1)Are those of the eastern orthodox faith allowed communion in roman catholic churches?
2)Are Roman Catholics allowed the Eucharist in eastern orthodox churches?
3)Are divorced people allowed the Eucharist in eastern Orthodox Churches?
4)Are gay people (who might engage in a sexual relationship/partnership) allowed to receive the Eucharist in eastern Orthodox Churches?
Not looking for debate, just clear answers! (if such exists - sometimes these things are not clear)
Will be posting the same on the oriental orthodox forum -
Thanks!
Zaida
1. No.
2. No.
3. Yes - except for a while immediately after the divorce.
4. Yes - unless the priest excommunicates them for a while. It's down to the Priest.
Only those in the Orthodox Church can partake of the Holy Mysteries in the Orthodox Church. The only reasons one of the faithful must not partake are the following:
1. Murder.
2. Knowingly teaching heresy in public.
3. Apostasy (this includes but is not limited to taking Communion or any other equivalent to a Holy Mystery in a non-Orthodox place of worship - whether it be Roman Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, Hindu, baptist, Sikh or whatever).
4. Adultery (actual adultery, not fornication or something).
Roman Catholics say they can have Communion in our parishes and us in ours - that is Vatican II teaching, they never used to teach that and we still don't. If an Orthodox Priest knowingly gives the Precious Body and Blood to a Roman Catholic (or any non-Orthodox person), it is to his own condemnation, and the non-Orthodox person will also be harmed by Christ's Precious Body and Blood. As mentioned above, if one of the faithful partake of the equivalent of a Holy Mystery (not limited to Communion) in a non-Orthodox setting, they have committed Apostasy and are no longer part of the Church. Of course, if they were ignorant, like if they went to a Uniate parish and thought it was Orthodox, then of course we do not consider them Apostates, but special prayers must still be said over them and certain steps taken.
I hope this helps, God bless.