World Orthodoxy and Inter-Faith Marriages

[Maria]

Below is a document that tries to explain how the World Orthodox (especially the Greek Orthodox Church) views inter-faith marriage. Incredibly, from their own statistics, about 70 percent of Greek Orthodox marriages are inter-faith, and I know some of these couples who are now attending Roman Catholic parishes, and see nothing wrong with doing so as it gives them a tuition break.

http://www.goarch.org/archdiocese/depar ... rticle.pdf

[Jean-Serge]

What is a tuition break?

[Maria]

What is a tuition break?

When Orthodox Christians regularly attend and contribute to the support of a Roman Catholic parish (pay ten percent of their income), then they get a discount on the tuition at the Catholic parish school. This is called a tuition break. If they have more than one child, this discount can be substantial.

Of course, most Roman Catholic parishes will commune Orthodox Christians.

Worse, Greek and Antiochian Orthodox parishes will allow a Roman Catholic to serve as a godparent as long as there is an Orthodox Christian who also serves as a godparent. The result of having dual godparents will cause a godchild to suffer from ecclesiological confusion because the Roman Catholic godparent will insist upon taking her godchild to receive communion in the RC church while the Orthodox Christian godparent will take the godchild to the Orthodox parish for Divine Liturgy and communion. Children are already being raised in both churches as ecumenists who see nothing wrong in praying with heretics.

By allowing their Orthodox Christian children to participate in RC parochial schools, these children are encouraged to receive their "First Holy Communion" and "Confirmation" with their Roman Catholic peers even though they have already received the Holy Sacraments of Initiation at their Baptism in the Greek Orthodox or Antiochian Orthodox Church.

:ohvey:

[Barbara]

I didn't know about this practice of the Tuition Break, either.

Thanks MUCH for the careful explanation, Maria !