[kosta50]

Kolo will tell you that Marionite Catholics and Orthodox communities sin the Middle East do this routinely and spontaneously. The problem is that communion means communion of faith and we have not reached that point yet. As long as we profess a different faith, even if it is different by one word, it is not the same faith, and we know that the differences are more than one word.

The laity, however, want to feel "at home" in either Church and use Communion as an expression of a wishful union. It's good that there is a convergent feeling among our communities, but the Eucharist should not be used as a means toward reunion but rather as an expression of one.

I'm curious to see what the Metropolitan has to say.

[dangus]

I’m always confused by the rank of “Metropolitan” in the East. How big of a head honcho is the bishop? I’m always gratified by gestures of reconciliation, but is this a sign of reconciliation or just a disobedient bishop practicing false ecumenism?

(Lurkers: the Roman Church has determined that its side in the mutual excommunications of the schism were invalid, even though a rupture still exists. Therefore, Catholics are/would be permitted to receive communion at Orthodox liturgies wherever the Orthodox church permits it. Orthodox churches, however, still consider the Roman Church excommunicated, and therefore do not permit it. Hence my curiosity: does the metropolitan have the authority to permit it?)

[dangus]

>> I’m curious to see what the Metropolitan has to say. <<

Apparently, this “bishop” WAS the Metropolitan, no?

[NYer]

Kolo will tell you that Marionite Catholics and Orthodox communities sin the Middle East do this routinely and spontaneously.

And it spills over into this country. We have several 'mixed' families where the husband is Maronite and the wife is Orthodox or vice versa. They send their children to us for religious education but also take them to services in the Orthodox Church. Both husbands and wives receive communion at each other's respective churches.