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Orthodox Christianity vs Eastern Rite Catholicism

Karolina

Member
I'm trying to get non-biased feedback on choosing one of these expressions of Christianity. I have given up ever being able to discern which denomination, if any, is "the one true church", so please don't try to convince me either way. I see the point of view that is being argued at any given point, so I am swayed back and forth in a ceaseless cycle that leaves me no rest for my soul. I simply want to settle in a faith whose expression best resonates with me.

I come from a Catholic background, and I remember some of the pre-Vatican II features of Catholic Mass that have been eroded over the years in American Catholic parishes. It no longer feels like worship showing up to Church anymore. Whenever I've brought up my concerns, I'm told that "fellowship" is just as important to the life of a Christian as worship of God, so I shouldn't be upset at the chit chat and irreverence before and after (and often during) Mass. Years of this watered down experience have driven me away from a desire to even go to church. The current situation of quarantine and sign-ups for in-person church versus live streaming has only made it easier to continue slipping away from a church identity.

I thought I could just be non-religious, but it turns out I am a religious person, and I need some form of organized religion in my life. What I never could agree to before now is the idea of embracing a religion even if I don't 100% agree with its teachings. I'm now past that and want to find a place where the style of worship is reverent and the morals of the congregation (at least the ones we aspire to) are conservative.

I am looking into Orthodox Christianity, but I wanted to cover all of my bases and see if there is any reason why I should eliminate Eastern Rite Catholic churches. I am ambivalent about the role of the Pope/Bishop of Rome. I personally agree with more Orthodox theological explanations than Catholic ones, but I would not want to go to church separate from my husband and kids, who are used to Catholicism but likewise not necessarily "married" to it (for lack of a better term.)

I hope I'm making sense and it's clear what it is I'm asking and what I'm not asking. Thank you for your feedback.
 

exchemist

Veteran Member
I'm trying to get non-biased feedback on choosing one of these expressions of Christianity. I have given up ever being able to discern which denomination, if any, is "the one true church", so please don't try to convince me either way. I see the point of view that is being argued at any given point, so I am swayed back and forth in a ceaseless cycle that leaves me no rest for my soul. I simply want to settle in a faith whose expression best resonates with me.

I come from a Catholic background, and I remember some of the pre-Vatican II features of Catholic Mass that have been eroded over the years in American Catholic parishes. It no longer feels like worship showing up to Church anymore. Whenever I've brought up my concerns, I'm told that "fellowship" is just as important to the life of a Christian as worship of God, so I shouldn't be upset at the chit chat and irreverence before and after (and often during) Mass. Years of this watered down experience have driven me away from a desire to even go to church. The current situation of quarantine and sign-ups for in-person church versus live streaming has only made it easier to continue slipping away from a church identity.

I thought I could just be non-religious, but it turns out I am a religious person, and I need some form of organized religion in my life. What I never could agree to before now is the idea of embracing a religion even if I don't 100% agree with its teachings. I'm now past that and want to find a place where the style of worship is reverent and the morals of the congregation (at least the ones we aspire to) are conservative.

I am looking into Orthodox Christianity, but I wanted to cover all of my bases and see if there is any reason why I should eliminate Eastern Rite Catholic churches. I am ambivalent about the role of the Pope/Bishop of Rome. I personally agree with more Orthodox theological explanations than Catholic ones, but I would not want to go to church separate from my husband and kids, who are used to Catholicism but likewise not necessarily "married" to it (for lack of a better term.)

I hope I'm making sense and it's clear what it is I'm asking and what I'm not asking. Thank you for your feedback.
I know what you mean about some modern Catholic parish churches. As a choral singer, music is important to me and I deplore the way so many churches have turned their backs on a thousand years of rich musical heritage. But I find there are churches around that still honour the older traditions. When we lived in the Hague we found there was a Latin sung mass every Sunday at the parish church, Sint Jacobus, with really good Gregorian chant. I loved it because I didn't speak Dutch while the Latin was familiar. A lot of expats went to that mass. Where I am in S London now the parish church has a sung mass with a reasonable degree of ceremony, traditional hymns, and motets sung by the choir. The cathedrals also seem to do things in some style, still. But I am in London, so it is fairly easy to try different churches, which may not apply to you.
 

Left Coast

This Is Water
Staff member
Premium Member
I'm trying to get non-biased feedback on choosing one of these expressions of Christianity. I have given up ever being able to discern which denomination, if any, is "the one true church", so please don't try to convince me either way. I see the point of view that is being argued at any given point, so I am swayed back and forth in a ceaseless cycle that leaves me no rest for my soul. I simply want to settle in a faith whose expression best resonates with me.

I come from a Catholic background, and I remember some of the pre-Vatican II features of Catholic Mass that have been eroded over the years in American Catholic parishes. It no longer feels like worship showing up to Church anymore. Whenever I've brought up my concerns, I'm told that "fellowship" is just as important to the life of a Christian as worship of God, so I shouldn't be upset at the chit chat and irreverence before and after (and often during) Mass. Years of this watered down experience have driven me away from a desire to even go to church. The current situation of quarantine and sign-ups for in-person church versus live streaming has only made it easier to continue slipping away from a church identity.

I thought I could just be non-religious, but it turns out I am a religious person, and I need some form of organized religion in my life. What I never could agree to before now is the idea of embracing a religion even if I don't 100% agree with its teachings. I'm now past that and want to find a place where the style of worship is reverent and the morals of the congregation (at least the ones we aspire to) are conservative.

I am looking into Orthodox Christianity, but I wanted to cover all of my bases and see if there is any reason why I should eliminate Eastern Rite Catholic churches. I am ambivalent about the role of the Pope/Bishop of Rome. I personally agree with more Orthodox theological explanations than Catholic ones, but I would not want to go to church separate from my husband and kids, who are used to Catholicism but likewise not necessarily "married" to it (for lack of a better term.)

I hope I'm making sense and it's clear what it is I'm asking and what I'm not asking. Thank you for your feedback.

I think I can answer as someone who was a Catholic convert and has spent time in Roman Catholic, Eastern Catholic, and Orthodox parishes and circles.

In both Eastern Catholic and Orthodox parishes, you'll find traditional liturgy and conservative morality. Eastern Catholics, in my experience, fall into 2 camps: those who are essentially Roman Catholics but just enjoy the "vibe" of Eastern liturgical style, and those who are essentially Orthodox in their theology and spirituality but remain in Eastern Catholic circles for a variety of reasons. The main difference on paper, as you noted, is the role of the Bishop of Rome. In practice, again, parishioners (and clergy) tend to fall into one of the 2 camps. YMMV.
 

Brian2

Veteran Member
I'm trying to get non-biased feedback on choosing one of these expressions of Christianity. I have given up ever being able to discern which denomination, if any, is "the one true church", so please don't try to convince me either way. I see the point of view that is being argued at any given point, so I am swayed back and forth in a ceaseless cycle that leaves me no rest for my soul. I simply want to settle in a faith whose expression best resonates with me.

I come from a Catholic background, and I remember some of the pre-Vatican II features of Catholic Mass that have been eroded over the years in American Catholic parishes. It no longer feels like worship showing up to Church anymore. Whenever I've brought up my concerns, I'm told that "fellowship" is just as important to the life of a Christian as worship of God, so I shouldn't be upset at the chit chat and irreverence before and after (and often during) Mass. Years of this watered down experience have driven me away from a desire to even go to church. The current situation of quarantine and sign-ups for in-person church versus live streaming has only made it easier to continue slipping away from a church identity.

I thought I could just be non-religious, but it turns out I am a religious person, and I need some form of organized religion in my life. What I never could agree to before now is the idea of embracing a religion even if I don't 100% agree with its teachings. I'm now past that and want to find a place where the style of worship is reverent and the morals of the congregation (at least the ones we aspire to) are conservative.

I am looking into Orthodox Christianity, but I wanted to cover all of my bases and see if there is any reason why I should eliminate Eastern Rite Catholic churches. I am ambivalent about the role of the Pope/Bishop of Rome. I personally agree with more Orthodox theological explanations than Catholic ones, but I would not want to go to church separate from my husband and kids, who are used to Catholicism but likewise not necessarily "married" to it (for lack of a better term.)

I hope I'm making sense and it's clear what it is I'm asking and what I'm not asking. Thank you for your feedback.

100% agreement on all things amongst Christians is not as important as the unity that does exist between Christians because we all are joined together as one because we are all joined to Christ. It is good to have some humility about our beliefs and not think that they are 100% accurate and so be willing to embrace others who are in the same boat as nevertheless having found the truth, which is Jesus.
This would also mean to be gracious when it comes to how people worship and whether or not they have the same sense of seriousness in what and how they do things at Church. We all give an account to the Lord, not to each other.
 
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Glaurung

Denizen of Niflheim
I come from a Catholic background, and I remember some of the pre-Vatican II features of Catholic Mass that have been eroded over the years in American Catholic parishes. It no longer feels like worship showing up to Church anymore. Whenever I've brought up my concerns, I'm told that "fellowship" is just as important to the life of a Christian as worship of God, so I shouldn't be upset at the chit chat and irreverence before and after (and often during) Mass. Years of this watered down experience have driven me away from a desire to even go to church. The current situation of quarantine and sign-ups for in-person church versus live streaming has only made it easier to continue slipping away from a church identity.
I sympathize deeply with this. It is no secret that regardless of what Vatican II intended in the decades following the council the experience of Catholic liturgy and practice on the parish level has been one of watered down religious pabulum. For decades the effective experience of Latin Rite Catholicism at most parishes in the English speaking world was one of fundamental unseriousness. And if you don't feel that what is going on at Mass is serious then it is valid to ask why should you be expected to afford it any of your time.

That said, things have improved and you have options. Attending an Eastern Rite service is one of them, but you also have the option of the Tridentine Mass which has been made more available in recent times. You could also attend the Personal Ordinariate, which offers a liturgy similar to the Tridentine Mass but in a reverential vernacular. (So lots of thees and thous). Unless you live somewhere where none of these options are within reasonable reach you are no longer limited to your local Ordinary Form parish.

Converting to Eastern Orthodoxy (while an understandable temptation) is a very serious move to make. It is schism for a Catholic, so I would not recommend it unless you are positive you accept their claims of being the true Church. (Also, you don't want to jump ship only to find that the grass isn't as green as promised). I understand being disillusioned with the Ordinary Form but again it is not as if it is your only real option these days.
 
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Estro Felino

Believer in free will
Premium Member
With Bergoglio Catholicism is living its dark ages. Choose Orthodoxy instead.

LOL...kidding...you should choose that Church whose theology makes sense to you.
I advise Orthodoxy...btw.


You know why? Because in Orthodoxy there is more spirituality ....and less tradition, I think.
 
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