The last step

[zhilan]

My last meeting with a Catholic priest when I told him I was heading towards Orthodoxy, he gave me the name of a friend of his who is an Eastern Rite Catholic priest and made me promise to talk to him before I became Orthodox. Well today I finally talked to him. I assumed because my priest referred me to him, he was going to make a hardline sell of Catholicism, but essentially he told me he saw nothing wrong with and no heresy in the Orthodox church and when I asked him if, with my coming to him as a Catholic wanting to convert he would tell me not to join the Orthodox church and he said he would not tell me that. He had a lot of good historical and spiritual insight. If there were any lingering doubts, talking with him has pushed them out of my mind. :)

[Matrona]

I gather that wasn't what the original Catholic priest had in mind. ^_^ Welcome home!

[DonVA]

Welcome home, Zhilan!

[rusmeister]

That's great!

[MariaRegina]

When I headed East toward Orthodoxy, several Eastern Catholic Priests told me to prepare a place for them within Orthodoxy.

I really haven't met a single Eastern Catholic Priest who is anti-Orthodox, on the contrary, they seem to be on good terms with Orthodox Priests.

At our Pontifical Liturgy for our patronal feast day, we will have a combined choir with two Eastern Catholic Parishes participating with our Orthodox Choir.

With the changes in the Byzantine Liturgy, many of the Eastern Catholics are looking further East. They love our music.

[authiodionitist]

The Eastern Rite of the RCC is changing the Byzantine Liturgy? Really?

[Silentchapel]

Yeah, I'm curious to hear about this as well. I've heard that there were calls for 'modernizing' Eastern Catholic Liturgy, but it was more hearsay.

[Akathist]

Great news! Welcome home!

[kamikat]

That's great news! I have heard similar things from EC priests.

[MichaelArchangelos]

Zhilan, I gather that you are a former Roman Catholic who is about to join the Orthodox Church. I am in the same situation as you. I was received as a catechumen last Sunday (and my girlfriend was received yesterday) and I am currently learning about the Orthodox faith.

One thing I advise you not to do is to enter 'Orthodox vs Catholic' debates. You are not strong enough in your faith (and neither am I!) to attack Catholicism and convert Catholic clergy (or laity who are strong in their Catholic faith) to Orthodoxy.

I presume that the reason why the Eastern Catholic priest saw nothing wrong with the Orthodox Church was the rampant ecumenism in the Roman Catholic Church. Vatican II produced a "Decree on Ecumenism" (Unitatis Redentigratio) which stated that Orthodox may receive Communion in a Catholic Church and that Catholics may attend Orthodox services. The RCC has been implying (but not officially teaching) that all religions are paths to God and that it is not necessary to convert to Catholicism to be saved. This is contrary to Catholic teaching (and Orthodoxy too has a similar teaching) but it happens. Interfaith services are actually encouraged in the RCC, and Vatican II states that the "Church rejects nothing which is true and holy in these religions". The Bible states that "all the gods of the gentiles are devils" (Psalm 95:5) and what can be holy about the worship of devils?

The Roman Catholic Church is falling apart. It is a house divided against itself, split between traditionalists and modernists. It lacks the firm foundation of faith that the Orthodox Church has, and therefore it is disintegrating more and more.

Welcome home to the Orthodox Church, Zhilan!

[GabrielWithoutWings]

Yeah, I'm curious to hear about this as well. I've heard that there were calls for 'modernizing' Eastern Catholic Liturgy, but it was more hearsay.

Might want to tell that to the Byzantine Catholics here (http://www.byzcath.org/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=15&page=1). They've devoted an entire forum specifically for that.

Peace.

[Xpycoctomos]

Zhilan, I gather that you are a former Roman Catholic who is about to join the Orthodox Church. I am in the same situation as you. I was received as a catechumen last Sunday (and my girlfriend was received yesterday) and I am currently learning about the Orthodox faith.

One thing I advise you not to do is to enter 'Orthodox vs Catholic' debates. You are not strong enough in your faith (and neither am I!) to attack Catholicism and convert Catholic clergy (or laity who are strong in their Catholic faith) to Orthodoxy.

I presume that the reason why the Eastern Catholic priest saw nothing wrong with the Orthodox Church was the rampant ecumenism in the Roman Catholic Church. Vatican II produced a "Decree on Ecumenism" (Unitatis Redentigratio) which stated that Orthodox may receive Communion in a Catholic Church and that Catholics may attend Orthodox services. The RCC has been implying (but not officially teaching) that all religions are paths to God and that it is not necessary to convert to Catholicism to be saved. This is contrary to Catholic teaching (and Orthodoxy too has a similar teaching) but it happens. Interfaith services are actually encouraged in the RCC, and Vatican II states that the "Church rejects nothing which is true and holy in these religions". The Bible states that "all the gods of the gentiles are devils" (Psalm 95:5) and what can be holy about the worship of devils?

The Roman Catholic Church is falling apart. It is a house divided against itself, split between traditionalists and modernists. It lacks the firm foundation of faith that the Orthodox Church has, and therefore it is disintegrating more and more.

Welcome home to the Orthodox Church, Zhilan!

Just some background,

Zhilan has been with us for quite a long time now. I'm not commenting on the maturity of her faith either way ('cause I don't know her personally) but I just wanted to throw that out there :)

Zhilan, that's so wonderful! have you already been attending an Orthodox Church. I guess I assumed you were already a catecumen. If you aren't already, do you already have a Church in mind?

God bless!

John