Can Orthodox Christians receive communion in other churches?

[Basil the Great]

Pretty sure he would have just taken an Orthodox priest with him as a member of his staff and to serve his entire staff if he were from an "Orthodox Country".

You are probably right about that. However, let's say there is another big Earthquake in Chile and one of the ambassadors gets hurt badly while visiting a remote part of the country. Now he is cut off and his Orthodox priest cannot get to him. Does the EO Church has something similiar to the RCC Act of Perfect Contrition, where can pray a prayer directly to God to have a mortal sin forgiven, when no priest is present, based upon the condition that one agrees to confess to a priest as soon as is reasonably possible? I would imagine that the Orthodox must have a similiar prayer to handle situations where one is in danger of dying and a priest is unavailable?

 

[ProScribe]

Pro, you know better! You're just playing with us, right?

Not really.

I'm sure there are canon laws dealing specifically with receiving communion.

 

[RobNJ]

A particular prayer/rite/etc wouldn't be necessary. In the Orthodox Church, the Priest does not forgive the sins, God does. The Priest witnesses the confession and, when needed provides suggestions to strengthen the congregant form falling into that sin again. No priest in sight, pray to God anyway.

Remember, in Orthodoxy, sin is NOT a "crime" to be tried for, it is a disease to be healed from.

 

[ArmyMatt]

I'm sure there are canon laws dealing specifically with receiving communion.

I think there are: don't receive outside the Church

 

[Monica child of God 1]

You are probably right about that. However, let's say there is another big Earthquake in Chile and one of the ambassadors gets hurt badly while visiting a remote part of the country. Now he is cut off and his Orthodox priest cannot get to him. Does the EO Church has something similiar to the RCC Act of Perfect Contrition, where can pray a prayer directly to God to have a mortal sin forgiven, when no priest is present, based upon the condition that one agrees to confess to a priest as soon as is reasonably possible? I would imagine that the Orthodox must have a similiar prayer to handle situations where one is in danger of dying and a priest is unavailable?

to piggyback on what RobNJ said:

If you ask God to forgive you, He will. The purpose of the Holy Mystery of Confession, is to give an opportunity to reconcile ourselves with both God and the Church community so that we can be healed. As it says in the Epistle of St. James:

"...confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed."

M.

 

[mark46]

I agree that you should follow the discplines of your Church.

The History Of Anglican Orthodox Relations - In The Footsteps of Tikhon And Grafton - Ancient Faith Radio

Are you referring to the close relationship between St. Tikhon and the Anglican Church in US around 1900? St. Tikhon considered US Anglicans (and his good friend Bishop Grafton) to be orthodox and their prayer book to be acceptable (with minor changes). If things had gone a bit differently, there would be Anglican bishops under the patriarch of Moscow, with American Anglicans practicing as we did and do.

As far as 1900 and today, there have indeed changes. However, there definitelyare bishops and parishes who would accept the union that St. Tikhon was discussing. However, I think that many Anglicans believe very differently than was the case then. Also, even given the great efforts of Metropolitan Johah, it is not clear that EO has the same views that St. Tikhon had in 1900. I would suspect that the patriarch of Moscow would also have different views than in 1900.

Still, talks and joint efforts are being made between Metropolitan Jonah and ACNA (the Anglican Church of America). It is unlikely that too much will come of this until ACNA has greater acceptance and until there is one patriarch with authority over the Americas.

Just wondering I read that Orthodox churches around 1900 accepted the Eucharist of Anglicans as valid. Since conservative Anglican churches still teach the same doctron as in 1900 is it still o.k. for Orthodox to commune with these people?

 

[gzt]

I think it's pretty obvious our unfortunate ambassador is doomed to an eternity in perdition. Those are the risks you take when you go into the Foreign Service.

More seriously, I think there's a difference between somebody who dies without the opportunity to make their confession and somebody who dies without availing themselves of the sacrament when given an opportunity. If there is no Orthodox priest, you're in the former case...

 

[Blackknight]

You can play what ifs all day. In extreme circumstances where there's no Orthodox priest available I'm sure God won't hold it against you if you talk to a Catholic one instead.

 

[Damaris]

OK, let's consider this possible scenario. Let's say an ambassador from an Orthodox country is serving in a South American nation. While there is probably an Orthodox Church now in most or all of the capital cities of South America, this would not have been the case probably 100 years ago. Nevertheless, I can only assume that even if an Orthodox Christian is living in an area where there is no Orthodox Church, it is still not acceptable for him to receive Catholic Communion.

However, what about confession? Let's say that the Orthodox Christian commits a grave sin and he becomes seriously ill and is in grave danger of dying. Would it be permissible for him to ask for a Catholic priest so he could make his confession, due to the serious risk of death that he faces?

I wouldn't want my last act in this life to be an act of schism from the Church. Attempting to receive a sacrament, whether communion or a confession, from a non-Orthodox priest, would seem to fall under that.

 

[katherine2001]

I wouldn't want my last act in this life to be an act of schism from the Church. Attempting to receive a sacrament, whether communion or a confession, from a non-Orthodox priest, would seem to fall under that.

In fact, I have been told that under no circumstances are Orthodox to receive sacraments from anyone other than an Orthodox priest--period! In fact, the priest said that we should make sure that any hospital that we enter is aware of that, as well as our families (especially if they are not Orthodox).

 

[Damaris]

In fact, I have been told that under no circumstances are Orthodox to receive sacraments from anyone other than an Orthodox priest--period! In fact, the priest said that we should make sure that any hospital that we enter is aware of that, as well as our families (especially if they are not Orthodox).

It's also smart to carry around a card in your purse or wallet explaining that you are an Orthodox Christian and that a priest should be called for you. I have that, instructions on how to find a canonical Orthodox priest, and information on my home parish for the priest.

No one in my family is even sympathetic to Orthodoxy, so if the hospital doesn't call the priest, nobody else will. So, I try to keep my bases covered.