www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Leaving the Catholic Church, but not really.

I wanted to thank everyone on these forums for helping me during my discernment in trying to navigate between Eastern Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. I know I've had a few back and forth posts on here, which probably annoyed more than one user. And for that, I apologize. By the grace of the Holy Spirit, I have finally reached a point where I am ready and, without reservation, going to embrace Eastern Orthodoxy and leave the Catholic Church. As the title suggests, I'm leaving communion with Rome (hence leaving the Catholic Church), but not really leaving Christ's One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, as the Orthodox have equal claim to this truth. I don't have any animosity toward Rome and don't "desire" to break with Rome. But our Ruthenian parish is simply too far away to do anything with. In order for us to change canonical churches to become Byzantine, we'd need regular attendance for at least one year. But with the distance, we can't even make it once a month more often than not. With our Antiochian parish being 30 seconds from our apartment, and the fact that we spend 99% of our time here on Sundays anyways, it seemed silly to go to such extremes when there's a perfect alternative right there. Not to mention, this parish is authentically Orthodox. No latinizations that need shaking off. Nobody talking about this or that pope being a heretic, about this or that bishop being a heretic (though I imagine these conversations will come up from time to time). All in all, everyone is just....happy. I have found such peace in the Orthodox Church that I can't wait anymore lol. I feel confident that God is calling me to Orthodoxy. I, and my children, will start the process to become Orthodox officially and my wife, God willing, will join us when the time comes or shortly after. While I would be lying if I said that it didn't pain me to knowingly break communion with Rome (and all my new Eastern Catholic friends), my soul will perish under Rome. I cannot, in faith, remain. But I will continue praying for the schism to end and Catholicism and Orthodoxy to be united as one again. I just wanted to make this post as a farewell and a thank you to all those on here who helped me through this journey. Without many of you, I likely would have been too scared to ever go East and would have remained an angry, bitter, resentful traditional Catholic with a bad case of Roman supremacy lol. But thanks to your collective words of wisdom and your prayers, I have found peace. God Bless you all and grant you many years. St. Nikephoros, pray for us!

Goodbye, for now, dear brother! Pray for me

s.o.d.

Colin,

Prayerful best wishes to you in all that you do.

John

Hello friend,

I'm not sure if you are still checking these forums, but I remember you from another forum. Please PM me if you get see this, I'd like to see how you and your family are doing, and to hear more about your journey.

Colin,

Should you still be checking these forums, as well as PMing Lion, feel free to post here. No one will be any the less welcoming to you because you transitioned to Holy Orthodoxy - that is not what we have ever been about and the forum's membership has aways included Orthodox brethren. Over the years, we have watched, prayed for, and prayed with, many members who were discerning between Catholicism and Orthodoxy or transitioning from either to the other and, once their decision was made, we have supported them in it and prayed for them to be spiritually fulfilled.

Many years,

Neil

For me the catholic and the orthodox church are the one and same Holy Church - I don't make any difference. I feel at home in both, even beeing able to recieve The Holy Eucharist only in The Roman church.