My Orthodox friend (who also has a TH-cam channel on church history and such) has undergone tests to find out what's wrong with him. He's been sick for almost a month and last he told me he had stomach problems. I'm worried. His parents--and pretty much the family--are reliant on him for their care. Would anyone pray for him and let me know that you are by thumbing up my comment so I can be reassured? He's become a dear friend to me despite being long-distance and has been a great help to me spiritually and mentally.
This was so helpful. I am (was?) a traditionalist Roman Catholic who is converting to Eastern Orthodoxy (UOC-USA) soon. I do miss the Latin, especially since it has been my language of prayer and worship for so many years. Also, as a convert in the US, you are surrounded by converts from Protestantism, for whom the primary problems are saints, liturgy, icons, etc. They have difficulty understanding your issues surrounding changes in personal devotions, theology, spiritual identity, etc., and yet you are all in the same "boat" as it were. I am lucky to have a pastor who has recognized the difference and responded appropriately.
That's one of those things that can make for a great sitcom in real life, hehe! Multiple people with different backgrounds and different problems all in the same boat & goal. What in particular motivated or convinced you to make the jump?
Now, I know this might not be relevant anymore, but just to inform you there is suck thing as the western rite orthodox church, its in full communion with the overall eastern orthodox church, In fact, due to the fact that the western orthodox church is so small, it doesn't have any bishops of its own (correct me if I'm wrong) and will usualy be under the jurisdiction of whatever eastern bishop is in its area. The Russian orthodox church, Greek orthodox church, romanian orthodox church, and bulgarian orthodox churches all have western orthodox churches under their jurisdiction. The western orthodox church keeps many usual exclusive catholic traditions, including but not limited too, the traditional Latin mass (yes, the exact same which has been used by the catholic church before 1970, as the mass of the ages as well as many other "catholic" traditions which were originally orthodox.), Gregorian chant aswell as organs during liturgy, pre schism saints including saint gregory and saint benedict whom were truly orthodox, western calendar, and most interestingly, western architecture including statues, stain glass, Gothic and medieval church designs, etc. I myself attend an eastern orthodox parish, but I like to mix up some western elements in personal prayer, and even if you can't attend a western orthodox church, it seems you may enjoy doing the same. Plus, I believe the western orthodox church is only growing, as there are about fifty or so parishes and churches in North America, and I beleive there also doing well in other western nations. I hope this helps you keep the latin traditions that you love while converting to Christ's church.
@@waltuh8740 There is no Western Rite Orthodox Church per se (except for a few non-canonical organizations of questionable origin). Rather, there are two canonical vicariates, one under ROCOR and the other under the Antiochian Archdiocese, that use the Western Rite. Of course, from the perspective of someone who knows the history and development of the Western liturgy inside and out, the modern "Western Rite" used by both jurisdictions is of questionable authenticity. It is mostly a weird amalgamation of an English translation of the traditional Latin Mass with the Book of Common Prayer, supplemented by elements from the Byzantine Rite to appease Orthodox sensibilities. It does not, of course, reflect the liturgical praxis of the pre-schism West. Personally, I wish it would disappear and that the parishes incorporated into Eastern jurisdictions would adopt the Byzantine Rite without reservation. As the Byzantine Rite has had nearly 1000 years of time within the Church to become the background of our most recent and relevant saints, I think it is a much better and more discerning way to transmit the Orthodox faith to our time and culture.
@@quidocetbenediscit Do you see any possibility for the western liturgical traditions to have a future? For me as a fsspx member on the way to convert to orthodoxy (rocor) I cannot forget the immense spiritual value of our liturgical traditions and wonder what to do with it.
@@sebastianfischer498 My sense is that the Western Rite will linger for several more years, particularly in the missionary jurisdictions (ROCOR and the Antiochian Archdiocese). However, it is rather like the Novus Ordo in the Latin Rite: Adopt it, and you are suddenly cut off from the living spiritual tradition of all the Orthodox saints from 1054 until now while adopting an artificial rite concocted in the last two centuries. Is it not much better to step into the stream of Orthodoxy? And, in any case, are those who worship in the Eastern Rite missing out on anything spiritually? I don't think so. The Eastern Rite (despite some of its apologists' exaggerations) is not inapplicable to people from traditionally Western cultures: one God is worshipped in his one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church. If so, then the Western man can embrace Byzantine worship just as easily as anyone else.
6:40 It is important to note that statutes are not somehow illegal in orthodoxy, it’s just that we don’t have guidelines how to make them compared to icons. We have statues as well, especially before the iconoclastic period!
I am in the process of converting from Catholicism to Orthodoxy and the only religious person in my social circle, other believing friends of mine are living abroad and we communicate online. I however feel the first point, especially in regards to family. My (atheist) family called my intention to convert "a shock", my former Catholicism was already quite a stumbling block for them. Contrary to your friend from the letter/mail, I never felt the drive to comment on other people's orthodoxy or the need to compile an encyclopedical knowledge on vestments or liturgical scrupulosity. These are great dangers to a compassionate and humble heart in my view. Just my impressions.
@@CassandraErturk Of course, I'm not excluding this. Balance of all things is the key. My intention was not to speak judgement of anyone's character, I apologize if it seems this way, it's not like that at all.
If you love something you tend to try and learn everything you can about the thing. A person who loves trains might know the model numbers by sight. An Orthodox person might know the names of all the vestments. ;-)
@@vituzui9070 I am a "cradle Catholic" but returned to the faith around 2015/2016. I looked at both Catholicism and Orthodoxy but remained in the Roman Church back then since I was already baptized. Yet I tried to constantly educate myself about western and eastern theology through online research (trying to avoid zealots and obviously imbalanced people), researching the saints and church fathers and obviously taking to people which is the most appropriate way in my opinion.
Another point to add to yours about infant baptism. I am orthodox and had many debates with a Catholic about this. They argued that the child needs to understand what communion is, etc. My rebuttal was no matter who takes communion…cradle Catholic, orthodox, convert, adult, child…NO ONE fully understands this mystery. It is bigger than us. It’s more of a trust in what we believe it to be, in my opinion. Thus, it’s ultra important for babies to have this Holy, spiritual nourishment.
I am currently speaking to my Catholic spiritual director about Orthodoxy. He is very knowledgeable about Catholicism. I told him it didnt make sense to me as to why you don't give infants communion. He explained to me that there is a decent chance that the baby or small toddler could spit up the flesh of our Lord therefore possibly mistreating Him
Some other Catholics may have an issue with me saying this but honestly it may be of benefit to consider your geography when deciding to convert. After an endless and fruitless back and forth wrestling with Catholicism and Orthodoxy I had to come to terms (or, more accurately, throw my hands up) with the fact that, in order to fully live out the faith in my cultural situation, being a Roman Catholic is simply the best option. At the same time, I would ask someone living in, say, Georgia the same question: how well will you be able to live the life of Christ as a Catholic here? If the heart of the Christian is unity I believe that almighty God can be understanding of our schismatic situations of which we had no part in causing and of which our hearts want the end of.
@C The catholic church has bent over backward for reunion, and the charitable among the orthodox have been very receptive to it. Ecumenism is a good thing, west and east must join together again as earth and heaven.
@C No, orthodox church accepted papal immediate intervention in the council of 861 and orthodox theologians today accept that roman primacy precisely. Filioque is not a heresy either because it is a clear teaching of both(even the eastern fathers) fathers and the bible
I decided not to convert to RC. My comment still holds the view but even this never proves Papal infallibility as defined by the Vatican I or other beliefs like "popes cannot be judged etc"
I would say it depends. Of course none of the people who are born into a heterodox christian group, or even a different religion for that matter - are responsible for that. The sin of schism is a very personal matter. An average Roman Catholic would bear no guilt for it if they just tries to live a life according to the gospel in their own church and nation. God understands our cirv circumstances and it is part of His Holy Providence that we were born where we were born. The difference is for those concious of the Truth of Orthodoxy yet who actively fight against it. That is the definition of a schismatic and heretic.
When I was interested in exploring Eastern Orthodoxy, it was awkward for me. The parish priest was a former Presbyterian, and the other people in my Inquirer’s Class were former Catholics who converted to Presbyterianism who are now converting over to Eastern Orthodoxy. Sitting in the class, I couldn’t help but inwardly cringe at their reasons for leaving the Catholic Church, reasons that are unfounded as well as untrue. So there’s that lol
@Tactical LARP in a way, yes. The biggest problem that I have is that there are some areas of doctrine that are really up in the air. Baptism for converts, toll houses, fasting, etc. it would be helpful to have a clear and concise answer that is for everyone rather than, “it depends on the bishop/jurisdiction”. I know that Toll Houses and fasting isn’t really a huge portion of doctrine, but baptism for converts is. One jurisdiction will say yes, you must be baptized regardless of what denomination you were part of. Another jurisdiction will say no, you cannot be baptized again because we view your Trinitarian baptism valid. Some jurisdictions will say it depends largely on where you were baptized (ie. which denomination). Orthodoxy is beautiful and completely reverent, but there is a cacophony of voices within and it’s hard to discern which is traditional, modern, true, false, right or wrong because everyone speaks with the same authority but state different things.
I think it's a matter of a difference between unity and uniformity. There are areas of non-uniformity (baptism of converts, for example), but there is no disunity over that so far. Not everything has easy uniform answers, and I appreciate the Orthodox being comfortable with that in some areas without compromising on important issues. I just can't get away from the unique truth of the theology...(thou Oriental Orthodox are super close.)
Thanks for your video! I am Catholic but I am ready to convert to Eastern Orthodoxy as I have heard the voice of God and desperately want closer to His True Holy Church but I have not started the process yet at all. Please pray for me as I start this journey. I understand that it will not solve all of the problems and I understand the issue of variability in community to community. It seems like the Russians have a beautiful tradition!
i'm Traditional Catholic and am thinking about Orthodoxy as we now seem to have a pope who hates the Catholic Faith and Tradition....very difficult decision
@@marcokite Don't leave because of the particular Pope you have right now. If you had a pro-TLM and pro-Latin tradition, would you stay? If so, I don't know that becoming Orthodox is a good choice then. If you're running away from Francis, it'd be better to go to an Eastern Catholic parish first. You have to renounce papal supremacy and the use of the filioque in the Creed to convert to Orthodoxy, but if you believe in papal supremacy as a dogma, then you won't be able to be Orthodox in good conscience, regardless of who is Pope currently. What happens if you get a bishop or Patriarch you don't like in Orthodoxy?
The reason is awkward. We used to not commune people until after confirmation (chrismation), but in our tradition the bishop does confirmation. So as dioceses grew the bishop wouldn't come around as often. Confirmation would drift later and later into the teens (for which there is really no excuse) and now we have the order reversed because a Pope (I forget which) basically said we could start communing baptised but unconfirmed Catholics at the age of reason. But I agree that it's a scandal we wait so long. The unleavened bread would be difficult for very small children but once they can eat it I don't see why we wouldn't admit them. People like their First Communion parties, maybe.
I have a friend that comes from Iran and I've talked him into converting to orthodoxy, so far he has proven that he really wants to convert but I would like you to address the conversion from Islam and its hardest parts so I know how to correctly help him.
Look up orthodox shahada it’s let by Qai who is a Serb who converted to Islam for a time and it addresses a lot of stuff about Islam. It is mainly geared to Sunni Islam though
As a father of a 10 year old who wishes to take Holy Communion but still hasn't done his catequesis due to the pandemic,I totally understand the Orthodox perspective. God bless you my friend! A Catholic.
I converted from Catholicism years ago and many of her statements ring true. I was a member of two different Catholic orders. One was semi-eremetical and we had the Blessed Sacrament in our hermitages. I really thought I would miss Adoration, above all things, but I received so much more in Orthodoxy that I didn't miss it at all. Now seeing what is happening with the CC I thank God that I left it.
Marie, what advice would you have for me going through this in between phase? I long for a deep spirituality which Catholicism makes me feel u fulfilled. Then I learned about all the history and early Church. I desire a deep prayer life and spiritual direction which seems Orthodoxy can offer. I have loved being Catholic, adoration etc and am afraid I will miss it but staying Catholic means staying unfulfilled.
@@jcgurl3773 Do you have any Orthodox Churches nearby that you could visit? You could begin attending services and speak to the priest. Eventually you would probably want to make a pilgrimage to a monastery. We have visited some and just being around the monks and nuns we learned so much, especially the practice of the Jesus prayer.
@Johnpaul, yes, I agree; as a lutheran, I was twelve. Why? However my non-denominational granddaughters are never baptized and never have the opportunity to partake of Christ's Body and Blood - whenever they get over ten, they just declare their faith; I pray for them everyday.
@@susansuewwilliams I am surprised to here that, I thought that Lutherans practiced infant baptism, at least that is what Luther taught. I am also surprized that the other group doesn't baptize. Regardless of ones theology on baptism, Jesus was baptized and told us to be too, so I would expect them to do that. I am still learning about Lutheranism though.
@@johnpaulhumphrey2981 I apologize, yes lutheran's do infant baptism but none give the Holy Body and Blood of Christ. One needs to be confirmed to receive the Eucharist. As I said, my granddaughters who are none denominational, receive neither baptismal nor the Body and Blood of Christ. That was my point.
I recently joined the Coptic Orthodox Church (so a little different than Eastern Orthodoxy) coming from a TLM community and just after earning my Master’s in Sacred Theology from a Catholic university. I’m still really new and the hardest part is feeling like I’m still a gaijin. Everyone is still kind but other than being able to receive communion now I still feel regarded with an otherness. Totally cliche question, but is that normal?
hi Mark. yes, it is normal. and it's not hostility! it takes a while for anyone at all to be accepted at the social level into any kind of group made up of multi generational families. but dig into some little task. ask the priest to assign you some community (non liturgical) duty, like sweeping up after coffee hour. when you are seen smiling at people as you do this little thing you'll be more and more a part of a really wonderful thing. and if the old men give you a job to do, treat them like your family and do it. i promise you that this will work. it will teach you how to love them, and them to know how to take you. be a good boy. God bless you.
how are you doing now? i am TLM Catholic but considering Orthodoxy, i am a bit put off that the nearest Church to me is all Greek and Bulgarian - would i be an 'outsider' ?
@@marcokite I had the same question about the Greek church (especially being half Turkish.) They are by far the most welcoming and ecumenical of the options. Good luck to you. In Domino
Definitely. Also the schism wasn't that profound as people hyperbolize it. After the "schism" some churches in the east still saw themselves as Eastern Catholic. Many people today are converting from Orthodoxy to Eastern Catholicism since not many people know that EC churches exist.
I am currently speaking to my Catholic spiritual director about Orthodoxy. He is very knowledgeable about Catholicism. I told him it didnt make sense to me as to why you don't give infants communion. He explained to me that there is a decent chance that the baby or small toddler could spit up the flesh of our Lord.
I used to believe that babies should not be baptized, as they had were not making this choice for themselves. But in the Old Testament, babies were circumcised without making the choice, as commanded by God. So now as an Orthodox catachumen, this does not bother me at all.
I've had this string feeling recently drawing me towards orthodoxy that I can't explain, im just drawn to it. I've thought about converting but I'm scared about being a heretic by defying the divine power of the pope. I want to experience the tradition that the orthodox church has preserved and that the Catholic church has lost. I could use some advice from anyone
Sir, there is no such thing as divine power of the pope - one of the greatest Roman patriarchs pope Gregory the Great spoke about that. "Now I confidently say that whosoever calls himself, or desires to be called, Universal Priest, is in his elation the precursor of Antichrist, because he proudly puts himself above all others." Saint Gregory the Dialogist; Book VII: Epistle XXXIII
It might be a stupid question/Problem but in this one tiktok there was a short arabic sentence in Roman Letters with the caption: "I bet you can't read it", stupid as I was I read it (half loud half in mind). After that the comments said that this sentence was the Islamic creed. Does that mean that I accidentally converted from orthodoxy to Islam and therefore turned away from Christ although being a faithfull Christian?
No, you have to take the faith with all your heart, too. Unknowingly saying that "kalima" won't make you a Muslim. Saying only the words don't matter, it's null. When you believe with all your heart and mind and soul and then you say the kalima, then you're a Muslim. I hope this clears your question 😊
I was thinking about this video and a thought came to me. Perhaps God allowed the development of Eucharistic adoration in the West precisely because of the deficiency of infant and young child communion. At least they can experience the presence of the Lord in this way. It brings me a great deal of sorrow that my young children cannot receive Holy Communion, so this thought gives me some small consolation.
*Had. Removed (I think) all of 'My Thoughts on X' videos because (surprise surprise) they generate bad blood. In any case, I like him, but there's only so much I can listen about Islam. :-)
They are out there. I know a few. Do you really know your faith? Pray, consider why and ask God why? What are you looking for? God asks only for us to live him. Will the EO church make you love him more?
I was looking for testimonies of former roman catholics who converted to orthodoxy and was happy to stumble on this video. Wish there could be more as most converts are mainly former protestants.
I just keep thinking. About 10 to 15 years ago, at least in the internet world of apologetics, the main disputations the Catholics engaged with were with Protestant denominations. Now they completely forgot about every other church or denomination and threw all their papal lawyers (that is Catholic apologetics) at us, Orthodox. Funny how they instinctivley sense where the "danger" is coming from.
I went through this almost a year ago. I can fully sympathize with your friend. Pope Francis seems to be a Catholic convert factory. Maybe he was chosen by the Holy Spirit after all! 😂😂😂
The Orthodox Church has everything what the original Church had for the first Millenium. The Roman Catholic was the same in that time until 1054 when the influence of German Emperor and German Popes have caused the split between the Eastern and Western church. They simply wanted politics and power and the Eastern Christian communities could not agree with that!
If I converted to Orthodoxy then I would need to say St Theodore, who introduced the Filioque to England, was a heretic. I would have to deny the sainthood of Thomas Becket, John Fisher, Thomas More and others. I would need to be baptised a second time, which is heretical according to Lord Mark of Ephesus. I would have to acknowledge an Eighth Oecumenical Council in 879 where English delegates were absent, but condemned nevertheless. I wouldn’t know what flavour of (Chalcedonian) Orthodoxy to recognise in Africa. No thanks.
Many saints in the first millennium were wrong about various things. That does not make them a heretic. Do you know what a heretic is? Your St. Thomas Aquinas an avid denier of the Immaculate Conception and even debated against it. Was he a heretic even though he is considered the greatest doctor of the RC Church? Yes, denying sainthood to RC saints is part of Orthodoxy (this is obvious). You simply stated a fact. By the way, as a RC you must venerate "St." JPII who put together demon worship festivals (assissi event). I can go through other saints you must venerate as well if you'd like. There is differing opinion about baptizing protestant or Catholic converts (just like there was in the 1st millennium). Those who hold that you need to be baptized "again" do so because they do not see the 1st one as an actual baptism. By the way, do you not see the contradiction in the RC Church with baptism? Baptism (and all sacraments) according to RC doctrine require form matter and intent. So to accept say a Baptist or Lutheran baptism when they explicitly deny the actual Catholic beliefs about baptism and explicitly having different intent on the matter, is outright contradictory to RC doctrine. Also, was the Church before V2 wrong in denying some trinitarian baptisms? Or did it just take a couple thousand years to finally get it right (even though technically I think there are a few Trinitarian baptisms that are still rejected, therefore according to you is heretical)? You wouldn't know what flavor of Orthodoxy to recognize in Africa. What? Okay, sounds like a you problem. You know there are national Catholic Churches too, right? Polish, German, maronite, coptic, etc...
in that case you should denounce all orthodox saints of Britain : Saint Aristobulus, Apostle of Britain The Holy Protomartyr Saint Alban The Holy Virgin-Martyr Saint Winifred of Wales Saint Botolph, Bishop, Protector of Travellers Saint Drostan of Aberdeen, Hermit Saint Werburga, Abbess of Chester St Patrick of Irland St Augustine of Canterbury and many many thousands of others
the orthodox should look at the council of Florence and the 700+ byzantine delegation. all the 5 patriarchates were represented and the the emperor himself and the patriarch of Constantinople and the legates of the other patriarchs were fully represented. they debated papal supremacy, the Filioque and other agenda and were convinced and accepted the Catholic profession of faith which reunited the east and west again. all but one signed the act of reunion with Rome. the last byzantine emperors died as catholics. it is the disobedience of the eastern laity and clergy against the ecumenical council that doomed the reunion. and after Constantinople fell to Mehmet II, he elevated anti-roman clergy and deposed or killed anyone who was loyal to Rome. I invite you to read cantate domino of Eugene IV that the fathers of the east and west debated and accepted.
Byzantine wanted protection from Rome. Byzantine people were against it. And emperor was telling them that that was a temporary before elimination turkish threat. And yes you are not a catholic but roman catholic. Nowdays Rome has less in common with the church of the first millinium unlike orthodox church. Christianity came from the east. Rome had less and less relationship with the east so they changed things. You are Roman catholic not catholic this is the difference
i too am a Catholic but i fear under this pope WE are becoming a weird protestant denomination, pope Francis certainly seems to hate the Catholic Faith and Tradition
Jesus allowed divorce if your spouse has committed adultery, for example. To say that divorce is absolutely NEVER allowed is putting words in Christ's mouth. Should a person be forced to stay married to a spouse who is constantly cheating on them and not repentant? Or if they're being genuinely abused by them?
@@siervodedios5952 Separation is allowed, divorce is impossible according to Christ. Plus, nowhere in the 1st millenium Church was it ever allowed to get divorced and married 3 times. Even St. Basil's cannon 9 (which is the exception, not the rule) was not as Orthodox hold today. Orthodox don't even make the stipulation that only with adultery is divorce and remarriage permitted. Nowhere in the 1st millenium of the Church is the Orthodox view on the doctrine of marriage.
My Orthodox friend (who also has a TH-cam channel on church history and such) has undergone tests to find out what's wrong with him. He's been sick for almost a month and last he told me he had stomach problems. I'm worried. His parents--and pretty much the family--are reliant on him for their care. Would anyone pray for him and let me know that you are by thumbing up my comment so I can be reassured? He's become a dear friend to me despite being long-distance and has been a great help to me spiritually and mentally.
Lord, have mercy on Your servant, and grant him, according to Your will, help, healing, and salvation.
Just prayed for him.
i will pray for him as soon as i can
This was so helpful. I am (was?) a traditionalist Roman Catholic who is converting to Eastern Orthodoxy (UOC-USA) soon. I do miss the Latin, especially since it has been my language of prayer and worship for so many years. Also, as a convert in the US, you are surrounded by converts from Protestantism, for whom the primary problems are saints, liturgy, icons, etc. They have difficulty understanding your issues surrounding changes in personal devotions, theology, spiritual identity, etc., and yet you are all in the same "boat" as it were. I am lucky to have a pastor who has recognized the difference and responded appropriately.
That's one of those things that can make for a great sitcom in real life, hehe! Multiple people with different backgrounds and different problems all in the same boat & goal. What in particular motivated or convinced you to make the jump?
Now, I know this might not be relevant anymore, but just to inform you there is suck thing as the western rite orthodox church, its in full communion with the overall eastern orthodox church, In fact, due to the fact that the western orthodox church is so small, it doesn't have any bishops of its own (correct me if I'm wrong) and will usualy be under the jurisdiction of whatever eastern bishop is in its area. The Russian orthodox church, Greek orthodox church, romanian orthodox church, and bulgarian orthodox churches all have western orthodox churches under their jurisdiction. The western orthodox church keeps many usual exclusive catholic traditions, including but not limited too, the traditional Latin mass (yes, the exact same which has been used by the catholic church before 1970, as the mass of the ages as well as many other "catholic" traditions which were originally orthodox.), Gregorian chant aswell as organs during liturgy, pre schism saints including saint gregory and saint benedict whom were truly orthodox, western calendar, and most interestingly, western architecture including statues, stain glass, Gothic and medieval church designs, etc.
I myself attend an eastern orthodox parish, but I like to mix up some western elements in personal prayer, and even if you can't attend a western orthodox church, it seems you may enjoy doing the same. Plus, I believe the western orthodox church is only growing, as there are about fifty or so parishes and churches in North America, and I beleive there also doing well in other western nations.
I hope this helps you keep the latin traditions that you love while converting to Christ's church.
@@waltuh8740 There is no Western Rite Orthodox Church per se (except for a few non-canonical organizations of questionable origin). Rather, there are two canonical vicariates, one under ROCOR and the other under the Antiochian Archdiocese, that use the Western Rite. Of course, from the perspective of someone who knows the history and development of the Western liturgy inside and out, the modern "Western Rite" used by both jurisdictions is of questionable authenticity. It is mostly a weird amalgamation of an English translation of the traditional Latin Mass with the Book of Common Prayer, supplemented by elements from the Byzantine Rite to appease Orthodox sensibilities. It does not, of course, reflect the liturgical praxis of the pre-schism West. Personally, I wish it would disappear and that the parishes incorporated into Eastern jurisdictions would adopt the Byzantine Rite without reservation. As the Byzantine Rite has had nearly 1000 years of time within the Church to become the background of our most recent and relevant saints, I think it is a much better and more discerning way to transmit the Orthodox faith to our time and culture.
@@quidocetbenediscit Do you see any possibility for the western liturgical traditions to have a future? For me as a fsspx member on the way to convert to orthodoxy (rocor) I cannot forget the immense spiritual value of our liturgical traditions and wonder what to do with it.
@@sebastianfischer498 My sense is that the Western Rite will linger for several more years, particularly in the missionary jurisdictions (ROCOR and the Antiochian Archdiocese). However, it is rather like the Novus Ordo in the Latin Rite: Adopt it, and you are suddenly cut off from the living spiritual tradition of all the Orthodox saints from 1054 until now while adopting an artificial rite concocted in the last two centuries. Is it not much better to step into the stream of Orthodoxy? And, in any case, are those who worship in the Eastern Rite missing out on anything spiritually? I don't think so. The Eastern Rite (despite some of its apologists' exaggerations) is not inapplicable to people from traditionally Western cultures: one God is worshipped in his one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church. If so, then the Western man can embrace Byzantine worship just as easily as anyone else.
It’s nice to see your face for the second time. God bless you brother from an Orthodox Christian convert. I used to be a Pentecostal, by the way.
Ah! Just like Fr. Barnabas Powell! The “Pentecostalist Fervor” is SORELY needed in Orthodoxy, the more the better.
6:40 It is important to note that statutes are not somehow illegal in orthodoxy, it’s just that we don’t have guidelines how to make them compared to icons. We have statues as well, especially before the iconoclastic period!
I am in the process of converting from Catholicism to Orthodoxy and the only religious person in my social circle, other believing friends of mine are living abroad and we communicate online. I however feel the first point, especially in regards to family. My (atheist) family called my intention to convert "a shock", my former Catholicism was already quite a stumbling block for them. Contrary to your friend from the letter/mail, I never felt the drive to comment on other people's orthodoxy or the need to compile an encyclopedical knowledge on vestments or liturgical scrupulosity. These are great dangers to a compassionate and humble heart in my view. Just my impressions.
I believe that it was all done in good fun. :)
@@CassandraErturk Of course, I'm not excluding this. Balance of all things is the key. My intention was not to speak judgement of anyone's character, I apologize if it seems this way, it's not like that at all.
If you love something you tend to try and learn everything you can about the thing. A person who loves trains might know the model numbers by sight. An Orthodox person might know the names of all the vestments. ;-)
How much time were you Catholic before converting to Orthodoxy? Did you have to do a lot of theological study or research before converting?
@@vituzui9070 I am a "cradle Catholic" but returned to the faith around 2015/2016. I looked at both Catholicism and Orthodoxy but remained in the Roman Church back then since I was already baptized. Yet I tried to constantly educate myself about western and eastern theology through online research (trying to avoid zealots and obviously imbalanced people), researching the saints and church fathers and obviously taking to people which is the most appropriate way in my opinion.
Another point to add to yours about infant baptism. I am orthodox and had many debates with a Catholic about this. They argued that the child needs to understand what communion is, etc. My rebuttal was no matter who takes communion…cradle Catholic, orthodox, convert, adult, child…NO ONE fully understands this mystery. It is bigger than us. It’s more of a trust in what we believe it to be, in my opinion. Thus, it’s ultra important for babies to have this Holy, spiritual nourishment.
I am currently speaking to my Catholic spiritual director about Orthodoxy. He is very knowledgeable about Catholicism. I told him it didnt make sense to me as to why you don't give infants communion.
He explained to me that there is a decent chance that the baby or small toddler could spit up the flesh of our Lord therefore possibly mistreating Him
@martymcfly4464 St Ambrose already taught against this ideology and what the soul needs for salvation
Some other Catholics may have an issue with me saying this but honestly it may be of benefit to consider your geography when deciding to convert. After an endless and fruitless back and forth wrestling with Catholicism and Orthodoxy I had to come to terms (or, more accurately, throw my hands up) with the fact that, in order to fully live out the faith in my cultural situation, being a Roman Catholic is simply the best option. At the same time, I would ask someone living in, say, Georgia the same question: how well will you be able to live the life of Christ as a Catholic here?
If the heart of the Christian is unity I believe that almighty God can be understanding of our schismatic situations of which we had no part in causing and of which our hearts want the end of.
@C The catholic church has bent over backward for reunion, and the charitable among the orthodox have been very receptive to it. Ecumenism is a good thing, west and east must join together again as earth and heaven.
@C Both papal infallibility and the filioque, when properly understood, are no issue for the orthodox.
@C No, orthodox church accepted papal immediate intervention in the council of 861 and orthodox theologians today accept that roman primacy precisely. Filioque is not a heresy either because it is a clear teaching of both(even the eastern fathers) fathers and the bible
I decided not to convert to RC. My comment still holds the view but even this never proves Papal infallibility as defined by the Vatican I or other beliefs like "popes cannot be judged etc"
I would say it depends. Of course none of the people who are born into a heterodox christian group, or even a different religion for that matter - are responsible for that. The sin of schism is a very personal matter. An average Roman Catholic would bear no guilt for it if they just tries to live a life according to the gospel in their own church and nation. God understands our cirv
circumstances and it is part of His Holy Providence that we were born where we were born. The difference is for those concious of the Truth of Orthodoxy yet who actively fight against it. That is the definition of a schismatic and heretic.
When I was interested in exploring Eastern Orthodoxy, it was awkward for me. The parish priest was a former Presbyterian, and the other people in my Inquirer’s Class were former Catholics who converted to Presbyterianism who are now converting over to Eastern Orthodoxy. Sitting in the class, I couldn’t help but inwardly cringe at their reasons for leaving the Catholic Church, reasons that are unfounded as well as untrue. So there’s that lol
@Tactical LARP in a way, yes. The biggest problem that I have is that there are some areas of doctrine that are really up in the air. Baptism for converts, toll houses, fasting, etc. it would be helpful to have a clear and concise answer that is for everyone rather than, “it depends on the bishop/jurisdiction”. I know that Toll Houses and fasting isn’t really a huge portion of doctrine, but baptism for converts is. One jurisdiction will say yes, you must be baptized regardless of what denomination you were part of. Another jurisdiction will say no, you cannot be baptized again because we view your Trinitarian baptism valid. Some jurisdictions will say it depends largely on where you were baptized (ie. which denomination). Orthodoxy is beautiful and completely reverent, but there is a cacophony of voices within and it’s hard to discern which is traditional, modern, true, false, right or wrong because everyone speaks with the same authority but state different things.
I think it's a matter of a difference between unity and uniformity. There are areas of non-uniformity (baptism of converts, for example), but there is no disunity over that so far. Not everything has easy uniform answers, and I appreciate the Orthodox being comfortable with that in some areas without compromising on important issues.
I just can't get away from the unique truth of the theology...(thou Oriental Orthodox are super close.)
@@sackettsnodgrass9260 maybe a Pope is helpful with that 🤷♂️😉
@@walterismydog7284 Having an Authoritarian Leader of the Church only works if it's Christ.
@@sackettsnodgrass9260 sounds like the Tower of Babel.
Bojan please don’t drink before recording….. only afterwards! 🤣
Thanks for your video! I am Catholic but I am ready to convert to Eastern Orthodoxy as I have heard the voice of God and desperately want closer to His True Holy Church but I have not started the process yet at all. Please pray for me as I start this journey. I understand that it will not solve all of the problems and I understand the issue of variability in community to community. It seems like the Russians have a beautiful tradition!
i'm Traditional Catholic and am thinking about Orthodoxy as we now seem to have a pope who hates the Catholic Faith and Tradition....very difficult decision
@@marcokite Don't leave because of the particular Pope you have right now. If you had a pro-TLM and pro-Latin tradition, would you stay? If so, I don't know that becoming Orthodox is a good choice then. If you're running away from Francis, it'd be better to go to an Eastern Catholic parish first. You have to renounce papal supremacy and the use of the filioque in the Creed to convert to Orthodoxy, but if you believe in papal supremacy as a dogma, then you won't be able to be Orthodox in good conscience, regardless of who is Pope currently. What happens if you get a bishop or Patriarch you don't like in Orthodoxy?
Brother, how did it go? Are you Orthodox now?
@@marcokite are you Orthodox now?
Come to Serbia ortodox.And hury up ther's not so much time left
The reason is awkward. We used to not commune people until after confirmation (chrismation), but in our tradition the bishop does confirmation. So as dioceses grew the bishop wouldn't come around as often. Confirmation would drift later and later into the teens (for which there is really no excuse) and now we have the order reversed because a Pope (I forget which) basically said we could start communing baptised but unconfirmed Catholics at the age of reason.
But I agree that it's a scandal we wait so long. The unleavened bread would be difficult for very small children but once they can eat it I don't see why we wouldn't admit them. People like their First Communion parties, maybe.
I have a friend that comes from Iran and I've talked him into converting to orthodoxy, so far he has proven that he really wants to convert but I would like you to address the conversion from Islam and its hardest parts so I know how to correctly help him.
Look up orthodox shahada it’s let by Qai who is a Serb who converted to Islam for a time and it addresses a lot of stuff about Islam.
It is mainly geared to Sunni Islam though
As a father of a 10 year old who wishes to take Holy Communion but still hasn't done his catequesis due to the pandemic,I totally understand the Orthodox perspective. God bless you my friend! A Catholic.
I converted from Catholicism years ago and many of her statements ring true. I was a member of two different Catholic orders. One was semi-eremetical and we had the Blessed Sacrament in our hermitages. I really thought I would miss Adoration, above all things, but I received so much more in Orthodoxy that I didn't miss it at all. Now seeing what is happening with the CC I thank God that I left it.
Marie, what advice would you have for me going through this in between phase? I long for a deep spirituality which Catholicism makes me feel u fulfilled. Then I learned about all the history and early Church. I desire a deep prayer life and spiritual direction which seems Orthodoxy can offer. I have loved being Catholic, adoration etc and am afraid I will miss it but staying Catholic means staying unfulfilled.
@@jcgurl3773 Do you have any Orthodox Churches nearby that you could visit? You could begin attending services and speak to the priest. Eventually you would probably want to make a pilgrimage to a monastery. We have visited some and just being around the monks and nuns we learned so much, especially the practice of the Jesus prayer.
Great to see you back!
Excellent point about infant baptism. This is something I struggled with as a protestant.
@Johnpaul, yes, I agree; as a lutheran, I was twelve. Why?
However my non-denominational granddaughters are never baptized and never have the opportunity to partake of Christ's Body and Blood - whenever they get over ten, they just declare their faith; I pray for them everyday.
@@susansuewwilliams I am surprised to here that, I thought that Lutherans practiced infant baptism, at least that is what Luther taught. I am also surprized that the other group doesn't baptize. Regardless of ones theology on baptism, Jesus was baptized and told us to be too, so I would expect them to do that. I am still learning about Lutheranism though.
@@johnpaulhumphrey2981 I apologize, yes lutheran's do infant baptism but none give the Holy Body and Blood of Christ.
One needs to be confirmed to receive the Eucharist.
As I said, my granddaughters who are none denominational,
receive neither baptismal nor the Body and Blood of Christ.
That was my point.
@@susansuewwilliams I see.
I recently joined the Coptic Orthodox Church (so a little different than Eastern Orthodoxy) coming from a TLM community and just after earning my Master’s in Sacred Theology from a Catholic university. I’m still really new and the hardest part is feeling like I’m still a gaijin. Everyone is still kind but other than being able to receive communion now I still feel regarded with an otherness. Totally cliche question, but is that normal?
hi Mark.
yes, it is normal. and it's not hostility! it takes a while for anyone at all to be accepted at the social level into any kind of group made up of multi generational families. but dig into some little task. ask the priest to assign you some community (non liturgical) duty, like sweeping up after coffee hour.
when you are seen smiling at people as you do this little thing you'll be more and more a part of a really wonderful thing.
and if the old men give you a job to do, treat them like your family and do it.
i promise you that this will work. it will teach you how to love them, and them to know how to take you.
be a good boy. God bless you.
Yes. I am also a convert to the Coptic Church from Traditional Roman Catholicism.
Why non-Chalcedonian?
how are you doing now? i am TLM Catholic but considering Orthodoxy, i am a bit put off that the nearest Church to me is all Greek and Bulgarian - would i be an 'outsider' ?
@@marcokite I had the same question about the Greek church (especially being half Turkish.) They are by far the most welcoming and ecumenical of the options. Good luck to you. In Domino
Catholic for life and eternity 🙏🏼
Thankfully there is no schism in heaven.
Definitely. Also the schism wasn't that profound as people hyperbolize it. After the "schism" some churches in the east still saw themselves as Eastern Catholic. Many people today are converting from Orthodoxy to Eastern Catholicism since not many people know that EC churches exist.
@@mrcoder7327 Many people also follow the Arabian warlord's moon god.
Love your vulnerable honesty…and videos…so aptly communicated …
4:40 i scratched my nose the minute you did, lol
“Chasuble” is just the Latin for “phelonion”.
Very insightful. And so true of converts in general, the good, the tender, the funny, the painful, the joy, the new life.
I am currently speaking to my Catholic spiritual director about Orthodoxy. He is very knowledgeable about Catholicism. I told him it didnt make sense to me as to why you don't give infants communion.
He explained to me that there is a decent chance that the baby or small toddler could spit up the flesh of our Lord.
I used to believe that babies should not be baptized, as they had were not making this choice for themselves. But in the Old Testament, babies were circumcised without making the choice, as commanded by God. So now as an Orthodox catachumen, this does not bother me at all.
I am a devout Catholic and even I dont quite agree with the fact that we make children wait to receive the Eucharist.
I wish I could understand what you were talking about from start to finish.
Alas.
Could you do a video on the EP/MP controversy?
I've had this string feeling recently drawing me towards orthodoxy that I can't explain, im just drawn to it. I've thought about converting but I'm scared about being a heretic by defying the divine power of the pope. I want to experience the tradition that the orthodox church has preserved and that the Catholic church has lost. I could use some advice from anyone
Go to any of the Eastern Catholic Churches.
Sir, there is no such thing as divine power of the pope - one of the greatest Roman patriarchs pope Gregory the Great spoke about that.
"Now I confidently say that whosoever calls himself, or desires to be called, Universal Priest, is in his elation the precursor of Antichrist, because he proudly puts himself above
all others."
Saint Gregory the Dialogist; Book VII: Epistle XXXIII
It might be a stupid question/Problem but in this one tiktok there was a short arabic sentence in Roman Letters with the caption: "I bet you can't read it", stupid as I was I read it (half loud half in mind). After that the comments said that this sentence was the Islamic creed. Does that mean that I accidentally converted from orthodoxy to Islam and therefore turned away from Christ although being a faithfull Christian?
No, you have to take the faith with all your heart, too. Unknowingly saying that "kalima" won't make you a Muslim. Saying only the words don't matter, it's null. When you believe with all your heart and mind and soul and then you say the kalima, then you're a Muslim. I hope this clears your question 😊
@@farwahbatool6247 thank you!
@@hansihanschen9235 you're welcome
Uploading the answer to this right now.
I was thinking about this video and a thought came to me. Perhaps God allowed the development of Eucharistic adoration in the West precisely because of the deficiency of infant and young child communion. At least they can experience the presence of the Lord in this way. It brings me a great deal of sorrow that my young children cannot receive Holy Communion, so this thought gives me some small consolation.
Hey Bojan!, Any opinion on David Wood?
Good guy he is
He has a video on David Wood, look it up.
*Had. Removed (I think) all of 'My Thoughts on X' videos because (surprise surprise) they generate bad blood.
In any case, I like him, but there's only so much I can listen about Islam. :-)
@@СаваСтанковић-с7к as said by Bojan, he removed the video : (
Did you see it?, can you tell me what Bojan said in that video? : )
How long does it take to convert ? How long is the process
It really depends. Can be up to three years.
Vegans eat olive oil and drink wine. During the Great Fast they cannot do that from Monday to Friday. That can be tough.
This guy sounds like the Pencils and Prayers guy
Stay away from that channel
I am a Roman Catholic and am considering Orthodoxy. Any other Catholics to Orthodox people out there?
I am in the same situation, it is hard, but I think it is worth struggle. Bless you 😇🌸
They are out there. I know a few. Do you really know your faith? Pray, consider why and ask God why? What are you looking for? God asks only for us to live him. Will the EO church make you love him more?
I'm a Roman Catholic who plans to convert to Orthodoxy.
I was looking for testimonies of former roman catholics who converted to orthodoxy and was happy to stumble on this video. Wish there could be more as most converts are mainly former protestants.
Bojan:
Chaz yoo bool
Sur pluss
You're Welcome!
Loved that part knowing the struggle myself
Well said brother in Christ ❤ Orthodoxy is the one and true church ❤ Glory to God ❤
Regarding vegan they can eat one meal on fast instead 3 meals
Did you move house?
The structure of the sentence is going to disappoint a few Catholics
I just keep thinking. About 10 to 15 years ago, at least in the internet world of apologetics, the main disputations the Catholics engaged with were with Protestant denominations. Now they completely forgot about every other church or denomination and threw all their papal lawyers (that is Catholic apologetics) at us, Orthodox. Funny how they instinctivley sense where the "danger" is coming from.
Encouraging video considering I am thinking of doing the same.
I went through this almost a year ago. I can fully sympathize with your friend. Pope Francis seems to be a Catholic convert factory. Maybe he was chosen by the Holy Spirit after all! 😂😂😂
The Orthodox Church has everything what the original Church had for the first Millenium. The Roman Catholic was the same in that time until 1054 when the influence of German Emperor and German Popes have caused the split between the Eastern and Western church. They simply wanted politics and power and the Eastern Christian communities could not agree with that!
My path
If I converted to Orthodoxy then I would need to say St Theodore, who introduced the Filioque to England, was a heretic. I would have to deny the sainthood of Thomas Becket, John Fisher, Thomas More and others. I would need to be baptised a second time, which is heretical according to Lord Mark of Ephesus. I would have to acknowledge an Eighth Oecumenical Council in 879 where English delegates were absent, but condemned nevertheless. I wouldn’t know what flavour of (Chalcedonian) Orthodoxy to recognise in Africa. No thanks.
Many saints in the first millennium were wrong about various things. That does not make them a heretic. Do you know what a heretic is? Your St. Thomas Aquinas an avid denier of the Immaculate Conception and even debated against it. Was he a heretic even though he is considered the greatest doctor of the RC Church? Yes, denying sainthood to RC saints is part of Orthodoxy (this is obvious). You simply stated a fact. By the way, as a RC you must venerate "St." JPII who put together demon worship festivals (assissi event). I can go through other saints you must venerate as well if you'd like. There is differing opinion about baptizing protestant or Catholic converts (just like there was in the 1st millennium). Those who hold that you need to be baptized "again" do so because they do not see the 1st one as an actual baptism. By the way, do you not see the contradiction in the RC Church with baptism? Baptism (and all sacraments) according to RC doctrine require form matter and intent. So to accept say a Baptist or Lutheran baptism when they explicitly deny the actual Catholic beliefs about baptism and explicitly having different intent on the matter, is outright contradictory to RC doctrine. Also, was the Church before V2 wrong in denying some trinitarian baptisms? Or did it just take a couple thousand years to finally get it right (even though technically I think there are a few Trinitarian baptisms that are still rejected, therefore according to you is heretical)?
You wouldn't know what flavor of Orthodoxy to recognize in Africa. What? Okay, sounds like a you problem. You know there are national Catholic Churches too, right? Polish, German, maronite, coptic, etc...
in that case you should denounce all orthodox saints of Britain :
Saint Aristobulus, Apostle of Britain
The Holy Protomartyr Saint Alban
The Holy Virgin-Martyr Saint Winifred of Wales
Saint Botolph, Bishop, Protector of Travellers
Saint Drostan of Aberdeen, Hermit
Saint Werburga, Abbess of Chester
St Patrick of Irland
St Augustine of Canterbury
and many many thousands of others
@@aleksandarstavric2226 Not clear why.
YAWEH = SUNGOD +TRUTH+
Book of ENOCH 4 us [NOW[
Rome = 🐍
ORTHODOX = +BRIDE+
Soon 🔥 ☦️ 🔥
Да ниси ти то мало смршао Бојане? 😀
the orthodox should look at the council of Florence and the 700+ byzantine delegation. all the 5 patriarchates were represented and the the emperor himself and the patriarch of Constantinople and the legates of the other patriarchs were fully represented. they debated papal supremacy, the Filioque and other agenda and were convinced and accepted the Catholic profession of faith which reunited the east and west again. all but one signed the act of reunion with Rome. the last byzantine emperors died as catholics. it is the disobedience of the eastern laity and clergy against the ecumenical council that doomed the reunion. and after Constantinople fell to Mehmet II, he elevated anti-roman clergy and deposed or killed anyone who was loyal to Rome. I invite you to read cantate domino of Eugene IV that the fathers of the east and west debated and accepted.
Byzantine wanted protection from Rome. Byzantine people were against it. And emperor was telling them that that was a temporary before elimination turkish threat. And yes you are not a catholic but roman catholic. Nowdays Rome has less in common with the church of the first millinium unlike orthodox church. Christianity came from the east. Rome had less and less relationship with the east so they changed things. You are Roman catholic not catholic this is the difference
Well hey, coming from a Catholic till death, at least you're not becoming one of those weird protestant denomination. Still, respect to you brother.
i too am a Catholic but i fear under this pope WE are becoming a weird protestant denomination, pope Francis certainly seems to hate the Catholic Faith and Tradition
@@marcokite we are Catholic in spite of PF and the modernists.
Sad, you were in the right church and left
Well he does not believe a guy at a state country called vatican .
In orthodox divorse is allowed , this teaching is not allowed by Jesus. That is heresy
Jesus allowed divorce if your spouse has committed adultery, for example. To say that divorce is absolutely NEVER allowed is putting words in Christ's mouth. Should a person be forced to stay married to a spouse who is constantly cheating on them and not repentant? Or if they're being genuinely abused by them?
@@siervodedios5952 Separation is allowed, divorce is impossible according to Christ. Plus, nowhere in the 1st millenium Church was it ever allowed to get divorced and married 3 times. Even St. Basil's cannon 9 (which is the exception, not the rule) was not as Orthodox hold today. Orthodox don't even make the stipulation that only with adultery is divorce and remarriage permitted. Nowhere in the 1st millenium of the Church is the Orthodox view on the doctrine of marriage.
😂
Very funny ik