In this age of ecumenism, Western society tells us that all religions are good and equal and true. Muslims, Jews, and other non-Orthodox (heterodox) Christians insist that we all worship the same God. We see some Orthodox hierarchs not only praying informally with those out of communion with the Church, but even concelebrating with them (without publicly communing). How are the laity to respond? Throughout life, we all will inevitably come into contact with the non-Orthodox. They may ask us to attend a service with them or pray with them in some sort of joint-prayer event. The Church forbids Orthodox Christians from praying with the non-Orthodox. How, then, do Orthodox Christians answer these kinds of requests? What is an Orthodox person to do when their family and friends may still be Protestant or Roman Catholic?
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The canons of the Church forbid prayer with the non-Orthodox
Multiple canons of the Church forbid prayer with those outside the Body of Christ. For example, Canon 32 of the Council of Laodicea states “that one must not accept blessings of heretics, which are misfortunes rather than blessings.” Canon 33 of the same elaborates: “No one shall join in prayers with heretics or schismatics.”
Likewise, Canon 10 of the Holy Apostles states: “If anyone shall pray, even in a private house, with an excommunicated person, let him also be excommunicated.” Note that this refers to anyone barred from the Eucharist, not just those removed from communion for the sake of penance. Canon 45 of the same extends this condemnation to the clergy, asserting that any “bishop, or presbyter, or deacon that merely joins in prayer with heretics be suspended, but if he has permitted them to perform any service as clergymen, let him be deposed.” Canon 64 then states: “If any clergyman, or layman, enters into a synagogue of Jews, or of heretics, to pray, let him be both deposed and excommunicated.”
Why does the Church forbid interfaith prayer?
The Church so vehemently insists against Orthodox Christians initiating or participating in prayer with those outside the Body of Christ because it communicates:
- That there are no (significant) differences between our beliefs/faiths
- That their beliefs are correct or legitimate
Praying with the non-Orthodox raises their heresy, which is an attack on Christ’s Church, to a level of equality with Orthodox Christianity. The Church, in her wisdom, gave us these canons because heresy is a dangerous spiritual illness that separates a person from God. It is, in a way, akin to atheism, because it does not communicate correct belief in God as He revealed Himself to the Prophets, Apostles, and Fathers, and so it teaches the belief in a non-existent God. While this may seem lacking in love, it is anything but. For we do not wish to give the heterodox the wrong impression that we are already united. We can be, but only after they renounce their heresies and become joined to the Body of Christ in the Church.
Can non-Orthodox people pray with us?
Absolutely! Many will attempt to misconstrue these canons and claim they forbid non-Orthodox people from praying with us. The above canons do not forbid the heterodox from praying with Orthodox Christians. Instead, it is Orthodox Christians who are forbidden to pray with them. This means we should not attend their worship services. But they are encouraged to attend ours and pray with us. Additionally, though we cannot pray with the non-Orthodox, we can still pray for them! While this may all seem like semantics, it is a very real distinction we cannot underscore enough.
Prayer is an expression of our Orthodox understanding of, and relationship to, God; therefore, we cannot engage in joint prayer with the non-Orthodox as an expression of a “commonality” with them that we in fact do not have. Allowing heretics, schismatics, and non-Christians to our prayer services, however, exposes them to the Church and Her prayer, and to the positive noetic effects that prayer has upon the soul.
Can the non-Orthodox stay to witness the Eucharist?
During the Divine Liturgy, there comes a point with the clergy will announce: “All catechumens, depart! Let no catechumen remain!” At this point, historically only those faithful Orthodox Christians would remain to witness the consecration and partake of the Eucharist. In other words, all those not in communion with the Body of Christ were kindly asked to leave. That included those actively seeking to become Orthodox Christians, as well as non-believers and heretics.
Over the years, the enforcement of these words has fallen away. But the spiritual principle behind this declaration by the clergy remains the same. The Church encourages the heterodox to come and see, to experience Christ in His fullness. If they possess a heart of genuine inquiry, we welcome them to witness the beauty of the Eucharist. However, if they have made an active decision not to become part of the Church and are happy remaining such, we should ask them to leave..
How to respond if someone asks you to attend a non-Orthodox prayer service
So, what do we Orthodox do if our friends and family (extended or immediate) ask us to attend a Roman Catholic mass or a Protestant worship service?
For our answer, let us look to St. Paisios, who said, “The Truth is not up for negotiation. The Truth is Christ” (With Pain and Love for Contemporary Man, 2011). He continues, “There is no need for us to tell Christians who are not Orthodox that they are going to hell or that they are antichrists; but we must also not tell them that they will be saved, because that’s giving them false reassurance, and we will be judged for it. We have to give them a good kind of uneasiness – we have to tell them that they are in error” (St Paisios of Mount Athos, 2016). We are to remain steadfast and uncompromising, giving them the “good uneasiness” that comes from realizing we truly are not in communion.
How can we do this? By politely excusing ourselves. You need not lie or make up an excuse for not attending. Simply tell the truth in love. If you are in your own home and they wish to pray with you, take the lead in saying the prayers. In this way, you can exemplify the proper spirit of prayer to the Lord.
How to conduct yourself in difficult situations
What can you do should you find yourself in a situation where you cannot take the lead on prayer, yet also cannot remove or excuse yourself? At a dinner party, for example.
Refusing to pray may cause unnecessary conflict and tension. It may also come off as rude, if not downright sectarian. The most prudent course of action then, would be to stand (or sit) respectfully in silence while your host/hostess prays as he/she see fit. After those prayers have finished, you can make the sign of the Cross and silently say the appropriate Orthodox blessing before you eat your meal. This same principle applies should you attend a non-Orthodox wedding, funeral, etc. Simply refrain from participating in silence. If anyone comments on your lack of participation, you can tactfully explain it to them afterwards.
Conclusion
The Orthodox Church is the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15). As such, She must preserve her teachings and keep them untouched by anything foreign, heterodox, or untried. She does this out of compassion and concern for the souls in Her care, not out of bigotry or superiority. She wishes to preserve the faith that was “once for all delivered to the Saints” (Jude 1:3). Just as a good chemist would be remiss to endorse superstitious practices like alchemy, so too we would be remiss if we endorsed he spiritual practices of those outside the Church.
However, the chemist need not ridicule the alchemist, but should try to bring him to a knowledge of the real science of chemistry. Likewise, we must remember that these canonical guidelines against prayer with the non-Orthodox are never an excuse for Orthodox Christians to disrespect, disdain, or humiliate others. But instead they exist to help guide them to the knowledge of the Truth.
Read More: Can Orthodox Christians Pray the Rosary?
6 Responses
how about when a soldier is in the battle field?
John,
Christ is in our midst! Thank you for your question. The Orthodox Christian soldier faithfully serving his nation could (and should!) lead in prayer with his fellow non-Orthodox soldiers. If he were unable to lead prayer for whatever reason, he could simply say the proper Orthodox prayers silently while another non-Orthodox Christian leads them in prayer. Though the context is different, the principle and its application are the same, whether on the battlefield or at a Bible study. God bless you!
I am cradle Orthodox and attend an OCA church. I have never heard or been told that I can not attend a Catholic Church. I know we are not allowed to receive communion in a Catholic Church. We can attend Catholic Churches for family reasons.
Elizabeth,
Christ is in our midst! Indeed, you should not receive communion in any church that is not in communion with the Eastern Orthodox Church. You certainly can “attend” a service at another church, as that is your choice. However, we would advise against making it a habit. Even with family, you can diplomatically explain the situation and why praying in the proper manner is so important to you. That said, if you do attend, you should not pray the prayers, but instead say the prescribed prayers of the Church silently to yourself. God bless!
This is ridiculous and a superiority complex. In fact now I’m not even considering orthodoxy anymore after reading this horrible article with nothing but unscriptural nonsense. Where in the Bible does it say that someone isn’t allowed to pray with another fellow believer in Christ? If I were you I’d open my Bible from time to time. As for the councils how can something made by men be infallible? I read the Church Fathers and I respect them a lot but neither they or myself would claim that they are infallible. In fact when reading the Fathers it leads me far away from both Rome and Constantinople.
Anyways God bless
Fredrick,
Christ is in our midst! Your consideration of Orthodoxy was probably quite lukewarm if such a small issue has agitated you enough to comment here. You sound as though you are a Protestant, in which case, we would challenge your presupposition that something must be contained in the Scriptures for you to believe it must be true. The Councils are guided by the Holy Spirit, as is the Tradition of the Church, the writings of the Church Fathers, and the Scriptures themselves. Orthodoxy is the only backwards-compatible option (to borrow the software term) that can trace back to early Christianity. Setting aside one’s innovative doctrines and submitting oneself to the wisdom of the Church is necessary before one could ever seriously consider Orthodoxy as the True Faith and path to salvation. God bless.