There are many Roman catholics today who have left the Church because of recent scandals, clergy celibacy or other issues.  We would like to extend a warm invitation to those de-churched Roman Catholics who would like to maintian their faith validly and worship in conformity with what they expereinced in their youth.

For example: while the Roman church is not in full communion with the Eastern Churches it fully recognizes the validity of those sacraments¹³⁹⁹; Roman Catholics may recieve the sacraments from Eastern Churches ^{Cn 844§3};

Roman Catholics will find married clergy and rites that are familiar.  We would like you to know that the Orthodox Church is open to you and below you will find information that explains the Roman Catholic teaching on Orthodoxy.

Unfortunately, a great many Roman Catholics do not know the teaching of their own Church regarding the rest of the Catholic Church that has existed in the Eastern world for last 2,000+ years… The Orthodox Church (a.k.a. the Eastern Orthodox Church or Orthodox Catholic Church).

Some Orthodox Christians have encountered some resistance from Roman Catholics who know little about the Orthodox Catholic Faith that was birthed at Pentecost and has existed un-broken and un-changed from the days when the Church was One and before Rome departed alone (AD 1054) and separated itself from the other 4 Patriarchal cities ofConstantinople, Jerusalem, Antioch and Alexandria.  All Protestant denominations are children of the Roman Catholic Church – not the Orthodox Church, which has maintained, unchanged (nothing added, nothing taken away) the teachings, doctrines and practices of the unified Church of the first millennium to this day. Rome, in its separation from the East, has added many problematic doctrines (i.e. Purgatory & Indulgences, Treasury of Merits, mandated clerical celibacy, papal infallibility, Immaculate Conception of Mary, unilaterally added of the filioque clause to the Nicene Creed, etc…) which substantially triggered the Protestant Reformation in the West beginning in AD 1517 with Fr. Martin Luther.

Here below is the “official teaching” and position of the Roman Catholic Church with regards to the Orthodox Church (sources are provided).

NOTE: It is important to realize that The Orthodox Church is The Church that Christ and the Apostles established and remains intact and healthy to this day - it does not seek nor need affirmation from Rome to establish its validity.   The Orthodox Church is not protestant in any way shape or form as some ignorantly may think.  The Orthodox Church, to this day, and in accordance with the Canon’s of the Ecumenical Councils of the undivided Church (which also gave us the New Testament, Doctrines of the Trinity, Human & Divine Natures of Christ, etc…), recognizes the Bishop of Rome (the Pope) as “first among equals” (primus inter pares) – not first in supremacy or monarchical power over the whole Church…and certainly not as “infallible.”  This position and Roman doctrine flies in the face of the concilliar nature of Bishops of the Church gathered in Council with one another.

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

838 "The Church knows that she is joined in many ways to the baptized who are honored by the name of Christian, but do not profess the Catholic faith in its entirety or have not preserved unity or communion under the successor of Peter." Those "who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are put in a certain, although imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church." With the Orthodox Churches, this communion is so profound "that it lacks little to attain the fullness that would permit a common celebration of the Lord's Eucharist."

1399 "The Eastern churches that are not in full communion with the Catholic Church celebrate the Eucharist with great love. "These Churches, although separated from us, yet possess true sacraments, above all - by apostolic succession - the priesthood and the Eucharist, whereby they are still joined to us in closest intimacy." A certain communion in sacris, and so in the Eucharist, "given suitable circumstances and the approval of Church authority, is not merely possible but is encouraged."

1411 "Only validly ordained priests can preside at the Eucharist and consecrate the bread and the wine so that they become the Body and Blood of the Lord." [See #1399 above on Orthodox Priesthood]

FROM THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CODEot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: "Lucida Sans Unicode"; color: #555555;"> OF CANON LAW

Canon 844§3: "Catholic ministers may administer the sacraments of penance, Eucharist, and anointing of the sick licitly to members of Eastern Churches which do not have full communion with the Catholic Church if they seek such on their own accord and are properly disposed. This is also valid for members of other Churches which in the judgment of the Apostolic See are in the same condition in regard to the sacraments as these Eastern Churches."

ROMAN CATHOLIC TEACHINGS ON RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ORTHODOX CHURCH

WORSHIP SERVICES

The Roman Catholic Church perceives its relationship with Orthodox Christians as unique.
"With regard to the authentic theological traditions of the Orientals [the Orthodox], we must recognize that they are admirably rooted in holy Scripture, fostered and given expression in liturgical life, and nourished by the living tradition of the Apostles and, by the writings of the Fathers and spiritual authors of the East; they are directed toward a right ordering of life; indeed, toward a full contemplation of Christian truth.

While thanking God that many Eastern sons of the Catholic Church, who are preserving this heritage and wish to express it more faithfully and completely in their lives, are readily living in full communion with their brethren who follow the tradition of the West, this sacred Synod declares that this entire heritage of spirituality and liturgy, of discipline and theology, and their various traditions, belongs to the full Catholic and apostolic character of the Church." (UR.,. n.17; Cf. AlsoDAPNE., n.122).

Roman Catholics, therefore, have a special sensitivity toward the liturgical practices and tradition of the Orthodox Churches.

Because of the very close communion in matters of faith between the Roman Catholic Church and Orthodox Churches, there are ecclesiological and sacramental grounds for allowing and even encouraging some sharing in liturgical worship with these churches, given suitable circumstances and approval of respective church authorities. (Cf. UR., n.14; CIC., can. 844,CCEO., can. 671; DAPNE., n. 122).

When members of the Orthodox Church are admitted into full communion, they are received into a corresponding Roman Catholic rite. (Cf. EO., n. 4; CIC., can. 112; CCEO,, can. 32. 1, 33 & 34).

A member of an Orthodox Church may be invited to act as a godparent at the baptism of a Roman Catholic.  Similarly, a Roman Catholic may act as a godparent at the baptism of a member of the Orthodox Church.  In both cases, the obligation to provide for the Christian education of the baptized person rests first with the godparent who belongs to the church of the person baptized. (Cf. DAPNE., n. 97).

MEMBERS OF ORTHODOX CHURCHES

Roman Catholic ministers [Priests] may licitly administer the sacraments of penance, Eucharist, and anointing of the sick to members of the Orthodox Churches if they ask on their own for the sacraments and are properly disposed. This holds also for members of other churches who, in the judgment of the Apostolic See, are in the same condition as the Orthodox Churches as far as these sacraments are concerned. span>(EO., n 27; CIC., can.844.3; CCEO, can. 671. 3)

MARRIAGE

The canonical form, i.e., marriage before the Roman Catholic pastor of the place (or his delegate) and two witnesses, is required for the valid marriage of a Roman Catholic. An exception occurs when there is a marriage between a Roman Catholic and a member of an Orthodox Church performed in the presence of a minister of the Orthodox Church and carried out according to the requirements of the law of the Orthodox Church. In the latter case, canonical form is required for liceity, but lack of it does not invalidate the marriage.  (CIC. 1127.1;CCEO., can. 834 & 839).

CHRISTIAN BURIALS

Church funerals conducted for baptized members of other faiths should always be in accordance with their wishes and those of the diocesan bishop. Members of other faiths may be buried in a Roman Catholic cemetery and with the clergy of another faith conducting cemetery rites, although celebration of the Eucharist is not permitted. A Roman Catholic priest or deacon may lead services at the funeral home, family residence, or cemetery if requested. Members of other faiths may be invited to preach or read from the scriptures during a funeral service outside the celebration of the Eucharist.  Roman Catholics are ordinarily to be buried in Roman Catholic cemeteries as a sign of sharing life, death, and resurrection with the faith community. Burial in other than a Catholic cemetery is permitted, especially where this is for the convenience of the family.

SOURCES FOR THE ABOVE QUOTES

In addition to the documents issued by the Second Vatican Council (1062‐1965), namely, Lumen Gentium (1964), Unitatis Redintegratio (1964), Orientalium Ecclesiarum (1964), and Dei Verbum (1965), and the Apostolic Exhortation (Pope John Paul II) Familiaris Consortio (1981), and the Code of Canon Law(1983), all of which served as the basis for the existingGuidelines, these Revised Guidelines have taken into consideration the most relevant major documents issued subsequently: Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (1988), theCode of Canons for the Eastern Churches (1990), Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism (1993),Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994), Pope John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Tertio Millennio Adveniente (1994), Pope John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Ut Unum Sint (1995), Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Letter Orientale Lumen (1995), Appendix to theOrder of Christian Burials: Cremation with Reflections on the Body, Cremation and Catholic Funeral Rites (USCCB, Committee on the Liturgy (USCCB, 1997), The Ecumenical

Dimension of the Formation of Pastoral Workers (Vatican, 1998). and Pope John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia (2003).

Ecumenical Prospects

While Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox are separate for the moment, what unites us is still far greater than what divides us, and there are abundant reasons for optimism regarding reconciliation in the future. Over the last several decades, there has been a marked lessening of tensions and overcoming of long-standing hostilities.

In 1965, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras I of Constantinople lifted mutual excommunications dating from the eleventh century (AD 1054), and in 1995, Pope John Paul II and Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople concelebrated the Eucharist together. John Paul II, the first Slavic pope, has made the reconciliation of Eastern and Western Christendom a special theme of his pontificate, and he has released a large number of documents and addresses honoring the contributions of Eastern Christendom and seeking to promote unity between Catholics and Orthodox.

It is again becoming possible to envision a time when the two communions will be united and, by the power of the Holy Spirit, fulfill their duty in bringing about Christ’s solemn desire and command "that they may be one" (John 17:11).

NIHIL OBSTAT: I have concluded that the materials

presented in this work are free of doctrinal or moral errors.

Bernadeane Carr, STL, Censor Librorum, August 10, 2004

IMPRIMATUR: In accord with 1983 CIC 827

permission to publish this work is hereby granted.

+Robert H. Brom, Bishop of San Diego, August 10, 2004