I want some definitive opinions on the ROCOR?

[Orthodox Andrew]

I'm sure that I will have to lock this thread at some point, because I'm sure tempers will flare. However, I want to know what each of you think about the ROCOR? Are they Orthodox? Are the heretics? Are they radicals fighting for true Orthodoxy? Are they just another good Orthodox Church?

 

[Reader Nilus]

There is nothing wrong with ROCOR, they are healing with the MP. Some are standoffish, but some are not. They are a good Orthodox Church.
Jeff the Finn

 

[St. Tikon]

I'm sure that I will have to lock this thread at some point, because I'm sure tempers will flare. However, I want to know what each of you think about the ROCOR? Are they Orthodox? Are the heretics? Are they radicals fighting for true Orthodoxy? Are they just another good Orthodox Church?

In my opinion, they are the nearest thing to the way Orthodoxy originally was 100 years ago.....very staunch.

 

[Photini]

I've said this before....that if there were a ROCOR parish nearer to me, that's where I would be....or a Serbian church.

 

[Iacobus]

I'm also very fond of ROCOR. They were very kind to us as we started to enter Orthodoxy. The news of improving relations between ROCOR and the MP was some of the best news I've heard in a long time.

 

[Orthodox Andrew]

I've said this before....that if there were a ROCOR parish nearer to me, that's where I would be....or a Serbian church.

How come?

 

[Photini]

How come?

I echo what Tikon said in his post. I don't think I should get into particulars here.

 

[Matrona]

I like ROCOR just fine. Although some of their members emphasize legalism way too much, there are plenty of canonical Orthodox who, sadly, do the same. I do appreciate their penchant for conservatism, but I don't agree with forcing women to cover their hair, withholding the Eucharist from women during their periods, or requiring converts to be baptized again even when a previous trinitarian baptism exists (I think it should be optional in those cases). The ROCOR church near me does all of those things.

Also, their parish priest gave a homily that raged (his parishioner's word) against The Passion, even though he hadn't seen it, only because it was made by a Catholic. He's free to have his own opinion, but it should be an informed opinion, at least. My parish priest will at least go to see something before he preaches for or against it, and I respect that.

Hopefully they will soon patch things up with everyone else. But I will not attend their churches until they are back in communion with all canonical jurisdictions, including mine.

 

[Photini]

ROCOR churches aren't the only ones to observe the "period" restriction. I am in a Greek Church and was told not to commune while I it's "my time." I understand why, and it doesn't bother me. My sister attends a Serbian Church, and has the same restriction.

 

[Eusebios]

ROCOR certainly can be a radical bunch, but I've learned a good deal from a ROCOR Hieromonk on another forum. Improving relations between ROCOR and Moscow are indeed quite heartening!
His unworthy servant,
Eusebios.

 

[The Prokeimenon!]

I loved the ROCOR Parish I visited once. The Priest there has been an amazing help to my fiancee and me.

Moses

 

[Matrona]

ROCOR churches aren't the only ones to observe the "period" restriction. I am in a Greek Church and was told not to commune while I it's "my time." I understand why, and it doesn't bother me. My sister attends a Serbian Church, and has the same restriction.

My priest only advised me that it was up to my conscience, and that he wasn't going to ask me whether or not I had my period before taking communion--that whatever I felt called to do was fine with him.

Since I don't agree with the "ritual impurity" argument, and I don't think it's possible to "bleed out the Eucharist", I take communion regardless of the time of the month. But I won't criticise another woman for not partaking because she has her period. Even though I don't agree with it, the practice has pious intentions, and I can't argue with that.

Anyway, back to your regularly scheduled thread.

 

[Reader Nilus]

In my opinion, they are the nearest thing to the way Orthodoxy originally was 100 years ago.....very staunch.

Orthodoxy originally was a 100 years ago? There should be nothing original at all about Orthodoxy a 100 years ago. The Russian Church after Peter the Great was not a shining example of piety or canonical purity. Remember it was run by a synod and placed under the Czar, in the Swedish model of things that Peter the Great liked. There were priests that knew something was radically wrong, like Fr Gapon who was shot at by the Czar's army in front of the Winter Palace, and tried to do something about it. Most of the Russians who survived their persecution do not want to see a return of the Czarist Church.
Jeff the Finn

 

[Matrona]

In my opinion, they are the nearest thing to the way Orthodoxy originally was 100 years ago.....very staunch.

A man from the ROCOR parish in my town said the almost exact same thing to me. I gently reminded him that the Apostles did not walk in 19th century Russia.

 

[St. Tikon]

I like ROCOR just fine. Although some of their members emphasize legalism way too much, there are plenty of canonical Orthodox who, sadly, do the same. I do appreciate their penchant for conservatism, but I don't agree with forcing women to cover their hair, withholding the Eucharist from women during their periods, or requiring converts to be baptized again even when a previous trinitarian baptism exists (I think it should be optional in those cases). The ROCOR church near me does all of those things.

Also, their parish priest gave a homily that raged (his parishioner's word) against The Passion, even though he hadn't seen it, only because it was made by a Catholic. He's free to have his own opinion, but it should be an informed opinion, at least. My parish priest will at least go to see something before he preaches for or against it, and I respect that.

Hopefully they will soon patch things up with everyone else. But I will not attend their churches until they are back in communion with all canonical jurisdictions, including mine.

ROCOR is a fully canonical Church. I could go to ANY Orthodox jurisdiction, and receive respect, and take communion. What churches we do not commune with was a decision made by Church hierarchy.

As for the rules, covering the head, etc. These were canons that go back to the early church, and though they may seem archaic, they are VALID canons.
Following the rules and canons of the Church are NOT legalism.

 

[Reader Nilus]

It is not the Gospel either.
Jeff the Finn

 

[Matrona]

ROCOR is a fully canonical Church. I could go to ANY Orthodox jurisdiction, and receive respect, and take communion. What churches we do not commune with was a decision made by Church hierarchy.

You're not in communion with Antioch or Constantinople. You wouldn't be able to receive communion in my church, even though we're fully canonical and are in communion with all other canonical Orthodox churches. To me, that screams of something being terribly wrong, and it's not with my church.

As for the rules, covering the head, etc. These were canons that go back to the early church, and though they may seem archaic, they are VALID canons. Following the rules and canons of the Church are NOT legalism.

Does your church observe the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee?

 

[Eusebios]

ROCOR is a fully canonical Church. I could go to ANY Orthodox jurisdiction, and receive respect, and take communion. What churches we do not commune with was a decision made by Church hierarchy.

I'm affraid that it would be quite unlikely that my OCA priest would allow you to recieve communion either. Though I have a good deal of respect for ROCOR, they are not canonical, and I believe only have good relations with one of the SCOBA jurisdictions, the Serbians.
His unworthy servant,
Eusebios.

p.s. We don't "take " communion, we "receive" it.

 

[Oblio]

A man from the ROCOR parish in my town said the almost exact same thing to me. I gently reminded him that the Apostles did not walk in 19th century Russia

Really ? Lookee what I found

Nineteenth Century Russia is State of Mind.

and

Was it fancy printed calendars in 19th Century Russia? No, it was not!

Is Outrage !

 

[Suzannah]

Dear Andreas
ROCOR is in communion with my Patriarchate. There is a small ROCOR parish in town...the only other Orthodox church besides our little mission, and the BIIIIIG Greek Church....They have a priest that visits them twice a month from the big city..(San Francisco) and the rest of the time, they come to our church...they are all delightful people with much to share...Today, my priest had a chance to look at the new church website that I built....he was THRILLED that I had listed their little parish on our links page...I really believe that situation will be healed....I pray for it.
Check out the little ROCOR parish in my town from our church website...go to the links page:
http://forerunnerbooks.net/links.html
Their little website is very beautiful! Their church is called Holy Royal Martyrs