www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West eastern catholic - in belief closer to west or orthodox?

Apart from the "rites" - I am very curious about how the eastern catholics, in full communion with Rome, understand and express their beliefs. For example -

1)do eastern catholics in full communion with Rome believe in purgatory? Are the "allowed" to have the orthodox belief that souls can leave hell?

2)How do eastern catholics understand the orthodox belief of theodosis?

3)Any other areas where someone might argue the beliefs of the eastern catholics resemble the orthodox more than the west?

I ask this as a roman catholic (west) who has become intrigued with the east!

Thank you and blessings!!!!

ps - Ive found another thread on purgatory - so you can ignore that question above!

Dear Friend,

Actually, there have been Orthodox saints and teachers who have believed in Purgatory!

St Peter Mohyla, Metropolitan of Kyiv, Halych and Rus' in the 17th century included Purgatory as an article of faith in his Catechism. This was expunged by the Orthodox Patriarchs at Jassy who otherwise approved his Catechism.

Nonetheless, Mohyla insisted that Purgatory be included in his Catechism as taught within his Metropolia. This was also accepted by the Kyivan Orthodox saints of the "Baroque era" such as St Dmitri of Rostov and a number of others who were trained at Mohyla's Academy.

In addition, the Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God was also taught and venerated highly by the Orthodox of the Kyivan Church where there were Brotherhoods of the Immaculate Conception very much akin to the contemporary Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception, promoted by the Marians of the Immaculate Conception - of which I am a proud member.

Fr. George Florovsky even criticized the emphasis that the Orthodox Mohyla Academy placed on the Immaculate Conception right into the 19th century.

So what I'm saying is that there really is no uniformity on such issues within historic Orthodoxy itself, let alone within the Eastern Catholic Churches.

Alex

And the agreements of the Unia's left many of these things to the individuals conscience as things known only to God.

What do you mean by that exactly? If you mean what I perceive you to mean then what you are implying really only applies to contemporary EC's and not all of them.

Most tend to fall behind the Roman line.

As have many Orthodox over the years, according to the critics of historical Orthodox theological praxis, especially Florovsky and Schmemann.

Alex