- Aug 4, 2013
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My visit to St. Mary Orthodox was wonderful. Beautiful Liturgy, done well, with a superb choir. After Liturgy, several people greeted me. Later Sunday evening, I had a long phone call with Fr. Deacon Nicholas.
I feel everything has opened up for my transition. Elizabeth has not been upset in the several discussions we have had regarding my leaving the BCC and converting to Orthodoxy. My spiritual director pointed me to St. Mary's. It appears that he and the priest there are friends, and both went to St. Vlad's Seminary. Most of all, I have a sense that now is the time.
I will be sending out this letter tomorrow to Fr. A . . . . . . at the UCC parish I have been attending. It is getting real now.
Dear Father:
This is a most difficult letter for me to write, for I have developed a number of good friendships at Annunciation and have been privileged to serve the parish in a number of positions. Nonetheless, after a long struggle with my conscience and my beliefs, I feel it is time for me to leave Annunciation and go to a parish where the things I believe are not in conflict with the teachings of the BCC. Specifically, I will be converting to the Orthodoxy.
In the year 2000, as I studied the apostolic faith while still a Protestant, I was told that I could be “Orthodox in Communion with Rome,” also known as Byzantine Catholic. Not knowing fully all the differences between Eastern and Western theology, I thought this was an acceptable compromise to my desire to become Orthodox and my sense at that time that the Patriarch of Rome is the head of the Church on earth. I was mistaken in this ecclesial understanding, and also in what the term “in communion” means.
To be “in communion” means a common and united sharing of dogma and beliefs. The greatest sign of this communion is the Holy Communion of the Eucharist. This is why Protestants are not allowed to receive the Eucharist - they are not “in communion,” because of their not sharing the same beliefs that Orthodox and Catholics do. Therefore, while our communion with them is one of Christian charity, they cannot partake of the sign of communion - the Body and Blood of Christ.
It wasn’t until my third year in seminary that I became clearly aware of the vast difference between Eastern and Western theology, soteriology, ecclesiology, and anthropology. I was also becoming aware that rather than being Orthodox in these matters, as promised in the Union of Brest, BCC parishes are more “Roman Catholic Lite” with a strange Mass than they are actually Orthodox. I cannot begin to tell you how many BCC parishes I have attended which are filled with Latinizations and Roman practices such as praying the Rosary. When I first came to Annunciation, there were Stations of the Cross on the walls instead of the icons which are there now. The whole artwork of the parish suggested Roman Catholicism. For me, whose wish has been to be Orthodox since my conversion from Protestantism, this became an untenable situation, and it has only become worse over the last three years.
I do not belong at Annunciation parish because I do not accept the teaching of Indulgences, Purgatory, the Immaculate Conception, Treasury of Merit, Penal Substitution Soteriology, Papal Supremacy, Papal Infallibility, or the Filioque Clause to the Creed. These are the most egregious of Rome’s errors, errors that the Roman Catholic Church will have to reject before any form of real union can be restored between East and West. Yet as a Byzantine Catholic, the unspoken rule is that I must accept these teachings.
In short, I am Orthodox and not Roman Catholic or any of its derivatives. I can no longer ignore the voice of my conscience in this matter. It is therefore time for me to be joined to that body of believers with whom I have complete and total agreement in matters of faith and practice. Please know that I leave with regret and no anger toward anyone in the parish. If I have offended or sinned against anyone, I ask forgiveness.
Please continue to pray for me that this transition may be smooth and with a minimum of problems and/or hurt feelings.
My new parish:
Home - St. Mary's Orthodox (stmaryorthodox.org)
I feel everything has opened up for my transition. Elizabeth has not been upset in the several discussions we have had regarding my leaving the BCC and converting to Orthodoxy. My spiritual director pointed me to St. Mary's. It appears that he and the priest there are friends, and both went to St. Vlad's Seminary. Most of all, I have a sense that now is the time.
I will be sending out this letter tomorrow to Fr. A . . . . . . at the UCC parish I have been attending. It is getting real now.
Dear Father:
This is a most difficult letter for me to write, for I have developed a number of good friendships at Annunciation and have been privileged to serve the parish in a number of positions. Nonetheless, after a long struggle with my conscience and my beliefs, I feel it is time for me to leave Annunciation and go to a parish where the things I believe are not in conflict with the teachings of the BCC. Specifically, I will be converting to the Orthodoxy.
In the year 2000, as I studied the apostolic faith while still a Protestant, I was told that I could be “Orthodox in Communion with Rome,” also known as Byzantine Catholic. Not knowing fully all the differences between Eastern and Western theology, I thought this was an acceptable compromise to my desire to become Orthodox and my sense at that time that the Patriarch of Rome is the head of the Church on earth. I was mistaken in this ecclesial understanding, and also in what the term “in communion” means.
To be “in communion” means a common and united sharing of dogma and beliefs. The greatest sign of this communion is the Holy Communion of the Eucharist. This is why Protestants are not allowed to receive the Eucharist - they are not “in communion,” because of their not sharing the same beliefs that Orthodox and Catholics do. Therefore, while our communion with them is one of Christian charity, they cannot partake of the sign of communion - the Body and Blood of Christ.
It wasn’t until my third year in seminary that I became clearly aware of the vast difference between Eastern and Western theology, soteriology, ecclesiology, and anthropology. I was also becoming aware that rather than being Orthodox in these matters, as promised in the Union of Brest, BCC parishes are more “Roman Catholic Lite” with a strange Mass than they are actually Orthodox. I cannot begin to tell you how many BCC parishes I have attended which are filled with Latinizations and Roman practices such as praying the Rosary. When I first came to Annunciation, there were Stations of the Cross on the walls instead of the icons which are there now. The whole artwork of the parish suggested Roman Catholicism. For me, whose wish has been to be Orthodox since my conversion from Protestantism, this became an untenable situation, and it has only become worse over the last three years.
I do not belong at Annunciation parish because I do not accept the teaching of Indulgences, Purgatory, the Immaculate Conception, Treasury of Merit, Penal Substitution Soteriology, Papal Supremacy, Papal Infallibility, or the Filioque Clause to the Creed. These are the most egregious of Rome’s errors, errors that the Roman Catholic Church will have to reject before any form of real union can be restored between East and West. Yet as a Byzantine Catholic, the unspoken rule is that I must accept these teachings.
In short, I am Orthodox and not Roman Catholic or any of its derivatives. I can no longer ignore the voice of my conscience in this matter. It is therefore time for me to be joined to that body of believers with whom I have complete and total agreement in matters of faith and practice. Please know that I leave with regret and no anger toward anyone in the parish. If I have offended or sinned against anyone, I ask forgiveness.
Please continue to pray for me that this transition may be smooth and with a minimum of problems and/or hurt feelings.
My new parish:
Home - St. Mary's Orthodox (stmaryorthodox.org)
