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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Greek Orthodox receiving Communion in RCC	Janet	Monday, October 1, 2007
Question: Hello Bro. Ignatius, I hope this question is in the proper forum. My nephew, who is now 30 years old, was raised in the Greek Orthodox Church. However, he has always had an attraction to Roman Catholicism and loves to attend mass with my mother and me from time to time. He is quite devout and reverent. (I often think he would make a great priest!) My question is this: He goes to receive communion in our church - is this permissible? I know that Protestants are not allowed to receive the Eucharist. I am not sure if the Greek Orthodox also believe in the real presence as we do. Lastly, the Greek church does not say (at least this is what my nephew tells me) that it is a sin to miss Sunday mass. Please enlighten me on the differences between Orthodox and Roman Catholic, and when the division happened. I do not want my nephew to be in a state of sin.
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Janet: According to Catholic Canon Law 844.3: Catholic ministers administer the sacraments of penance, Eucharist, and anointing of the sick licitly to members of the Eastern Churches which do not have full communion with the Catholic Church if they seek such on their own accord and are properly disposed... What this means is that your Greek Orthodox nephew may receive communion in a Roman Catholic Church if he desires it. But... ...I am not sure of the rules of the Greek Orthodox in terms of going to a Roman Catholic Mass when an Orthodox Mass is available. If your nephew is going to a Roman Catholic Mass INSTEAD OF his own Greek Orthodox Mass when one is available to him, he may be sinning. If the situation was reversed, a Catholic may receive communion in an Orthodox Church but ONLY if it is not possible to approach a Catholic priest. That proviso for Catholics may be the same for Orthodox, I do not know. Your nephew needs to check with his Orthodox priest to be sure on this. If your nephew is meeting his Mass obligations in the Orthodox Church and IN ADDITION to that goes with you to Catholic Mass then that may be okay. Although your nephew says that missing Sunday Mass is not a sin in the Orthodox Church, I sincerely doubt that. I think he needs to double-check with his own priest. If he wishes to "convert" to the Catholic Church, then he needs to seek out a Catholic Priest and make arrangements for the conversion. Attending a Catholic Mass once-in-awhile is not a problem, but he needs to attend his own Orthodox Church as his regular norm. Bottomline: it is okay for a Greek Orthodox person to receive the Eucharist in the Catholic Church, but that Orthodox person needs to check with his own priest to be sure of the details of what is permitted from the Greek Orthodox point-of-view. As for the history of the split between Catholics and the Orthodox, I'll refer you to a couple of Catholic Encyclopedia articles: Orthodox Church Eastern Churches (this is the main article) God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Greek Orthodox receiving Communion in RCC

Janet

Monday, October 1, 2007

Question:

Hello Bro. Ignatius,
I hope this question is in the proper forum.

My nephew, who is now 30 years old, was raised in the Greek Orthodox Church. However, he has always had an attraction to Roman Catholicism and loves to attend mass with my mother and me from time to time. He is quite devout and reverent. (I often think he would make a great priest!)

My question is this: He goes to receive communion in our church - is this permissible? I know that Protestants are not allowed to receive the Eucharist. I am not sure if the Greek Orthodox also believe in the real presence as we do. Lastly, the Greek church does not say (at least this is what my nephew tells me) that it is a sin to miss Sunday mass. Please enlighten me on the differences between Orthodox and Roman Catholic, and when the division happened. I do not want my nephew to be in a state of sin.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Janet:

According to Catholic Canon Law 844.3:

Catholic ministers administer the sacraments of penance, Eucharist, and anointing of the sick licitly to members of the Eastern Churches which do not have full communion with the Catholic Church if they seek such on their own accord and are properly disposed...

What this means is that your Greek Orthodox nephew may receive communion in a Roman Catholic Church if he desires it.

But...

...I am not sure of the rules of the Greek Orthodox in terms of going to a Roman Catholic Mass when an Orthodox Mass is available. If your nephew is going to a Roman Catholic Mass INSTEAD OF his own Greek Orthodox Mass when one is available to him, he may be sinning.

If the situation was reversed, a Catholic may receive communion in an Orthodox Church but ONLY if it is not possible to approach a Catholic priest.

That proviso for Catholics may be the same for Orthodox, I do not know. Your nephew needs to check with his Orthodox priest to be sure on this.

If your nephew is meeting his Mass obligations in the Orthodox Church and IN ADDITION to that goes with you to Catholic Mass then that may be okay.

Although your nephew says that missing Sunday Mass is not a sin in the Orthodox Church, I sincerely doubt that. I think he needs to double-check with his own priest.

If he wishes to "convert" to the Catholic Church, then he needs to seek out a Catholic Priest and make arrangements for the conversion.

Attending a Catholic Mass once-in-awhile is not a problem, but he needs to attend his own Orthodox Church as his regular norm.

Bottomline: it is okay for a Greek Orthodox person to receive the Eucharist in the Catholic Church, but that Orthodox person needs to check with his own priest to be sure of the details of what is permitted from the Greek Orthodox point-of-view.

As for the history of the split between Catholics and the Orthodox, I'll refer you to a couple of Catholic Encyclopedia articles:

Orthodox Church
Eastern Churches (this is the main article)

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum