Greek Orthodox and Armenia / OO churches about excommunication

[psalm110]

As Greek Orthodox Christian will I get excommunicated if I vist an Armenia orthodox church ?
Can I also get excommunicated if I have holy communion in an Armenian orthodox and or Coptic Church ?

[Gebre Menfes Kidus]

I don't think so. I guess there are some extremists out there who would teach such a thing, but I have never heard of anything like this myself. Our family communes at a Greek Orthodox Church because our Ethiopian Orthodox Church is 7 hours away. We have been given special dispensation to do so by our Ethiopian Priest, and we have been graciously received by the Greek Orthodox Priest. But I would advise you to consult your own Priest and follow his guidance about the matter. I continue to hope and pray that all of our Churches will soon be formally reconciled.

"Lord have mercy."


Selam

[TheMathematician]

Of course, ask tyour priest, but as a general rule of thumb


If you visit, do not commune, because they are not in communion with us.

[Alpo]

IIRC some canon forbids prayer with schismatics. However I don't know whether it should be applied to Armenians.

[Michał Kalina]

I wouldn't commune.

[Αριστοκλής]

As Greek Orthodox Christian will I get excommunicated if I vist an Armenia orthodox church ?

Probably not, but I wonder how to handle a visit where one is skipping one's own Divine Liturgy to do so.

Can I also get excommunicated if I have holy communion in an Armenian orthodox and or Coptic Church ?

Technically yes, you have excommunicated yourself, but that call is up to your bishop.

[psalm110]

Would I get excommunicated if I go to Armenian/Coptic Bible Study ?.

Are EO allowed to part-take fellowship in general with OO Christians?. I say this cause don't EO Church consider any schismatic church heretical ?.

Sorry for these questions they may sound silly, I ask this cause my partner is Armenian and visits there Coptic/Armenian Church

Thanks

[Dominika]

Would I get excommunicated if I go to Armenian/Coptic Bible Study ?.

Are EO allowed to part-take fellowship in general with OO Christians?. I say this cause don't EO Church consider any schismatic church heretical ?.

Sorry for these questions they may sound silly, I ask this cause my partner is Armenian and visits there Coptic/Armenian Church

Thanks

As I can notice, in general EO priests don't see any problem to participate in fellowship with OO, as we have the same faith. Even many of them allow to commune in OO Churches.

I can add I'm pretty sure we're one Orthodox Church. As for the Communion, I was said I went to my priest to get blessing for it and to an OO for it, in case I visited e.g Egypt. And there is no need to ask bishop about it.

In Poland I know OO commune n Polish Orthodox churches and even one of Orthodox chapels in Warsaw is used by Copts and the blessing is given by our Metropolitan.

[Alpo]

And there is no need to ask bishop about it.

Huh? I have no idea about Greek or Polish practices but in Finland we (EOs) are encouraged to get a sort of recommendation letter from our bishops if we want to commune in some other EO church. I would say that if we need a letter from our bishop to commune in an another EO church even more so we need one if we want to commune in an OO church.

[Michał Kalina]

In Poland I know OO commune n Polish Orthodox churches and even one of Orthodox chapels in Warsaw is used by Copts and the blessing is given by our Metropolitan.

And some Orthodox use RC/Lutheran/other temples for services and it has a blessing of the metropolitan too.

[Dominika]

And there is no need to ask bishop about it.

Huh? I have no idea about Greek or Polish practices but in Finland we (EOs) are encouraged to get a sort of recommendation letter from our bishops if we want to commune in some other EO church. I would say that if we need a letter from our bishop to commune in an another EO church even more so we need one if we want to commune in an OO church.

That's what say Polish Orthodox priests I know. But the practice of the Finnish Church is very surprising for me. There is an official Eucharistic unity among all EO so why are you asked to get a recommendation letter from you bishops?   I understand the fact you should ask you priest if you can go to Communion in another EO Church e.g without confession prior to it or generally, if you're allowed to commune but it's nothing to do with communion in other jurisdictions, but with your practice regarding the Mysteries.

Last May when I was in Serbia in one of monasteries there was a Finnish Orthodox pilgrimage and they communed there. Of course I don't know if they had a blessing of a Finnish bishop, but I always though that's the most obvious expression of the Orthodox Unity: partake the Holy Eucharist in whatever jurisdiction you want, because we have the same faith, although a bit various traditions.

In Poland I know OO commune n Polish Orthodox churches and even one of Orthodox chapels in Warsaw is used by Copts and the blessing is given by our Metropolitan.

And some Orthodox use RC/Lutheran/other temples for services and it has a blessing of the metropolitan too.

Yes, I know, ever you parish used to  use a Polish Catholic chapel. But I think with Coptc the situation is a bit different, becasue I suppose they use the same altar

[Michał Kalina]

Yes, I know, ever you parish used to  use a Polish Catholic chapel. But I think with Coptc the situation is a bit different, becasue I suppose they use the same altar

I don't think it's different.

http://www.cerkiew.pl/index.php?id=37&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=16669&tx_ttnews[nphoto]=1&tx_ttnews[photoId]=5&cHash=4e57d0db8004372595ce3aadf9dbd5ab

[Dominika]

Yes, I know, ever you parish used to  use a Polish Catholic chapel. But I think with Coptc the situation is a bit different, becasue I suppose they use the same altar

I don't think it's different.

http://www.cerkiew.pl/index.php?id=37&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=16669&tx_ttnews[nphoto]=1&tx_ttnews[photoId]=5&cHash=4e57d0db8004372595ce3aadf9dbd5ab

OK, here you're right

[Alpo]

And there is no need to ask bishop about it.

Huh? I have no idea about Greek or Polish practices but in Finland we (EOs) are encouraged to get a sort of recommendation letter from our bishops if we want to commune in some other EO church. I would say that if we need a letter from our bishop to commune in an another EO church even more so we need one if we want to commune in an OO church.

That's what say Polish Orthodox priests I know. But the practice of the Finnish Church is very surprising for me. There is an official Eucharistic unity among all EO so why are you asked to get a recommendation letter from you bishops?   I understand the fact you should ask you priest if you can go to Communion in another EO Church e.g without confession prior to it or generally, if you're allowed to commune but it's nothing to do with communion in other jurisdictions, but with your practice regarding the Mysteries.

Last May when I was in Serbia in one of monasteries there was a Finnish Orthodox pilgrimage and they communed there. Of course I don't know if they had a blessing of a Finnish bishop, but I always though that's the most obvious expression of the Orthodox Unity: partake the Holy Eucharist in whatever jurisdiction you want, because we have the same faith, although a bit various traditions.

In case of other EOs I don't think it's about permission or blessing but to inform other churches that "Hey, this person with this fancy ecclesiastical letter is really what he/she says. He/she is really an Orthodox Christian."

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