Differences inside our churches

[Wryetui]

Hello there guys. I have to ask this because I have never been in an Orthodox church that wasn't Romanian so I can't really talk about it. What I don't like about our church is that is not quite catholic as we say, don't understand me wrong, it is the "One Holy, Catholic and Apostolic" Church of Christ, but in matter of churches it is not, because as I have seen in America there are Greek Orthodox Churches, Russian Orthodox Churches, Serbian Orthodox Churches... What's the difference? Does our Orthodoxy differ from one country to another?

 

[buzuxi02]

Thats because our church is universal, so you have Greek, Russian, Serbian, OCA etc. Some minor expressions and customs may differ but its the same DL, same liturgical texts and feasts, same apostolic succession.

 

[ArmyMatt]

no, the differences are cultural and practical, not theological or dogmatic. we are one Church with one voice

 

[~Anastasia~]

Agreed. I've attended as many different kinds of Orthodox Churches as I've been able to find when traveling.

Some have pews, some don't. The singing sounds different from one to another, but the words are the same. Different languages may be heard. Those are the major things with the Church itself.

There are some differences in expressions of piety, but since there are usually visitors or parishioners who once attended a different jurisdiction, I often see the variety within every Church. Some do more prostrations, or do them differently. Some women don't typically wear head coverings. Some do deeper or more metanoias.

And some do confession more often than others.

That's the main things I have noticed, and I've been to a fair variety, considering my short time. Some cities have several jurisdictions though, and I try to attend them all.

 

[gzt]

Orthodoxy is somewhat multivalent, and was more multivalent in its golden age, but only in its exact expression of its life, not in its dogma or the fundamentals.

 

[E.C.]

Romanian churches have people named Ioan, Constantin, Nicolae, and Alexandru.

Greek churches have people named Iakovos, Demetrios, Helena and George.

Russian churches have people named Giorgi, Vladimir, Tikhon, and Marina.

 

[Wryetui]

I'm called Alexandru

 

[Anhelyna]

Ukrainian have people named Vasyl, Vitali, Taras, Andrij and Yulia and Olha

 

[Wryetui]

So there is really no other difference than the lenguage and the name of the church? I, as Romanian, can perfectly go to a Greek Orthodox church or so?

 

[All4Christ]

I, as Romanian, can perfectly go to a Greek Orthodox church or so?

Absolutely!

 

[gzt]

There are minor liturgical differences and sometimes major musical differences. But most liturgical diversity was paved over a few centuries ago.

 

[ArmyMatt]

So there is really no other difference than the lenguage and the name of the church? I, as Romanian, can perfectly go to a Greek Orthodox church or so?

yep, I have been to Antiochian, Russian, Romanian, ROCOR, Ukrainian, Greek, etc parishes and monasteries. all the same faith.

 

[xenia]

Some jurisdictions have different rules concerning confession and communion. ROCOR, for example, expects communicants to have been to confession extremely recently, such as the night before at Vigil.