www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology prayer session with non orthodox

I have this question could not seem to get an answer for a while now. I like to thank you for the opportunity and any reply to me question.

Does the Orthodox, both the Oriental and Eastern, prohibit occasional prayer session with non orthodox and denominational. Is there any cannon low to prove either way ?

Thanks !

Haymanot

Dear Haymanot,

You are Ethiopian? St Takla Haymanot is a most popular saint of the Ethiopian tradition!

Your question needs to be better defined. Under what conditions, where and involving who would these prayer sessions be conducted?

Alex

There are a few different issues. First, there is never an issue for a non-Orthodox to participate in Orthodox prayer or Orthodox liturgical services (other than concelebrating).

The other side of the coin -- ie, Orthodox attending non-Orthodox services -- is where there is some disagreement among Orthodox jurisdictions, and even individual Orthodox.

There are different POVs on this latter issue, but at least some Orthodox jurisdictions do not take very strong umbrage at this. When the participants in the Catholic/Orthodox ecumenical dialogue meet, there are prayer sessions together (and not all of them are Orthodox). The Orthodox do not participate in Mass/Liturgy (ie, no concelebration), but there are numerous other forms of prayer, as we know. The more conservative Orthodox jurisdictions usually use this to bash the rest of us (citing old canons that forbid "praying with heretics").

Brendan

Dear Brendan,

Well, what are the norms of the OCA in this regard?

For example, when John Meyendorff (+ memory eternal!) attended ecumenical meetings with the Oriental Orthodox, what would their prayer in common have looked like?

Alex

Eucharistic sharing between Orthodox and Catholic/Protestant Christians is not approved by Orthodoxy. However, obviously we pray with other Christians as every session of the National Council of Churches starts with a prayer.

Axios

Alex --

AFAIK, it's a matter for the local Bishop to decide in the OCA. There aren't "OCA norms" on this, as far as I am aware. That means, as a practical matter, that the situation in the Diocese of the West (to take one side of the coin) is likely different, perhaps rather different, from that in, say, Canada.

Brendan