Nature of the OCA

[MilesVitae]

no probs dude! and we just had another conversation NOT talking about Papal Infallibility! woohoo!

True!
What shall we discuss next? Clerical celibacy? Azymes? Sacerdotal facial hair?

 

[Mary of Bethany]

Is the OCA constituted as a specifically American Orthodox Church, or is it also kind of an ethnically-oriented Church? I know it originates from the Russian Orthodox Church, but I'm thinking it is autonomous right?

I'm basically an American mut with no sense of ethnic identity at all, so I'm really looking for an Orthodox Church without an ethnic-centric identity. I almost to the point of giving up on the RCC and I'd like to find an Orthodox Church I can feel 'at home' at. Any advise?

Hi, and welcome to TAW!

The only thing I would say about the OCA being American Orthodox (and I am in an OCA parish) is just that it is intentionally an English speaking jurisdiction. Our Sunday Liturgies are to be in English, with a few phrases/litanies in other languages allowed. Our priest will use occasional Slavonic, Arabic, or Spanish depending on the make-up of the congregation.

Mary

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Sacerdotal facial hair for $500, Alex.

True!
What shall we discuss next? Clerical celibacy? Azymes? Sacerdotal facial hair?

 

[ArmyMatt]

Clerical celibacy?

only if he was unmarried before ordination or widowed or if he and the wife agree to end their lives as monastic!

Azymes?

Jesus used leavened bread!

Sacerdotal facial hair?

we are pro choice on the matter, but beards rock socks!

and we are still doing it! whooda thunkit?

 

[MilesVitae]

only if he was unmarried before ordination or widowed or if he and the wife agree to end their lives as monastic!

Could you clarify on the underlined?

Jesus used leavened bread!

Oh, sure - and I suppose next you'll be telling me Jesus didn't recite the words of consecration in Latin!

we are pro choice on the matter, but beards rock socks!

and we are still doing it! whooda thunkit?

Sounds like our Churches are on the same page here... except that your priests seem to make the better choice more than ours

 

[St Herman's Ghost]

Is the OCA constituted as a specifically American Orthodox Church, or is it also kind of an ethnically-oriented Church? I know it originates from the Russian Orthodox Church, but I'm thinking it is autonomous right?

I'm basically an American mut with no sense of ethnic identity at all, so I'm really looking for an Orthodox Church without an ethnic-centric identity. I almost to the point of giving up on the RCC and I'd like to find an Orthodox Church I can feel 'at home' at. Any advise?

To my understanding the OCA is essentially an American Church (which is something I am extremely passionate about). I also think you're looking at things the wrong way. The various jurisdictions or traditions are not really ethnocentric.

I mean, my parish is Greek and aside from when either our bishop visits or our Father who is a Greek immigrant visits, there's very little if any Greek being spoken and the majority of the DL is in English. In fact, aside from myself and other Greek immigrants no one speaks Greek to each other after service either so I wouldn't let such things put you off.

We have a lot to offer you know AND we're the biggest Orthodox tradition in America so if you're becoming Orthodox in America you're kind of stuck with us hahaha

Here's the GO Archdiocese website:
http://www.goarch.org

 

[ArmyMatt]

Could you clarify on the underlined?

Sure. Sometimes when married clergy get up there in age, they will agree with their spouses to go to monasteries to end their days focusing on repentance as monks or nuns

 

[MilesVitae]

Sure. Sometimes when married clergy get up there in age, they will agree with their spouses to go to monasteries to end their days focusing on repentance as monks or nuns

Ah, okay - I thought you were referring to conditions for a married man to become a priest or a priest to get married (which I was pretty sure wasn't allowed after ordination).

 

[E.C.]

I remember being taught sin and purgatory in Roman Catholic school in the fourth grade. It was something like this: when you sin, it leaves a stain on your clothes (soul), and mortal sins leave a bigger/tougher stain. Purgatory is where you go so that the stains can get washed out before going to heaven.

Yeah, suffice to say I was happy hearing that sin was a disease instead.

 

[rusmeister]

I remember being taught sin and purgatory in Roman Catholic school in the fourth grade. It was something like this: when you sin, it leaves a stain on your clothes (soul), and mortal sins leave a bigger/tougher stain. Purgatory is where you go so that the stains can get washed out before going to heaven.

Yeah, suffice to say I was happy hearing that sin was a disease instead.

This is why it is so important to get your info on doctrine "straight from the horse's mouth". I'm not saying you're not doing that, E.C., just making a more general comment. Children have a child's understanding of things, and not an informed mature adult understanding. Look at all the atheists and agnostics trumpeting in the NY Times or whatever about how they were raised Christian, and so "know all about it". I call it "the second-grader's understanding of Christianity".
It's also why sitting in a public school for twelve years doesn't qualify you to understand the history, nature and actual purposes of public schools on the part of those that formed, and those that continue to finance them.

 

[GregConstantine]

Are you implying Rumeister that EC has a child like understanding of the faith? I'm not sure why you are bringing that up. Remember how we talked about how you come across sometimes? I would kindly suggest you re-read what you just wrote and ask yourself how it is coming across, whether you think you're right or not.

Are you assuming EC went to public school? Are you sure about that?

 

[rusmeister]

Greg, E.C. specifically referenced a memory from fourth grade and I responded specifically to that, and even made it clear I was NOT implying that EC was doing that. You read such implication into my words, and that seems to be a thing with you.

IS there such a thing as a child's understanding of things held by adults? I think there is, and was saying so. And no impugning of EC intended.

 

[E.C.]

IS there such a thing as a child's understanding of things held by adults? I think there is, and was saying so. And no impugning of EC intended.

I appreciate the no impugning, rus.

The intent was to shed light on a confusing bit of RC belief and since there was little coming out of the earlier discussion but more confusion, so I pulled this old comparison that we were taught in a Roman Catholic school because, frankly, sometimes in the explanations we're told as kids are better at making sense of things we try to figure out as adults.

 

[GregConstantine]

"It's also why sitting in a public school for twelve years doesn't qualify you to understand"

who is the "you" in this sentence?

 

[rusmeister]

"It's also why sitting in a public school for twelve years doesn't qualify you to understand"

who is the "you" in this sentence?

Everybody.
It's not enough to attend public school, or even to teach in one, to think you understand them. If you don't know their history, you (general, everybody "you", aka "one") don't (doesn't) understand them, period. Nothing personal there.

 

[ArmyMatt]

Ah, okay - I thought you were referring to conditions for a married man to become a priest or a priest to get married (which I was pretty sure wasn't allowed after ordination).

well, I think just to be clear, a priest can remarry, but can no longer be a priest after that. not trying to be a stickler, just trying to be clear (and I think you know this, just sayin).

 

[ArmyMatt]

Are you assuming EC went to public school?

seeing as how rus quoted him saying he went to a RC school, I don't think rus was assuming anything about where EC went. rus also said:

I'm not saying you're not doing that, E.C., just making a more general comment.

sigh, if only people would actually read stuff on here

 

[GregConstantine]

that's why I asked instead of assuming.

 

[ArmyMatt]

seems pretty clear from the post that there is no need to ask, especially since rus referenced EC saying he had gone to a RC school, and rus saying he was being general and NOT referring to EC.

 

[GregConstantine]

well then I stand corrected. I did read it, but I apparently misread it.