The transition from Catholicism to Orthodoxy. The Transition Period: How Orthodox Christians Become Catholics

I became a Catholic in the summer of 2013. It would be more accurate to say - I started the journey, because in fact and officially I passed the rite of joining only in November 2016. Salvador Canals wrote that “ the world is divided into two large categories of people. One of them is those who have found God and therefore love him with all their hearts; others, though they seek Him with all their hearts, have not yet found Him. The Lord bequeaths to the first: "You shall love the Lord God with all your heart" (Mt 22:37), and to the second he promises: "Seek and you will find" (Mt 7: 7) "(Salvador Canals" Reflections on Asceticism ") In the summer of 2013, in the small Croatian town of Makarska, I clearly heard this promise, thereby starting a new path - the path of transition from the second category of people to the first. Can you say that then I found faith? On the one hand, yes, because I heard the call of the Lord, and "Faith comes with what is heard" (Rom. 10: 7)... On the other hand, I have never been an atheist admitting the existence of God. I was a traveler without a path. Having received the promise and embarked on the path, I still did not know, did not understand, but intuitively I already felt what was waiting for me, I felt that “ everything is possible with God "(Matt 19:26).

It was a strange time. We were on the verge of a Russian-Ukrainian conflict (which was so hard for me then and continues to this day, given that I am a Ukrainian, living in Russia and married to a Russian), my business was about to collapse, and our family was going to be hard burden of debt. A difficult time, but as the same Canals wrote, “For God all times are good, and He calls us on the path of holiness at every hour” (Salvador Canals “Reflections on asceticism”).

I remember the evening when I was personally given a promise. My wife and I stood at the entrance to the Temple of St. Mark in the very center of Makarska. This small, surprisingly cozy temple, built in the 18th century (built from 1700 to 1756), was packed with people singing in a language we do not understand. And yet, on some deep, inner level, I understood everything. When the priest said “offerte vobis pacem” (“Greet one another with peace and love”) at the beginning of the communion rite, people began to shake hands with my wife, hug us, smile at us and bow. We responded with joy and trepidation. Not understanding the meaning of what was happening, I readily accepted with the world these people I did not know, people whom I saw for the first and, most likely, the last time in my life. At that moment, I was completely surrendered to the wave of joy and almost absolute happiness. Of course, I realize how pathetic this feeling was, I realize that external factors influenced me: the sea, vacation, a stranger, covered with mysticism and its own history, a country, the charm of a small Catholic church, and so on. But is the pathos of the situation so important? Can this feeling of joy be considered just a temptation? Even so, “Receive with great joy, my brethren, when you fall into various temptations, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience” (James 1: 2-3). It was this "patience" that played a role in my path. “He offered everyone the same goal. The paths to it are different, because “in the house of my Father there are many abodes (John 14: 2)”, but the ultimate goal - holiness - is one for all ... ”(S. Kanals“ Reflections on Asceticism ”)... Now I can say that on that day " my soul cleaves to you "(Psalm 63: 2-9)... Having received the promise in this form, I accepted Christ as Teacher. After all, Christ is not one of those teachers whom they choose themselves, to whom they enroll in school. No. As Andrei Puzykin writes in the book Teacher Jesus: “The disciples of Jesus did not ask for admission to the 'school' as the disciples of the Pharisees did. On the contrary, they were called by the teacher himself ... Usually only God called people "... On that day, Master Jesus called me during Mass at the Church of St. Mark in the Croatian town of Makarska.

Church of St. Mark in Makarska. Photo: Monelka

So, I got on the path. At the time, I certainly didn’t fully realize it. I didn’t think about such things as holiness or the sacrament, I didn’t even consider myself a sinner, simply because I didn’t think in such categories. I didn't really know anything about Christianity. Being baptized in the Orthodox Church in infancy, I never went to church, did not attend divine services, did not pray, that is, I did not live a Christian life. However, as Charles Peguy (The New Theologian) remarked: “No one else is as knowledgeable about Christianity as the sinner. Nobody except a saint ... And in principle, this is still the same person. "

Returning from Croatia to Moscow, I didn’t rush to church right away, I didn’t grab a Bible from the shelf. No. My journey has been long. But " It is natural for God to show mercy "Thomas Aquinas," Sum of Theology ",II— III, q30, a4) , and He showed this mercy towards me, not letting me get lost and not letting me forget about the promise that was given to me. How many times have I convinced myself of the persistence of the manifestation of this grace, even in moments of despair and in a state of sin? Saint Augustine correctly remarked: "God would rather restrain anger than mercy" (St. Augustine Confessions), and how not restrained in this sense, He was with me!

Several times during the year I attended Sunday Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Malaya Gruzinskaya. I sat on the side of the bench, feeling uncomfortable and practically not understanding anything. Following Saint Ambrose, I could exclaim then: "I am immersed in a fog of ignorance!" Gradually I began to read the Scriptures, bought in the shop of the monastery of St. Francis on Shmitovskiy proezd "The Rite of the Holy Mass" and a prayer book. I remember how in the summer of 2014 my wife and I went out of town by train almost every weekend: Dmitrov, Zvenigorod, Sergiev Posad. I took a prayer book with me and learned by heart the prayers: I believe, our Father, Hail Mary. In 2015, I began to attend Mass more often, to better understand what was happening, and began to kneel at the entrance. I studied. But for now, I've only been adjusting my five senses. I was not yet capable of knowing Christ. My life was too "earthly" for the first 27 years, and "All earthly things are nothing before the superiority of the knowledge of Christ" (Phil 3: 8)... It is amazing, but for the first time I, a person impatient and inclined to give up business halfway, had the patience to walk this path - the path of a disciple of Christ. I am now, of course, on this path. But if before I was driven forward by promise, now I am led by love, because “He who does not love has not known God, because God is love” (1 John 4: 8), a "All things work together for good to those who love God" (Rom. 8:26).

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Malaya Gruzinskaya. Photo: wikipedia

During the time - almost three years - that I hesitantly walked towards catechesis, a miracle was never shown to me, I did not witness a mystical revelation or experience, I did not dream symbolic dreams. I think that God does not like to violate the laws of physics, created by him. And how I sometimes wanted to see a miracle! It seemed that it was then that I would have understood everything in one moment and would have believed with the most solid faith in the world. Of course, this is nonsense. Worse, it is also a very dangerous temptation. What protected me? “But He knows my way; let him test me, and I will go out like gold ”(Job 23:10).

There are no Catholics in my family, and there are no Orthodox Christians living a Christian life. No obvious signs have been shown to me. I never spoke to anyone about God, about faith, about death. At first, thinking about my path to God, I thought that the reason for this was my desire to talk to someone about all these things, about my life. As the Danish philosopher Seren Kierkegaard wrote, "One should enter into an essential conversation only with God and with oneself"... I did not succeed with myself until 2013, and I began to seek communion with God. So I thought for a long time, believing that it was for this reason that I pray so frantically and ineptly, read the Bible, go to Mass (by the end of 2014 I already knew the rank well, I was sitting not on my side, but with everyone, I sang with everyone, knelt down and listened to the sermons). This is partly true, but only partly. In fact - now I understand this very clearly - I was afraid of becoming a "walking dead". In other words, I was passionately striving for God in order to begin to live, and not to exist, moving from point A to point B. Therefore, probably for the first time in my life, I had the patience to go such a long way. Like the Apostle Peter, after every failure, every obstacle, every doubt, I exclaimed: “We worked all night and caught nothing” (Lu 5: 5)... But every time, by the grace of God, I had the strength to stay true to the chosen path, and I said again: “At thy word I will cast down the net” (Luke 5: 5).

I wanted to start catechesis back in 2015, but something stopped me and I didn’t come. I felt that I was not ready yet, that I didn’t fully trust myself yet. I read a lot, worked a lot, prayed a lot, hoping that one day I will be able to say: "They that sow with tears will reap with joy" (Ps 126 (125), 5)... I wanted to "reap with joy."

How many times have I doubted? How many nights have I spent in agonized thought? I had no idea that by that time, having not yet become a Catholic on paper, I had become one inside, in my heart. It was then that I already started my ministry. That is why doubts and temptations fell upon me: "My son! If you begin to serve the Lord, then prepare your soul for temptation. ”(Sir 2: 1)... But at the same time: “Blessed is the man who endures temptation, because, having been tested, he will receive the crown of life.” (James 1:12).

I started catechesis in January 2016. Every Sunday I regularly went to church for classes, learning more and more about Christ and His Church, and in fact - about myself. Even then, I was often in awe. It was a fear of the fallacy of my perception. I often thought, what if I do not understand something, what if I exaggerate something, but on the contrary, I underestimate something? This fear passed and never came back when I accepted the simple fact - “God gave us not a spirit of fear, but strength and love” (2 Tim. 1: 7).

Catechesis usually takes from one to one and a half years. Our group was fortunate to have started our studies on the Year of Mercy announced by Pope Francis. Thanks to this, we were able to join the Catholic Church in the Year of Mercy, which I find very symbolic.

I quickly realized that a matter of faith is not a matter of my personal belief, desire, or convenience. I realized that it was a matter of the determination required to respond to the call. First - to hear this call, and then to answer. And this answer is the name of the Lord, that is, my appeal to him: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous flee into it, and he is safe.” - Proverbs 18:10.

When I turned to God, I am already His. Let the sinner, let the inept disciple, let the doubter, but, nevertheless, I already belong to Him, and therefore I am on the path of salvation.

I also realized pretty quickly that Christ had already saved me then, on the Cross. And that I am striving not for some new salvation, but for the very one that was already promised to me on the cross. AND “He saved us, not by works of righteousness that we have done, but by His mercy” (Titus 3: 5a).

It was during the catechesis classes that they explained to me the whole meaning of the rite of the Holy Mass and the liturgical year, the meaning and significance of prayer and its constant practice. I understood what it means to pray for someone, and what it means to ask God for something. Indeed, in most cases "We do not know what to pray for, as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings unspeakable" (Rom 8: 26) ".

It was in the catechesis class that I realized what it means to call myself a Catholic, and what responsibility it imposes on me. This responsibility is not to people, but to myself, to my conscience. And conscience, as you know, is the voice of God inside. This is exactly the responsibility, taking on which, I become truly free, as free as possible. "You are called to freedom", the apostle Paul writes (Gal., Ch. 5, v. 13) and continues: “So stand in the freedom that Christ has given us” (Ibid., Ch. 5, v. 1). How does he grant us this freedom? "Know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John, ch. 8, v. 32)... But what is truth and how to know it? Of course, the verb "to know" means "to connect", not just "to know." As for the understanding of the truth, then Christ answered it this way: “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14: 6)... To know the truth means to unite with Christ, to stand on him, to live by him. This is the key to gaining freedom. This is freedom from sin, freedom from death. Being free, a person is able to love completely, serve others with joy, and therefore be saved. And here there is no room for compromise, because you cannot be half free, just as truth cannot be true only partially: “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, but walk in darkness, then we are lying and do not act in the truth” (1 John 1: 6-7).

In November 2016, our entire group joined the Catholic Church. We took turns approaching the altar, behind which stood the abbot, Father Joseph, put our right hand on the Bible and, looking at our brothers and sisters, read the oath.

Then I went to my first confession, clutching six thickly scribbled pages in trembling hands - the fruits of a weekly test of conscience. Oh, how difficult it was. “The great abyss is the man himself,<…>his hair is easier to count than his feelings and the movements of his heart "(Blessed Augustine" Confession ")... The past was barely revealed to me, prowling in search of the sins I had committed in my entire life. There were more and more pages, but the more there were, the happier I became, because “If we confess our sins, then He, being faithful and just, will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1: 9)... "Cleans from all unrighteousness" means it will allow one to cognize the Truth.

Immediately after my first confession, I tasted my first communion. By the grace of God, I became what I was supposed to become, answering the call of Christ back then, in the summer of 2013, enjoying an evening walk in a tiny Croatian town - I became a free man.

Nikolay Syrov

Archimandrite Jerome (Espinoza), a thirty-six-year-old Cuban, was a renowned chemical scientist and graduate of a Catholic theological educational institution. Once he accidentally ended up at the service in an Orthodox church and after that he abruptly changed his life, took monasticism and devoted himself to serving the Orthodox Church.

A Catholic with a higher theological education who graduated from seminary unexpectedly adopts the Orthodox faith. Moreover, he is ordained to the rank of an Orthodox priest. How did this happen?

It was really unexpected. If ten years earlier I had been told that one day I would leave the Roman Catholic Church and convert to another confession, especially to Orthodoxy, I would not have believed it. I say "all the more to Orthodoxy" because in the Catholic church circles of Cuba they knew almost nothing about Orthodoxy, and when they did talk about it, in connection with it they certainly mentioned disorder, ignorance and deviation from the faith! I received my church education from the Jesuits, known for their special devotion to the papal throne.

I am absolutely sure that my appeal was providential. The first time I came to the Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas in Havana with the curiosity of a student studying the ancient Greek language - he wanted to find ancient texts there and did not think about anything else. But then, at the hour of Vespers, I realized (not so much with my mind as with my soul) that there was something else, exactly what I needed so much time in Catholic services, although I did not realize it. So I gradually began to approach Orthodoxy and study it more and more seriously.

"How could a Catholic with a theological education change his faith?"

Primarily thanks to prayer. The Fathers of the Church helped me a lot - reading their works, I gradually began to understand a lot and see some things in a different light.

Have you found the peace of mind and perfection of drawing closer to Christ after you transferred to another Church?

Peace of mind - definitely. This is the reason for my conversion, the need for theological research appeared only later. In Orthodoxy I found what I lacked in the Latin Church, in Orthodoxy I found a spiritual, eschatological component. In the Catholic Church, the stronger component is catechism, positivist, academic knowledge. It lacks the spiritual and sacred element. I am not saying that education is not important, on the contrary, both academic and spiritual education, coupled with prayer, help us on our path to God, but above all, it is prayer, unceasing prayer.

If Christ is One, Indivisible and Undivided, how can we say that our faith is more correct (so to speak, we "praise Him more correctly")?

I personally can offer you such an experience. Let's leave theology for a moment and consider the problem from the point of view of a non-religious person. We will conduct this experiment for practical purposes. I will ask: which Church of all the churches and sects of the world comes directly from the apostles and from Christ himself? The answer is simple. And which of them has preserved a single theological teaching and tradition over the centuries? Preserved unity when others, like Copts or Latins, split from its trunk? I think the answer is obvious. This is Orthodoxy.

For the sake of spiritual dignity, you even gave up chemistry ...

My studies in the exact sciences in general - not only chemistry, but also mathematics, and especially molecular physics - helped me a lot in my spiritual life. It may seem strange, but personally, they helped me understand the laws of the physical functioning of the Universe (at least up to the boundaries outlined by science). This strengthened my faith in God and my life as a cleric. A believer sees the will and hand of God in both science and physical laws - exactly where others are looking for a basis for their unbelief.

Have you noticed any substantive differences between Greek and Catholic theology?

There are many differences. There is a common basis: the period of the history of the Church until the last Ecumenical Council, until about the 9th century, when the rule of the Franks began in the West after the victory of Charlemagne. Then the paths of both Churches and their theologies began to diverge more and more. We can no longer talk about a single theology. Now Latin theology, especially academic, is based largely on the teachings of Blessed Augustine and Thomas Aquinas. From the theology of Thomas Aquinas, all Western theology flows, which for almost a thousand years has been distant from the Orthodox. New dogmas, new theological solutions, papal encyclicals (which, together with the pope's doctrine of infallibility, are dogmatic in nature), and new movements such as liberation theology have filled the academic niche in the West. Orthodox theologians avoided innovations, trying to preserve the teaching of the fathers of the Ecumenical Councils - not in immobility, as the Catholics accuse us, but, on the contrary, giving theology its true character. Therefore, in the last century, Fr. John Romanides put forward the idea of ​​experiential theology, i.e. about theology, derived not only from academic knowledge, but also from the experience of deification.

Now the only religion that continues to spread is Islam. What can you say about this?

Not only Islam - also Protestants, Mormons and many others. We bear a great responsibility for this. They just fill the niches that we have not occupied. And when I say that this is our personal responsibility, I mean not only the Church - and the authorities, and the government, and each of us. When the Church does not conduct spiritual and educational work, when the authorities are not only not interested in the activities of the church, but sometimes interfere with it, when the government in the name of pseudo-democracy passes laws in parliament that violate the sacred canons (as in the case of legalizing abortion), when we proudly call ourselves as Orthodox Christians, but we cross the threshold of the church only on Easter and Christmas, or we become an "echo" of the media, accusing the Church and its hierarchs on the basis of the very first "yellow" news - then we become allies of heretics and traitors to our homeland, the foundation and pillar of which - Orthodox faith and the blood of thousands of martyrs who gave their lives for a free and Orthodox Greece.

Do you think the current preaching of the Church finds a response among believers? Perhaps the growing godlessness is explained by the Church's inability to persuade?

Throughout its history, the Church has experienced a lot, going through periods of decline and prosperity. In our era, we are experiencing not only an economic crisis, but also a crisis of traditional values. And in general, after analyzing the current situation, you will see that all religious systems are in crisis. The world has lost hope, and people are trying to find solutions to problems by looking for new sensations. I believe that faith in Christ is the source of the only hope that can reward a person. There is no hope outside of Christ. It is the duty of the entire Church and each individual believer to give hope to this world. The Church must renew its evangelical character and once again bring the good news to the world, the world today needs to hear her voice, but sounding with the same power with which it sounded in the apostolic era, and, most importantly, with the testimony of faith, with love.

Are other churches and religions divine or human inventions?

The Church is One, Catholic and Apostolic, created by God, lives by God and moves towards God. All others are nothing more than the vain striving of unreasonable people for happiness, hope and salvation.

Converting to Catholicism is, of course, a serious decision that requires a lot of time and thought. However, becoming a Catholic is not that difficult. If you are ready to take the first step towards the oldest Christian church on the planet - you should know that they are already waiting for you!

Steps

Part 1

Sit down and think seriously. Converting to Catholicism will change your life. This decision is more serious than all the previous ones. Catholicism will become a part of your life, so you should not make this decision if you have doubts in your heart. Think hard. Keep in mind that even if you are a fan of Christmas as a holiday, this is unlikely to form the foundation of faith.

• Do you even know what Christianity is and, in particular, Catholicism? If so, that's fine, but keep getting familiar with the materiel. If not ... well, you can always ask for help, including via the Internet.
• Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and the true Messiah? Do you believe in the Holy Trinity - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit? And the Virgin Mary? Into transubstantiation? Yes? Ok, let's continue then.

1. Read the Bible and the catechism. I think you know what the Bible is, and what is the catechism? That's right, a collection of answers to the most common theological questions. By the way, very useful reading material.

   • To tell you the truth, the Bible is ... archaic. It is not easy to understand, it is long. If you don't have a lot of time, then you can limit yourself to the book of Genesis and the Gospels (or, at least, the New Testament), from which you will learn how the world was created and what kind of story there is with Jesus. In addition, it will not be a shame to speak with the priest.

2. Consider your own circumstances. If earlier you did not intersect with Catholicism at all, then expect a complete and comprehensive immersion in the subject. If you are already baptized and simply change your denomination, then everything will be easier and faster.

   • Strictly speaking, a baptized person can do without, say, a Sunday school. This, of course, largely depends on the level of education and faith, but nevertheless, many baptized people just need to come to church and declare their desire to convert to Catholicism.

   Part 2

   looking for a suitable church

   1. Visit local Catholic churches. This is hardly difficult - search the network for addresses and go! A church is such a large building with a cross on the roof, if anyone is not yet in the subject.

      • One church is good, four is better. The church is somewhat similar to the college, they are generally similar, but in particular they are very different. Not every church will become a home for you.

   2. Attend Mass. You don't buy a car without a test drive, do you? Are you buying? Whoa ... Well, even non-Catholics can come to church. So why not take advantage of this and see what is there and how is there? Everyone is welcome in the churches. If you have a Catholic friend who is willing to explain what happens at any given moment of the Mass, great. Of course, you will not be brought to Communion, but you will take part in everything else. Believe me, no one will notice that you did not take part in the sacrament of Eucharist. Everyone is welcome in the church.

      • Do not make your decision inspired by any particular Mass or any particular church. The procedure for Catholic worship is flexible. Somewhere they serve Masses adapted for teenagers, somewhere they accompany them on the guitar, and somewhere a Negro choir lights up. The essence of the divine service is to convey the word of God to those people who came to listen to him. Accordingly, people communicate in their language, that's all. By the way, don't underestimate the role of the pastor either! In general, seek and yes you will find.

   3. Pray. The mere fact that you are not a party member since 191 ... uh ... not a Catholic does not mean at all that you should not pray. Moreover, this does not mean at all that God will not hear you! Pray and pay attention to how this affects you. If after prayer you feel elated, this is a good sign.

   Part 3

   we come to church

   Contact your chosen church. Say that you want to become a Catholic. After that, you will most likely be assigned to a Sunday school for adults for a while for, so to speak, adaptation. In addition, you will also have to discuss your decision with the priest, and then attend services. However, this is not so scary.

   • As a rule, one district is assigned to one church. However, if you like, you can always get a visit to attend church in another area.

   1. Talk to the priest. He will ask you why you decided to become a Catholic, he will ask you if you are sure of your decision, and he will also clarify if you are aware of all of what it means to be a Catholic. If the priest gives the go-ahead, then you will proceed to the next stage.

      Start attending adult Sunday school. There you will be told about the history of the church, about the faith and values ​​of Catholicism, about how worship should be performed, etc. At this stage, you can only partially attend services and masses - you will not be let down for the sacrament.

      • However, you can pray and communicate. Over time, you will definitely make friends with those who will be in the same class with you!

   2. Complete the tutorial and find the godfather. As a rule, training lasts a liturgical year, during which you will get acquainted with all the rites, fasts, holidays and everything else. After this time, you will receive a godfather - a person who will help you in matters of faith.

3. Search online for books about Catholicism and read them.
4. If something is not clear - ask questions to the priest.

Warnings

• Convert to Catholicism only if you truly believe.
• The Catholic Church is already many centuries old, it has many ceremonies and rituals. And if you are not sure that you want to make it a whole part of your life - wait until you convert to Catholicism.
• There are many misconceptions associated with Catholicism, which, however, can be dispelled by any knowledgeable person.
• Non-Christians do not receive the sacrament, such is the tradition. They partake, after all, of the flesh and blood of Christ, and to give this to just about anyone is a sin. So be patient for the time being.
  • Instead of communion, you can receive a blessing, for which you need to go to the altar with your left palm on your right shoulder, and your right palm on your left. Note that only priests can bless.

The most important thing that the Church expects from anyone who wants to join her is the firm and conscientious Gospel of Jesus Christ and the determination to follow the Divine Teacher, willingly to go under His leadership through all the vicissitudes of earthly and even heavenly existence. Without this key point - personal devotion and faith to Jesus Christ - it is possible to talk about joining His Church only in a certain perspective.

The second important condition is confession, i.e. acceptance for the final and non-negotiable truth of the content Nicene, which the Catholic Church recorded as a key standard of faith in the distant IV century:

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, of everything visible and invisible.

And in the one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only begotten, born of the Father before all ages, Light from the Light, true God from true God, born, not created, consubstantial with the Father, through whom everything was created.

For us people and ours for the sake of salvation, he came down from heaven, took flesh from the Holy Spirit and Mary the Virgin and became a man.

Crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried. And he rose again on the third day according to the scriptures. And ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. And again he who has come in glory to judge the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord giving life, proceeding from the Father and the Son, worshiped and glorified equally with the Father and the Son, who spoke through the prophets.

Into one, holy, universal and apostolic Church.

I confess one baptism for the remission of sins.

I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the century to come. Amen.

The Symbol of Faith contains all the most important Catholic postulates, starting from which we come to the recognition of the authority of the Church of Christ - one, holy, universal (in the original - Catholic) and apostolic. It is the Church that the Apostle called “the pillar and the confirmation of the truth” (1 Tim 3:15), therefore faith in the Church of Jesus is as important as faith in Jesus Himself, which is proclaimed by the Creed. Accordingly, having believed in Christ and trusting Him, we accept the leadership of His Church and in everything that concerns faith and morality, we follow her instructions. In practice, this is expressed in obedience to the ecclesiastical reason, teaching through ecumenical and local councils, in obedience to authorized teachers and pastors.

Transition from Orthodoxy to Catholicism

The community of local churches, conventionally called the Orthodox Church *, is the closest in confession to the Catholic Church, therefore the transition from "Orthodoxy" to Catholicism is the easiest and simplest.

All Orthodox sacraments - baptism, chrismation, wedding, priesthood - are recognized by the Catholic Church, and therefore, during the transition, the Orthodox does not need to go through them anew. In order to become a Catholic, you just need to go to the nearest Catholic priest and ask him to accept you as a member of the Universal Church. In some cases, after a personal interview, the priest may send for catechesis, i.e. a course of study of the Scriptures and Tradition, but more often, if the result of the interview is satisfactory, you will simply be asked to read the Nicene Creed, and from that moment you will already be a full member of the Catholic community. Apart from baptism and chrismation, there is no special "rite of joining" the Catholic Church.

Conversion to Catholicism from Protestantism

The transition to the Catholic Church from Protestant churches - such as Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, Pentecostal, or any other church community, historically successive to the Protestant Reformation - is slightly more difficult due to a number of fundamental differences in teaching and practice between Catholics and Protestants.

Water baptism performed in a church where the correct apostolic faith in the Triune God is professed is recognized by the Catholic Church as a true spiritual birth, regardless of who and at what age the believer was baptized. But all the other ordinances - marriage, chrismation, priesthood - will need to be repeated.

The fact is that these sacraments, transmitting certain gifts of the Holy Spirit, are obtained only in the chain of apostolic ordinations, ascending to Christ Himself and His apostles. As a result of the Reformation, the teaching and practice of church sacraments in the communities separated from the Catholic Church were essentially distorted, which resulted in a break in the continuity of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, for the Protestant seeking the truth, it will be necessary, as it were, to go back spiritually, to return to the lost sources of Divine Truth and charismatics (gifts of the Holy Spirit).

For Protestants, the Catholic Church is a natural mother, she speaks with you in the same language, thinks in categories that you understand, serves humanity in the same way as numerous Protestant missions serve, scattered for the Holy Gospel around the globe. Here you can realize all your gifts and initiatives in the service of Christ. For this, the Catholic Church has developed many tools - numerous brotherhoods, congregations, orders, missions, fellowships, unions, each has his own vocation, each has his own tasks and goals, complementing the main goal of the Catholic Church: to show the presence of Christ in this world until the end of time ...

The process of coming to church in the Mother Church will not be boring for you. Just like the Orthodox, you need to start with an interview with a Catholic priest, who will work out the proper scheme for joining the Church for you.

Most often, an ex-Protestant undergoes a full course of catechesis, lasting from two to three months to a year, during which he will be familiarized with the basics of church teaching, with the history, theology and practices of the Catholic Church. Then, if you have not been baptized in the Orthodox Church before, you will be given the sacrament of chrismation (the transmission of the Holy Spirit, carried out by the laying on of the apostolic hands after baptism - see Acts 11 chap.) And you will be able to proceed to confession and the Communion of the Lord.

Which Catholic Church is the best to transfer to?

Perhaps not everyone knows this, but within the Catholic Church there is a wide variety of local Catholic churches with different rites of worship, different traditions of piety and their own theological schools. The most famous of these local churches is Roman Catholic Church... It is the largest Catholic church with the most ancient history and authentic Western rituals. In many cities of Ukraine, Russia and other countries of the ex-USSR, it is the RCC that is most widespread.

Another famous and numerous Church - Greek Catholic... Depending on the country of your residence, it can be Ukrainian, Russian, Belarusian, Rusyn, Romanian or even Greek Greek Catholic Church. All these are local churches, which were once in schism with the Catholic Church and belonged to the community of Orthodox Churches, but then restored unity with the Ecumenical Church, entering into Eucharistic communion (communion) with the throne of St. Peter, the Church of Rome. All these churches practice the Byzantine (Greek) rite, which is the same as in the Orthodox Church. Theologically and culturally, they belong to the Byzantine tradition, their only difference from the Orthodox churches is complete doctrinal unity with the Roman Catholic Church and jurisdictional subordination to Rome of varying depths.

Formally, a person who is baptized in the Byzantine (i.e. Orthodox) tradition, when converting to the Catholic Church, is considered a Greek Catholic even if he becomes a parishioner of a local Catholic Church of another rite, for example, Latin, if he becomes a Roman Catholic, or Armenian, if it is adjacent to the Armenian Catholic Church. But in practice, as a rule, no one follows this and the believer is free to choose a ceremony and a parish to his liking.

Go to church services in the local Catholic churches available in your city, talk with the priesthood, with monks, with ordinary lay believers and think how close this spiritual fellowship is for you. Of course, one should belong to the true Church of Christ regardless of any material circumstances, and it is worthwhile to become a church member even if in the Catholic parish available to you you will not at first find deep spiritual communion. I assure you: very soon the Lord will give you good companions on your spiritual path, and you will not be alone, because in any case, our main Interlocutor and Friend is the Son of God, the God-Man Jesus Christ.

With any choice, you will have the fullness of all the spiritual gifts entrusted by Christ to the Church two thousand years ago and abundantly nourished by the Holy Spirit up to the present time.

All local Catholic churches are in full communion with each other, and once you are in one of them, you can absolutely safely attend services and participate in the church ordinances of any other Catholic church, including the much-needed confession and Communion.

As the Lord said in the Gospel of John, “I also have other sheep that are not of this fold, and I must bring them: and they will hear My voice, and there will be one flock and one Shepherd” (John 10:16).

I wish you success in this fertile path! Do not be intimidated by the difficulties that may arise on your spiritual journey. Jesus has already gone through everything for you, suffered everything, you just need to actualize already available you have spiritual potential and bring the Lord the abundant fruits of His Holy Spirit.

I am Orthodox and have been baptized since childhood. I am thinking to convert to Catholicism. Can I accept it and how? That is, what will be the process and how long will it take? After all, I have already been baptized, but I am Orthodox, and we do not have much difference with the Catholic Church, as brother and sister. To be honest, I very rarely go to our church, if only on Easter. But I think Catholicism is closer to me, I have completely different views.

Vyacheslav

gardener, programmer, Chelo "Vek"

Topki, Kemerovo region

Dear Vyacheslav, you are asking a rather strange question to an Orthodox priest - about how you can leave the Orthodox Church and become a Catholic. You can hardly expect, firstly, encouragement of this act, and secondly, instructions on how to act in this case. If you do make such a decision, then for explanations you should contact the denomination where you intend to direct your feet.

I do not seek to exert any ideological pressure on you, but I will simply ask a question that you yourself will repeat: you want to become a Catholic instead of an Orthodox one because you have compared the dogmas of faith, have come to the firm conviction that the Pope is the viceroy of Christ on earth, the successor of the prince of the apostles , High Priest of the Universal Church? That he is the guarantor of church truth, and that his creed and moral judgments, expressed in a special way - ex cathedra - are infallible? Are you convinced that the Holy Spirit comes from the Father and the Son, and not only from the Father, as we proclaim in the Nicene Creed of Constantinople? Through careful analysis, have you come to the view that purgatory and indulgences are a necessary part of the Christian doctrine of salvation? And much more. Or did you like something different? Say, organ music, the appearance of the clergy, the aesthetics of Catholic worship?

If the first is, then, without sharing this choice, I cannot but treat it with respect. If the second or some other indirect reasons (say, it happens that people after their spouse switch to another faith or for some practical reasons of life order), then this is not a very solid foundation for making such a responsible decision as a change of faith. This is a step before which you need to measure seven times, or even seven times seven times, before cutting off once. And the fact that even before in the Orthodox Church you were not diligent either in studying the basics of faith or attending divine services does not instill confidence in the seriousness of your decision. So think hard first.