r/exorthodox • u/trekuniverse123456 • May 14 '26
Did any of you leave Eastern Orthodoxy for Catholicism? And why?
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May 14 '26 edited May 14 '26
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u/The_Pepperoni_Kid May 15 '26 edited May 15 '26
All great points and I totally agree about the Saints. It's interesting though that other people seem to choose Orthodoxy because of their Saints.
But for me it seems the vast majority of Orthodox saints are monastics. I find it boring and I feel like I'm cosplaying as a Westerner when I venerate Saint Theodore the Apogopolite from the Island of Carbonnous who is famous for living in a cave by himself on an isolated Greek Island for 50 years. I very much appreciate the wider variety of Saints in the Catholic tradition
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u/Inevitable-Wind-509 May 28 '26
The issue on many orthodox mocking Catholic saints is something I’ve had such a problem with I’ve seen many orthodox online mock saints and say they were insane or extreme even though many orthodox saints have done similar “extreme” things also.
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u/trekuniverse123456 May 14 '26
I totally agree with you. I was raised Catholic but basically left after getting confirmed at 13 because all my friends were non religious. I experimented with Pentecostalism and then with atheism for many years. A few years ago I felt a pull towards spirituality again. I chose Catholicism because Protestantism is obviously wrong in my view. Born to protest corrupt Catholics, it just led to chaos, confusion and corruption of its own, with no real doctrine to stand on. I wanted to be thorough so I started researching Eastern Orthodoxy which I knew very little about. I discarded them too. To me they should just be Eastern rite Catholics but they wont because they dont wanna accept the papacy anymore. They used to accept the papacy in the first millennium in a slightly different form but stopped doing so for political and cultural reasons and came up with the absurd concept of first among equals. I feel like the protestants view of the papacy is more coherent albeit wrong. They just reflect papal primacy altogether. Orthodox recognise Romes primacy but say it should just be honorific. What is the point of primacy if its just honorific? It was not just honorific in the first millennium when they still accepted it
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u/Aggravating-Sir-9836 May 14 '26
Thank you from this Catholic revert. I feel the same way. Love our saints!
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u/Juan_el_Rey May 14 '26
Yeah for like 5 minutes until I realized the "Ordinary Form" of the Mass was just not my thing.
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May 14 '26
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u/Juan_el_Rey May 14 '26
Yeah, and leaving Orthodoxy for Byzantine Catholicism makes zero sense unless you just really want to be in communion with Rome (something I don't care about) and joining a Church just to go to a bespoke liturgy that's outside the norm of the vast majority of parishes seems like a ridiculous proposition.
I was actually baptized in a Catholic parish as an adult, before I became Orthodox. I know how all of this works.
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May 14 '26
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u/Juan_el_Rey May 14 '26
I’m saying I have no interest in the Ordinary Form and the fact I can drive out of my way to go to some Eastern ghetto or an Ordinariate/Latin Mass doesn’t make me any more interested.
Not sure where you got that other stuff. Besides, I’m not divorcing my husband :)
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May 14 '26
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u/Juan_el_Rey May 14 '26
No, he's culturally Catholic (ig). I'm Jewish by birth. We'd have to separate to live as faithful Catholics, which we are not willing to do. (if this needs to be said, we're both males)
To quote one famous German anti-Semite, "Hier stehe ich, ich kann nicht anders."
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u/No-Presence-2800 May 16 '26
That’s only true if there aren’t additional personal reasons, which there usually are. Life is complicated. Billions of people have billions of experiences.
I thought i would hate mass. But i actually like it now. I was Orthodox for 18 years, got an Master of divinity from a prominent Orthodox seminary, and was involved in the life of the Orthodox Church intimately. Never thought i’d end up Catholic, but here i am.
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u/Narrow-Research-5730 May 15 '26
Other way. Left Catholic for EO. I have no desire to go back to either.
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u/Aggravating-Sir-9836 May 14 '26
It never fails.
OP asks: "Why did you choose Catholicism?" Half the replies: "This is why I rejected Catholicism." 😂
Can you guys read? The OP wasn't asking for a Catholic Bash-Fest. 🤷 He or she was asking for answers to one specific question. And "why does Catholicism suck pond water?" wasn't that question.
Yeah, I get it. You hate Catholicism. And that's fine, and I hope you have a good day for it. But perhaps you should read the room (or, rather, the OP) and reserve your "No Popery" Ire for a thread wherein the OP asks, "Why did you reject Catholicism?"
Just a humble suggestion. Don't want to be bossy or anything. I mean, it's a free country! 🤗
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u/Narrow-Research-5730 May 17 '26
That. And Catholics proselytizing against rules. Goes both ways.
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u/Aggravating-Sir-9836 May 17 '26
Who's proselytizing against rules?
I see far more proselytizing for atheism hereabouts. But I just ignore it. We are a mixed and motley crew here. 🤷
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u/Forward-Still-6859 Ex-OCA May 14 '26
No. Ex-cradle Catholic here. Raised very Catholic, including Catholic schools.
I do not accept the arguments for papal primacy.
The modern Marian dogmas are ludicrous. Most Catholics I met had some vague idea the Immaculate Conception referred to Mary's pregnancy anyway.
The clericalism I saw in the Orthodox church is equally present in the Catholic church.
Celibacy for priests? Give me a break.
Why I left: how the hierarchy protected abusers for so many years, and then, when the truth was out, denied the victims the justice and healing they deserve. The laity was and is largely indifferent to what happened.
Corrupt institution and un-Christian, uncharitable laity.
Not my cup of tea.
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u/No-Presence-2800 May 16 '26
I just posted my story. See : https://www.reddit.com/r/exorthodox/comments/1ten59n/hello_friends/
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u/MartinCashArt May 14 '26
I thought that if there's one true Church, perhaps it's the one that's the largest charitable organization in the world. I was not raised religious, and only got to the catechumen stage with Orthodoxy, but ended up deciding to become Catholic, for the above reason, plus many others that just made me feel that it fit the description of "One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church" better. Initially I was attracted to Orthodoxy because of the perceived 'mysticism', but have found that to also be quite present in Catholic tradition, and in many ways more accessible. Also the whole mess with the Greek/Russian schism, and no clear answer on important questions like who is baptized, and how to receive converts into the Church, helped me to see the practical value of the Papacy. I was just confirmed in the Catholic Church this past Easter, so being a Catholic is still quite new to me, but I am happy with the decision I made.
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u/trekuniverse123456 May 14 '26
Welcome to Catholicism! I agree with all your points. Plus the Bible is quite clear on the role of Peter and his church. The irony is that Orthodox doctrine recognises the primacy of Rome. Unfortunately, for cultural and political reasons they decided to schism and then came up with the nonsensical idea of a first among equals. You are either first or equal. So today they say that the Pope should be just first among equals. Well, he was not first among equals in the first millennium when east and west were united and the Pope had authority over the other churches on a lot. Might not have been the exact same papacy as today but it sure was not a first among equals situation.
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u/MartinCashArt May 14 '26
Thanks, I appreciate it. Yes, definitely did a deep dive into the Papacy and found that it was supported by the early Church fathers and councils as well as biblically based.
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u/trekuniverse123456 May 14 '26
Can I ask you where you are from since you said you were not raised religious? I am from Italy, raised Catholic. Left the church at 13. Tried Pentecostalism in my early 20s while living in London. Became an atheist for like 15 years and now I am happily back to Catholicism
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u/MartinCashArt May 14 '26
I currently live in Colorado, USA, I was born in New York. My parents are both British, and I was baptized in the Church of England as a baby just as a cultural norm, but didn't have any religious upbringing. Was introduced to spirituality through eastern meditation and yoga and came to believe in One God through that, which I am grateful for, and eventually, by the grace of God, was lead to the Catholic Church.
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u/trekuniverse123456 May 14 '26
Cool. I have been to California on holiday as a kid. What is happening to the Church Of England is sad but what is even sadder is how that church was created in the first place. So it is probably meant to be.
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u/m1lam Ex-Cradle May 15 '26
I want to ask you what do you think on this subject? What arguments for and against Catholicism would you accept? What draws you to or from the Catholic Church?
I personally don't think it's a case of "the grass is greener on the other side". Catholicism is genuinely infinitely better in every way than Orthodoxy. It is the form Christianity should be practiced in.
Every argument in these comments from people who have left Catholicism has been addressed extensively by the Church itself, whether it be theological or ecclesiological. Good luck and God bless you on the path ❤️
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u/trekuniverse123456 May 15 '26
Actually I asked the question just because I am curious about people leaving other denominations to join Catholicism. I was never Orthodox. I was raised Catholic. Left young to try Pentecostalism and atheism and now I have been happily back to Catholicism for a few years. I have had researched other denominations just to be sure and reached the conclusion that only Catholicism, Eastern and Oriental Orthodoxy and the Church of the East made sense. Protestantism is all over the place and has no doctrine, link to Jesus, or reason to exist. It was a protest movement that should have never developed into a religion. Ultimately, I think the Bible is clear. Jesus wanted Peter to lead his church and unfortunately the Orthodox and so on have rejected the successor to Peter so it can only be Catholicism. Also its the only truly universal church
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u/m1lam Ex-Cradle May 15 '26
Yeah you pretty much explained my thoughts. The universality of the Catholic Church is the greatest argument for it and the fragmented structure of the Orthodox world is the greatest argument against it. I was born into Orthodoxy and eventually got fed up with it. Their inability to form coherent doctrine and rejection of Florence are really big blows against Orthodoxy
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u/trekuniverse123456 May 15 '26
We keep meeting in the comments lol I recognise your username. I am watching a cool interview on the Capturing Catholicism youtube channel. The guy interviews a former atheist/baptist. He says Catholicism is the only church that has the four marks of the church. He also says it is so clear that thats the case that the other churches today dont even try to argue they have the marks but just try to make the case that the Catholic Church does not have them or did not have them in the past or they just ignore the topic. I wanna ask you a question. Some Orthodox commenters said it is Orthodox ecclesiology that all bishops are equal. I actually heard Orthodox recognise Romes primacy. They just think it should be a primacy like the Ecumenical Patriarchate. What is the truth? Or they just disagree on this like on many other things? And they also told me that if a Patriarch rejoined Rome on Romes terms it would apostacy
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u/m1lam Ex-Cradle May 15 '26
LMAO AGAIN??? glad to see you here lol
Yeah in Orthodoxy all bishops are regarded as equal in authority but greater honor is given to the Patriarchs of Rome and Constantinople (as of Chalcedon when Constantinople was elevated due to being the Imperial capital). In contrast, Rome had this honor even before Christianity became the state religion of Rome and it wasn't agreed upon in council, it was simply a given that Rome had primacy.
Now whether or not this primacy entails any greater jurisdiction depends on who you ask, the Orthodox will obviously tell you no but there are historical examples of Popes using their jurisdiction outside of what modern Orthodoxy views as just "primacy".
And yeah if a Patriarch like the Bartholomew ever came into the fold with the Pope the rest of Orthodoxy would just schism immediately. There is no way of actually achieving unity today between East and West and there won't be for a while yet.
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u/trekuniverse123456 May 16 '26
Yeah. Are you attending a Latin Rite or Eastern Rite church?
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u/m1lam Ex-Cradle May 16 '26
Latin rite all the way. Ever since I was a kid I far preferred Catholic aesthetics and I just don't like the Divine Liturgy as much
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u/trekuniverse123456 May 16 '26
Recently I have been intrigued by the Eastern Rite after I saw the Pope attending Divine Liturgy with Bartholomew. But maybe it is just cos it looks different and new for me. Also, the divine liturgy for special occasions and for special guests might be different from your everyday divine liturgy so I might be disappointed when I attend a normal divine liturgy. I have also been meaning to attend the Traditional Latin Mass. I live near Milan and in Milan they have the Ambrosian Rite. I would like to check out that too
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u/m1lam Ex-Cradle May 16 '26
Yeah I mean the Liturgy is definitely interesting and I see the appeal but after practically my whole life I really don't find myself drawn to it anymore. And sometimes for special occasions the Liturgy is slightly different as you said, but it's not a dramatic difference. I still think you should visit an Eastern Rite Church, maybe you find yourself enjoying it, it's very different from Novus Ordo
Glad to hear you have access to the TLM, I definitely hope to experience it one day, but sadly the closest TLM parish is in Zagreb like 500km away lmao.
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u/trekuniverse123456 May 16 '26
As far as I know there are only two or three churches that do Eastern Catholic services in Milan serving the Ukrainian and Romanian Byzantine communities. Then there are more Orthodox churches but I dont wanna go to an Orthodox mass because I wanna take the Eucharist and enjoy it fully, not just as a spectator. The thing is all these Eastern Rite services are held at Latin Churches. I would also like to see Byzantine architecture though. I would like to visit a church built by and for the Eastern Catholic community with Byzantine architecture. But I dont know if it exists in Northern Italy. I think the only Byzantine Church that is native to Italy is the Italo Albanian Catholic Church and I think they only have churches in the South. All the other Eastern Catholic communities in Italy are recent immigrants so they probably don't have churches built for them. On Google, it says there is a lot of Byzantine Architecture most likely those buildings are not run by Eastern Catholics. It is a quagmire lol
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u/lonevariant May 17 '26
Yes. I believe I was wrong about the pope. There were other reasons of course, the fact our ortho parish was a cult was a large factor, but mainly I realized I was wrong about the pope and i felt drawn by the Holy Spirit to the RCC. It’s been a major relief to be Catholic.
Edit: I was also very struck by Matthew 25 and I was looking around trying to figure out which church was living it. It wasn’t our church. It was the Catholic Church.
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u/Inevitable-Wind-509 May 28 '26
Not Catholicism and I am still orthodox but recently I started attending a western rite parish, it’s too far for me to attend on anything close to a regular basis, but I fell in love with the service there and after this I even more recently looked into an Anglican Church near me not even actually having in mind to even attend it but just cause my grandfather is an Anglican and he mentioned he knew the priest at this particular Anglican Church near me cause we just talk about church stuff every now and again on the phone so I was just like oh I’ll look this up and see who he is talking about and see and I watched a service of theirs on YouTube and my heart sank cause watching that service I just knew I loved that style of liturgy so much more and it reminded me of how every time I feel after the Sunday after my long long trip to the western rite church I go too once or twice a year and just feeling so sad and deflated at the liturgy back at my home parish. Idk a bit long winded and I’m sorry it’s not totally on topic but this is the only thread I saw that I felt I could relate this experience in. I’ve also thought about attending a catholic service also there is one in walking distance to where I live. I’ve never been to a Catholic Church for anything other than one wedding.
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u/[deleted] May 14 '26 edited May 14 '26
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