If schism, where to convert?

[Stabat Mater dolorosa]

I'm connected to the MP as in it's where I have connections and know people, the priest and partly the congregation.
If I'm about to convert (if ever) I'm most likely to become Russian Orthodox where would that hypothetically leave me?

I find this stupid disagreement to be kind of disheartening as I'm finally making a slow approach towards Orthodoxy after years of limbo.
To even entertain the idea that if I go orthodox I'll be cut of from the Greek part of the church is putting my heart at unease.

It feels as if everyone is heretics in everyone's mind. Urgh, it's a feeling of protestantism following me as a shadow from Lutheranism into Catholicism and even into Eastern Orthodoxy...

Please dont be offended by any of the content in this thread. I'm just opening my heart and releasing some frustration.

It's like if there is a schism which according to my priest (well the Russian Orthodox priest) isnt an unlikely scenario all together, where would that leave us?

Like in this forum, there's likely going to be a split between brethren who until this point has been United. All of the sudden it matters in diaspora such as in the US and most parts of the west where you go to DL.
In countries like Norway our tiny and fragile orthodox communities will suffer tremendously from a schism.

It's as I said disheartening to think about this at the same time as I'm curiously approaching the church. With Rome and the Catholic church giving in to relativism the world really needs the orthodox communion to remain intact.

It starts to feel like this development is part of the eschatology all together.
Maranatha !

 

[~Anastasia~]

I have thought about people approaching the Church with special compassion in all of this. I am sure it can be disheartening.

There had been recent goings-on when I was baptized too.

There are unfortunately bumps, but except for those cases where a small group got to thinking it was "more Orthodox" than everyone else, or worse yet "the only true Orthodox" ... it seems the political wrangling gets resolved.

And it's often restricted to the level of the hierarchy. It might be uncomfortable sometimes for a layperson to approach a jurisdiction with whom their hierarchs have current "issues" but my priest told me that as laypeople we were not cut off from communion - it was a temporary bump between the hierarchs.

I hope this doesn't happen (the disagreement - I'm unable to say what should happen for the sake of parishes over there). But if it does, I hope it doesn't trickle down to affect the laity. It doesn't have to, apparently.

I don't think it would change our relationships here in TAW. I certainly hope not. But I still haven't made it to visit that ROCOR parish and I've wondered if that could be a problem down the road too.

 

[ArmyMatt]

go to your local parish and don't fret so much. no schism has happened, and even if it may, there is no guarantee it would be a full schism. even when ROCOR was still on it's own, they never broke communion with Serbia or Jerusalem, which means they never actually schismed from the Church.

this is nothing new, just pray and keep watch. God knows what He is doing with us.

 

[HTacianas]

Stay where you are. As Anastasia said above, these things rarely reach to the level of the laity. If there is a schism, it won't be doctrinal.

 

[buzuxi02]

even entertain the idea that if I go orthodox I'll be cut of from the Greek part of the church is putting my heart at unease.

As one under the EP, and one who firmly believes all should sever relations with the EP and isolate him and even be deposed not only for fomenting schism but heresy as well, I'm not sure how you will be cut off from the Greek part of the Church. Are you saying there are actual Greek parishes under the EP you occasionally attend in Norway?

Regardless of what happens it's unlikely the Church of Greece and the Church of Cyprus will be involved in this.

 

[LizaMarie]

I have been watching this too as the closest 2 churches I could possibly attend are Greek. I would hate to see them in schism with ROCOR.
I'm just not going to worry about it as Fr. Matt says.
The EO has remained one for 2 thousand years, right?

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

I'm just glad I go to a Serb parish that is well-grounded with a great patriarch, a solid intellectual bishop, and no drama! Thank you, Lord!

 

[~Anastasia~]

I'm just glad I go to a Serb parish that is well-grounded with a great patriarch, a solid intellectual bishop, and no drama! Thank you, Lord!

In that case I envy you a bit in that. There are pockets of drama on the way up in my parish's hierarchy. I don't even like to be aware of such things.

But I am grateful for an outstanding priest and a wonderful community. That is what shapes my experience and practice of Orthodoxy.

I just hold my breath a bit worrying that our priest is probably going to be moved sooner or later. He's too good at too many things, and already the archdiocese puts too many demands on him for him to be able to serve as he did several years ago. And sometimes priests arrive that aren't a good fit.

Worst case scenario we have an Antiochian parish whose priest I get along well enough with who doesn't expect to ever leave, and there's another Greek parish only very slightly further away than my own. I would not want to leave my community though.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Sometimes I worry about Father's health and him retiring. I have never had another priest in my life as an Orthodox Christian. I can't imagine anyone other than Father!

In that case I envy you a bit in that. There are pockets of drama on the way up in my parish's hierarchy. I don't even like to be aware of such things.

But I am grateful for an outstanding priest and a wonderful community. That is what shapes my experience and practice of Orthodoxy.

I just hold my breath a bit worrying that our priest is probably going to be moved sooner or later. He's too good at too many things, and already the archdiocese puts too many demands on him for him to be able to serve as he did several years ago. And sometimes priests arrive that aren't a good fit.

Worst case scenario we have an Antiochian parish whose priest I get along well enough with who doesn't expect to ever leave, and there's another Greek parish only very slightly further away than my own. I would not want to leave my community though.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Sometimes I worry about Father's health and him retiring. I have never had another priest in my life as an Orthodox Christian. I can't imagine anyone other than Father!

I understand. I've only had one priest at our parish.

At least he sent me for outside guidance, so I've had that experience. But week to week - I want to keep the same wonderful parish priest we've had.

I want to progress more in chanting under him too. He's probably the best I've ever heard. And I have doubts I can get very far in whatever time we have him, since he's been with us about 6 years already.

 

[Stabat Mater dolorosa]

Haha, it reminds me how I refered to Father as Padre yesterday lol. He just stirred at me...
Apparently Padre is a uncommon way of referring to an orthodox priest

 

[Orthodoxjay1]

I wonder how this mess will work itself out on the ground, we have a GOARCH church, and ROCOR parish not too far from each other, some people in our church goes to both depending on feast days, and travel. Also being able to commune, like at the Cathedral that holds the tomb of St. John of Shanghai, and San Fransico.

It seems the M.P. is making it clear to the other Churches, that if the E.P. goes through with granting the tomos of Autoceplhacy in Ukraine, Eucharist communion will be broken. It seems most churches will be in communion with both, however they seem be favoring Moscow in this whole mess. Lord have mercy.

 

[buzuxi02]

Haha, it reminds me how I refered to Father as Padre yesterday lol. He just stirred at me...
Apparently Padre is a uncommon way of referring to an orthodox priest

Maybe he was a Dodger or Giants fan???

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Hopefully a G's fan. Dodgers fandom....the unforgivable sin along with mocking the Holy Spirit

Maybe he was a Dodger or Giants fan???

 

[Orthodoxjay1]

Hopefully a G's fan. Dodgers fandom....the unforgivable sin along with mocking the Holy Spirit

How about them A's

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Anathema!!

How about them A's

 

[truefiction1]

I'm connected to the MP as in it's where I have connections and know people, the priest and partly the congregation.
If I'm about to convert (if ever) I'm most likely to become Russian Orthodox where would that hypothetically leave me?

I find this stupid disagreement to be kind of disheartening as I'm finally making a slow approach towards Orthodoxy after years of limbo.
To even entertain the idea that if I go orthodox I'll be cut of from the Greek part of the church is putting my heart at unease.

It feels as if everyone is heretics in everyone's mind. Urgh, it's a feeling of protestantism following me as a shadow from Lutheranism into Catholicism and even into Eastern Orthodoxy...

Please dont be offended by any of the content in this thread. I'm just opening my heart and releasing some frustration.

It's like if there is a schism which according to my priest (well the Russian Orthodox priest) isnt an unlikely scenario all together, where would that leave us?

Like in this forum, there's likely going to be a split between brethren who until this point has been United. All of the sudden it matters in diaspora such as in the US and most parts of the west where you go to DL.
In countries like Norway our tiny and fragile orthodox communities will suffer tremendously from a schism.

It's as I said disheartening to think about this at the same time as I'm curiously approaching the church. With Rome and the Catholic church giving in to relativism the world really needs the orthodox communion to remain intact.

It starts to feel like this development is part of the eschatology all together.
Maranatha !

If there is schism, and there usually is somewhere, there must still be you, walking in the Light of the Lord.

 

[E.C.]

As someone who mostly attends OCA parishes (Orthodox Church in America) and is in the military I can understand your concern pretty well. There have been a few times where I did not have the luxury of choosing my local parish. Most of the time disagreements like this stay between heirachs and the lay people are able to commune at any parish that is still canonical.

IF there is a full blown schism, than we will just have to keep on praying and stay united in our little corner of the internet as best as we can. I wouldn't be surprised if some parishes under the EP petition to be under a different heirach. Or this could finally be what gets more autocephalous Churches in the world. We simply don't know. And we will not know until when or if that happens. The best thing to do now is to keep calm and carry on.

I'm just glad I go to a Serb parish that is well-grounded with a great patriarch, a solid intellectual bishop, and no drama! Thank you, Lord!

As an OCA attending layman I echo this sentiment!