What do you do if there's no ROCOR or in-communion Church?

[Lounger]

If you are visiting somewhere and there is no ROCOR or Church in communion with ROCOR Church, what do you do? Please everyone answer the following yes or no.

1.) If there is a world Orthodoxy church such as OCA, GOA, UOC, MP or the Antiochs I go there?

2.) If there is an independant Orthodox Church like ROAC, ROCiE or HOCNA, I go there?

3.) If there is no Orthodox Church, I will go to an Eastern Catholic Church?

Of the above 3 situations, if all 3 are available, where do you go? If you go to none on any of the situations above, what do you do instead?

[Justin Kissel]

Lounger

I believe this is one of those issues that is really between you and your Parish Priest (or Spiritual Father). As a general rule, the only group you absolutely couldn't go to would be the third grouping. The lack of an Orthodox Church in whatever area that you find yourself is not justification for going to a heterodox Church (Roman Catholic, Eastern Catholic, Protestant, non-Chalcedonian). Other than that, it's hard to say since many factors could possibly play into such a decision (and so it'd be best to ask whoever it is that you rely on for guidance).

I personally (with my Priest's blessing) would just pray a short service by myself wherever I was, but then I've always been reclusive (my decision would have nothing to do with the validity of the various other Orthodox Churches -- the "moderate ecclesiology" affirmed by ROCOR does not consider the sacraments of the OCA, Antiochians, etc. to be invalid). If I had to go to a Church (by my Priests instruction, or because my fiancee wanted to), I'd probably try to find a conservative OCA Church in whatever area I'd be in.

[Cyril]

Of course the default answer in Orthodoxy often is "ask your priest" but I think Option 1 is no problem. ROCOR doesn't call the other Churches of the Orthodox communion non-Orthodox, as Paradosis points out. IMO Option 2 as much as Option 3 involves going to a non-Orthodox (in this case, former Orthodox) church and so would be ruled out by the observant in ROCOR and indeed any Orthodox Church.

[PFC Nektarios]

My ROCOR priest sent me to the Antiochians so I believe thouse views have changed.

He would tell me to aviod the OCA.

In Christ
Nektarios

[Savva24]

My ROCOR priest sent me to the Antiochians so I believe thouse views have changed.

He would tell me to aviod the OCA.

In Christ
Nektarios

I think you should tell your ROCOR priest to stop smoking so much crack.

It also wouldn't hurt if you laid off of the stuff yourself

Savva

[PFC Nektarios]

Are you stupid.....??? What kind of comment is that about a priest? Would you say that to your priest? This hieromonk is very dear to me.
How would you like it if I calld you a "crack baby" and your mom a "Crack whore mom". Now I bet you dont find that very funny do you?
Why dont you use some common sense every once in a while. :ohvey:

Nektarios

[尼古拉前执事]

Instead of calling one another names, perhaps instead we can ask one another why these beliefs are held? Nektarios, why does this monk tell you that the Antiochians are okay but the OCA is not? Is it because of the OCA breaking away from the ROCOR and thus being schismatics? Why do you think the Antiochians are okay and that the EP is not. Why are you in a church in communion with both the OCA and the EP?

Saavas, why do you think that Nektarios and his monk are smoking crack?