I'm Roman Catholic - but am thinking about converting to Orthodox Church of America - Any ideas?

Answer 1

You are a Roman Catholic and you are thinking of converting to the Orthodox Church, why would you think of renouncing the Faith of your Fathers, your Faith was won by the blood of Marty's..it did not come cheap.. Please talk to a priest or someone you can trust about your feelings.. Read Pope John Paul's II "Threshold of Hope". Read the lives of the Saints, there is so much good fruit and learning from their lives, and how the Holy Spirit guided them and taught them.. If you can find this book online in one of the Bookstores, please do... it is Called "The Bones of St Peter", It is a marvelous old book and you will learn so much about the beginning of the Catholic Church and about St. Peter as head of the beginning Church and his burial place in Rome, and how and when his burial place was discovered. Jesus gave the keys to His Church on Earth to St. Peter.. .Please read this book.. Peace and God's Blessing to you.

Answer 2

Why the Orthodox Church of America? Why not the Greek Orthodox Church here in the U.S. -- Or the Russian Orthodox Church? What attracts you to the Orthodox Church? No Orthodox church is in communion with Rome -- all reject papal authority. Enough Orthodox churches aren't in communion with each other even...most are, though.

One thing's for sure -- ALL of the Orthodox churches are far more strict in discipline than the Roman Catholic Church! Lot's more fasting for one thing! Their liturgies -- while beautiful and heavenly -- can last about 3 hours.

One of the larger cities near my hometwon claims a Greek Orthodox Church, a Syrian Orthodox Church, Albanian Orthodox Church, an Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral.

The link below tells readers here more about the OCA.

Your biggest question is -- why the OCA and not one of the other orthodox churches listed above -- or not mentioned above (there are several more -- all along ethnic lines)?

God be with you in your search. PS...Once you leave the Roman Catholic Church, there is no return...I think there is some form of mutual understanding between the churches (Catholic and Orthodox) that there is no revolving door....I could be wrong on that, though. As a Catholic, you may NOT receive Communion in an orthodox church....and as an Orthodox Christian, you may NOT receive Communion in a Catholic church due to the lack of communion between the two. Only for an extreme reason -- nearness of death AND the unavailability of a priest from your own church -- could you receive in the other church.

Answer 3

Why? There is very little difference to the average person. There are some minor differences in theology and practice for those who care about such things. The Orthodox church will teach you the true doctrines of the Church. I follow the Orthodox teachings myself, but I am an Episcopalian because I prefer the more liberal ideas concerning women. There are branches of the RC Church that are Eastern Rite and you can go to those without leaving your church. Again my first question to you is, why do you want to change?
A friend of mine who was born and raised in the Episcopal church joined the Orthodox church many years ago when we ordained women priest. He is my favorite male chauvinist.

Answer 4

I am an Eastern rite Catholic and so I see both sides. Ritually and theologically we are the same as OCA, but we are in communion with Rome.

If I were you , I would do a number of things. First pray, fast and give alms. You will need to get used to that alot anyway under OCA, but it does help your prayer life and your interior growth.

Second, you need to understand that the differences are mostly in externals but also in focus. The East tends to focus on different types of things than the West. If you do switch, after a few years you are likely to find the differences trivial. I am not saying you won't be happier, but you will likely learn to appreciate Western Christianity alot more.

Finally, let God decide for you. Going back to number one with prayer, fasting and almsgiving, open your heart. You may just end up improving your Roman parish instead of changing. You may end up helping the East with its problems with your Western viewpoints. Maybe God has a plan and you are a small part. Open your heart and don't worry over it. You are in communion with your bishop and the Church will someday be one. The bishop is the center of unity in the Eucharist, so Western or Eastern does not matter, only God matters, and us his children.

Answer 5

Well converting to the Orthodox Christian faith takes a lot of work and if you do something like that, your family members may not approve of your decision. As for me, i was at Greek Orthodox church and this morning i witnessed someone converting from the Catholic faith to the Orthodox faith. And the Orthodox priest said that they don t pressure anyone to convert but rather let them decide. So for me, i wouldn t ever convert. I m staying loyal to the Catholic faith. And pray for the Orthodox Christians to reunite with the Catholic faith.

Answer 6

I recently converted from the church of england (anglican/protestant) and ive converted to mormonism which i have to say has been fantastic i live in New Zealand and have been here two years and i have to say its kind of like having an extended family we are all so close, i converted partly for myself and for my family, my mother became ill and drank to disbelief and i have to say i was causing spiritual abuse by my drinking and smoking weed and party pills since joining ive stoped it all and ive set a great example for my family, since being baptised i have started a fresh my mom stoped drinking with help from the missionaries and there fellowship and the love of christ now she is fighting to stop smoking and is looking toward the waters of baptism. If you are going to convert do it for the right reasons ask yourself is this new church the right choice for you will it change your life for the better i dont know what the orthodox church of america is but if it feels right do it!

Answer 7

Do it. You will not regret the decision, and with continued study you will see why it makes sense. Orthodox theology eliminates many of the logical inconsistencies found in so-called western denominations. Just be careful as you study Orthodox theology - be sure to go to the sources. Many converts in America tend to carry western theological models over into Orthodoxy.

See here for good info on Christian Orthodoxy:
http://www.orlapubs.com/AR/index.html

Answer 8

Don't go backwards, go fowards
The Catholic Church holds true to Christ's teachings. Several non-Catholic Christian denominations do not, especially "liberal" ones, when confronted with today's anti-Christian, popular social trends (abortion, homosexuality, pre-marital sex, etc.)
"The Catholic Church is the work of Divine Providence, achieved through the prophecies of the prophets, through the Incarnation and the teaching of Christ, through the journeys of the Apostles, through the suffering, the crosses, the blood and the death of the martyrs, through the admirable lives of the saints. When, then, we see so much help on God's part, so much progress and so much fruit, shall we hesitate to bury ourselves in the bosom of that Church? For starting from the Apostolic Chair down through successions of bishops, even unto the open confession of all mankind, it has possessed the crown of teaching authority." - St. Augustine of Hippo ("The Advantage of Believing" 4th century A.D.)

Answer 9

I belong to neither of those faiths, but I would say that before you do convert (if you do), you should compare the beliefs of the Orthodox Church to your personal beliefs, to see if the beliefs of the OCA are mostly compatible with your beliefs. Just a suggestion.

Answer 10

Here is a idea. Just a thought , you do not have to take it. Go get into a baptist church for 2 years. Learn about that Jesus bought on the cross. You do not have to join them or become a member. That way you might become more understanding of who chirst it and who you are called to be in christ. As your church is promoting that it is build on Peter. I want to remind you of 1 Cr 1:12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. 1 Cr 1:13
Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?
1 Cr 3:4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I [am] of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
Now you have to choose good or evil, the path of rightious or another path. Each path have a end. Each path yields a different result. Paul was the apostle to the gentiles of which you are as you are not jewish. As you are in chruch you must be seeking God. But as you also are aware in the end times many false christ will be preached and many false one ahve already gone out seeking to decieve the very elect. Thus the foudation of what Christ has finished upon the cross is a needed part of any understanding of the Christian faith. I notice you have claimed you are Roman Catholic. We of the body of christ lay no hold to any earthly faith but in a heavenly hope and a solid rock who is Jesus the chief cornerstone of our faith. If i go to a baptist church i am not baptist. I am of christ and christ is in me. If i got to a holyness church i am not a member of the holyness church. We as believers are members of one body that being the body of all believers of christ. I understand you are seeking a new church are you willing to seek God or just to go to church. There is a fire that is being heated against this generation are you willing to endure the fire of his wrath or to forsake all for a living relationship with christ. The call is yours alone.