in the right section. I am an Orthodox Christian, while the man I will be marrying eventually is a Roman Catholic. Now, we've talked about attending a Byzantine Catholic Church and raising children Catholic, mainly because the Pope is very important to him. I personally do not really have a problem with the Pope (I don't know if this makes me a "bad" Orthodox), but I am worried about attending a Byzantine Catholic church because I don't know if I will be able to go to confession there and receive communion there. We are both optimistic, or at least favor, the union of OC and RC, which is why we agreed to try attending a Byzantine Catholic church. Can someone who attends one currently please tell me main differences from an OC church? And although it may be difficult to do so, what we'd like to do is expose our children to OC as well as RC, since neither one of us is converting to the others' religion.

Welcome to the forum, and congratulations on your upcoming plans of marriage!

First of all I can say that you will not have any trouble receiving communion in the BC church, and the liturgy will be familiar to you, except slightly different as to recension. (In other words, the liturgy of the BC is inherited from the Slavic-Balkan region south of the Carpathian mountains, not Greek, Syrian or Russian) The major difference is that the Byzantine Ruthenians commemorate the Pope. The normal liturgical language in the BCC is English, sometimes with Slavonic sprinkled in.

Theologically and spiritually the BC is supposed to mirror the Orthodox churches in all ways beside the Papal doctrines. This might come as a surprise to your husband to be, the Faith is taught with a very "Orthodox" perspective. It is totally legit in the opinion of the Vatican, but your intended might not understand why this is so and he needs to be brought up to speed on that point. This is much more than a liturgical difference from the latin, it goes pretty deep.

Unfortunately you will not be able to receive communion in your Orthodox church if you start taking communion in the Byzantine Catholic church. You should seek the blessing of your priest, who may need to consult with the bishop.

I suspect (I am really just guessing) that you will be blessed to attend the Catholic church with your spouse but not to receive communion there. I know several families that are mixed like yours will be, they generally have associations with two parishes and alternate. My parish (Orthodox) has a family that has the father a Roman Catholic studying for the diaconate, yet his three children are being raised as Russian Orthodox! His bishop understands and approves, it is a compromise they have chosen.

If you decide that you are unwilling to alternate between parishes I suppose that you could attend the BC partish totally. If you do not convert you should still be able to receive communion and confess there as an Orthodox Christian. In a sense you would be the closest example possible to an Orthodox Christian in communion with Rome! However delightful that sounds to you, you would not ordinarily be allowed to alternate that with communion in the Orthodox church as there is currently no agreement on eucharistic union or concelebration between the churches.

BTW, I do believe that there is informal intercommunion within some ethnic groups (Syrians perhaps, likewise possibly Ukrainian) but that (if true) would be strictly done below the radar and informally as these groups tend to be very close with a lot of interreligious marriage and the church they belong to is often determined solely by the village they live in at any given point in their lives.

I urge you to discuss this with your Orthodox priest first to get a clear understanding of your standing if you explore these options. It is possible that Orthodox or BC priests may read this and PM you, but you really need to discuss this with your own pastor above all. Then take it to the local BC priest for clarification from that end.

Good luck to the both of you lovebirds!

+T+
Michael

Thank you so much for your help!
I have another questions. Why exactly would I not be able to return to communion at an OC church? Would it be due to my recognition of the Pope?
And, correct me if I'm wrong, but my Catholic friend told me an OC can receive communion at their church, but a Catholic cannot receive communion at an OC church. I also wonder why it's not both ways...I know the churches aren't in full communion with each other but I don't know the other reasons behind the limitations on receiving communion.

As quoted from my priest:

Only those Orthodox Christians in good standing in the Church who have been baptized, chrismated, and MARRIED in the Holy Orthodox Church, and who have recently received Holy Confession (as recommended by their priest), and who have prepared to receive Holy Communion by prayers and fasting from midnight are allowed to receive Holy Communion in the Orthodox Church.

So, if you are married in the Byzantine Catholic Church, well, that is a problem.

The Catholic Church, however, will allow you and your groom to be married in the Orthodox Church as long as permission is received beforehand.

You can receive Communion in a Catholic church if you are Orthodox, but not the other way around. Of course by receiving Communion you are admitting to the teachings of the Church. Also, this is why the Baltimore Catechism forbade marriage outside of the faith.

JKY,

Christ is Risen!

I would humbly suggest that if you have specific questions about your situation as an Orthodox Christian, you might consider first speaking with your priest about it. Although it can sometimes be very helpful to post on this or any forum, the reliability of answers can vary and may or may not address your specific situation. Generic answers can also miss certain key factors.

If you do not have a parish that you attend, I would be happy to answer your specific questions offline, or make myself available to you in any way possible. You're welcomed to send me a private message or write me at my email address: frtom@stnicholas-oca.org .

Priest Thomas Soroka
St. Nicholas Orthodox Church (OCA)
McKees Rocks, PA

From some Catholics' point of view, including my own, it is a mistake to allow Eastern Orthodox to commune in our parishes, since we are not in Communion with the Eastern Orthodox Churches.

This is the same line of reasoning that the EO Churches use, and what the Catholic Church has used up until Vatican II or soon thereafter. It is an improper sign of a full communion that does not (regrettably) yet exist.

Logos Teen

Hi,

Basically because you would've received the mysteries in a Church the OC considers to be heterodox (which, no offence intended, sounds just like a PC-ish way to say "heretical").

If you want to go back to the Orthodox Church, they would probably ask you not only to leave the Catholic Church permanently, but to go through Chrismation again.

For the same reason. The Catholic Church upholds the "o"rthodoxy of the "O"rthodox Churches, but the Orthodox do not reciprocate this.

Therefore, it is entirely consistent that we see no problem if Orthodox faithful receive the sacraments in our Church, while the Orthodox do see a problem if Catholic faithful attempt to receive in their Church.

We will keep praying for the coming of that happy day in which Catholics and Orthodox will be able to receive from the same Table.

Meanwhile, you and your fiance are called to be sings of hope as you realize in the holy covenant of matrimony the communion we would like for our Churches.

We do not dare to ask you to "convert" to Eastern Catholicism, but you would be more than welcome to attend and, if you find yourself spiritually at home there, it could be a very appealing option for you to receive Holy Communion together with your husband and later, your children.

As it was said, that choice would come with a cost for you and your relationship with the Orthodox Church, but then again, I guess there is no such thing as a free lunch.

Life is full of difficult choices, so let us pray for each other.

Shalom,
Memo

Talk with your priest.

There are some Greek Orthodox and Antiochian Churches which are allowed under certain circumstances to grant Eastern Catholics permission to receive Holy Communion. Even the OCA is allowing this in Alaska and in some other parishes. Sometimes this economia is only allowed under grave circumstances, such as during an accident where the Christian is not expected to live. However, it is on an individual basis and the key is a repentant spirit, and a willingness to go to confession to the Orthodox Priest. Because of intermarriage, couples sometimes rotate between Eastern Catholic and Orthodox Churches.

In Syria, for example, this intercommunion is happening because of the limited number of churches that can be built. Eastern Catholics are allowed in this situation to have their children baptized and chrismated in the Orthodox Church.

What the priests do not want happening is for someone to fail to observe silence and publicly broadcast they they have received economia.

For example, in an OCA church, a child who was baptized and chrismated by a Russian Orthodox monk admitted to his Orthodox Sunday School classsmates that he was a Roman Orthodox Catholic. The other children did not understand (they were 6, 7, and 8 years old). So a fight broke out, the child was injured, and his parents left and started attending a Roman Catholic Church.

Again, each case is evaluated separately.