Fixing God
Why are some ‘Churches’ so intent on redefining God. Are they that uncomfortable with the God of revelation that they need to fix Him? It would appear so.
The Presbyterians can opt to refer to the holy Trinity as “Mother, Child, and Womb”. The Episcopal Church and others have been referring to the Holy Trinity as —Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier—.
I think that anyone in an orthodox Catholic Church (PNCC, Roman Catholic) will have to take a stand on conditionally baptizing anyone who walks through the door seeking membership.
In Orthodoxy all entering are baptized, chrismated, and given the Eucharist after their period of catechesis. It’s more or less universal without exception. Since so many ‘Christians’ are failing to use the Trinitarian formula given by Jesus Christ Himself, the Orthodox way makes more and more sense, and is the only safe alternative.
The Orthodox reserve the right to do that but rarely do so in practice, instead economically recognising a Western convert’s baptism if it in fact was Christian (had valid form as others might say). They explain it thus: ‘Only we have in themselves real sacraments with grace. But if somebody from another church comes in we can say that joining the true church “fills in” whatever grace may have been missing.’
Thank you for the clarification.
In posing some question on-line for the Western Rite Orthodox I was told converts (a whole parish even) have to go through the whole process.
Does it differ by jurisdiction?
Chances are a whole congregation becoming Western Rite Orthodox would be chrismated, not rebaptised.
It does differ by jurisdiction. An Orthodox priest recently told me that the three biggest ones in America, the Greeks, the OCA and the Antiochians, have all agreed not to rebaptise other Christians coming in.
ROCOR, the group in America mostly likely to do it, will if the convert asks.
Thanks.
I would have to concur with my friend Serge as regards the above.
My experience has been that with the exception of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Church of Greece, the Athonite monasteries, and ROCOR, just about all other Orthodox churches will only rechrismate, and not rebaptise, Western Christians.
As regards ordination, there appears to be more of an even split: the Greek churches and ROCOR demand reordination of Anglican, RC and PNCC clergy; the Russians and (I think) the Antiochians require only rechrysmation and a simple blessing of such clergy.
Often, there will be a period of catachesis before chrysmation and entrance into full communion. I note, however, that a number of members of my home parish, St. Andrew Russian Catholic Church, have gone on to become members of Orthodox churches (Antiochian, OCA, etc.). Such has been their regard for St. Andrew’s orthopraxy (if not its orthodoxy), that after a brief questioning, Orthodox priests and bishops generally enter our former parishioners into full communion after chrismation, and without catachesis.
The Orthodox don’t accept Anglican clergy economically in their orders. All reordain.
To clarify, some accept ex-RC clergy economically. All reordain ex-Anglicans.