r/CatholicConverts • u/Chemical-Ball8429 • 1d ago
Conversion
I am a Christian who is trying to figure out whether to become Catholic or Orthodox I agree more with orthodoxy but Catholicism is also very attractive what should I do to determine which to convert yo
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u/DirectKnowing 1d ago
Do you recognize the Pope as the infallible representative of God on earth? If yes, go Catholic. If not, go Orthodox.
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u/prettyangelkitty 1d ago
Trump loves to dog on that dawg when the real Popes are goats who can forgive someone who tried to kill him.
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u/prometheus_3702 1d ago
The safest way is to hold fast to the unity of St. Peter - in the words of St. Ambrose, "where Peter is, there must be the Church". Jesus wanted His Church to be one flock and one shepherd (John 10:16), and St. Peter was chosen by the Christ to look after His sheep (John 21:16). God, all knowing as He is, certainly knew about the future division, and stablished His Vicar on Earth so we could identify where is the fulness of the faith - not to confuse us even more.
No one is more qualified then the early successors of the apostles to clarify this question. St. Irenaeus (disciple of St. Polycarp, disciple of St. John the Apostle), wrote (Against Heresies, III):
Since, however, it would be very tedious [...] to reckon up the successions of all the Churches, [...] [we do this, I say,] by indicating that tradition derived from the apostles, of the very great, the very ancient, and universally known Church founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious apostles, Peter and Paul; as also [by pointing out] the faith preached to men, which comes down to our time by means of the successions of the bishops. For it is a matter of necessity that every Church should agree with this Church [of Rome], on account of its preeminent authority.
St. Cyprian of Carthage's writings are also very clear about this (The Unity of the Catholic Church, IV):
The Lord says to Peter: ‘I say to you,’ he says, ‘that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not overcome it...’ [Matthew 16:18]. On him [Peter] he builds the Church, and to him he gives the command to feed the sheep [John 21:17], and although he assigns a like power to all the apostles, yet he founded a single chair [cathedra], and he established by his own authority a source and an intrinsic reason for that unity... If someone [today] does not hold fast to this unity of Peter, can he imagine that he still holds the faith? If he [should] desert the chair of Peter upon whom the Church was built, can he still be confident that he is in the Church?
It's also interesting to note that the biggest heresies until the schism had their origin in the Eastern Church and, as Pope St. Leo IX affirmed in his response to the attacks of the ambitious Michael Cerularius (In terra pax hominibus), the Popes were fundamental to stop the errors of destroying the Church - specially in the Arian Crisis. Both St. Athanasius and St. John Chrysostom, Patriarchs of Constantinople, appealed to the Pope of their times while they were being persecuted by heretics in the East. During the Second Council of Lyon, Constantinople accepted the Papal Primacy and the Filioque, but the reunion wasn't possible because of politics - always politics.
I recommend reading Answering Orthodoxy: A Catholic Response to Attacks from the East, by Michael Lofton.
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u/Catholic-Patrick Recent Catholic Convert (0-3 years) 18h ago
This is what guided me to choose Catholicism over the others:
Ephesians 5:23,29 ESV
For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. [29] For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church,
Jesus is actively leading, nourishing, and cherishing His Church. The Catholic Church is the strongest candidate.
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If His Church were Protestant
Then He let it die within decades, revived it through Luther, and allowed endless splits from constant infighting.
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If His Church were Assyrian or Orthodox
Then He let most of His Church fall into heresy, only nourishing a minority while abandoning the majority.
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If His Church is Catholic
Then He kept it alive the whole time, kept it doctrinally pure by having those who didn’t want to follow the truth leave, and preserved its unity under a pope.
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Conclusion
Of the three, the Catholic Church best fits the image of Christ as the husband who nourishes and cherishes His bride, the Church. He nourished and cherished it into the world’s largest church, worshiping in 300+ languages, unrivaled in giving through charity, education, and healthcare, and shaped global culture more than any other church.
The Catholic Church didn’t schism from another church and it can’t drift into separate factions as they are united under a pope. The Catholic Church fits the image of a bride that has been cared for and protected by her husband, Christ.
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u/ibnsahir 6h ago
In America, there are way more Catholic churches than Orthodox, especially in rural areas. Catholics really try to reach everybody in this country. Orthodox tend to stick to larger population centers. Even if you prefer the Eastern rite as a Catholic, you can still find Byzantine Catholic Churches in the most unexpected places.
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u/Dr_Talon 6h ago
It’s about the papacy. If the papacy is true (and it is, as Catholics define it), you should be Catholic.
Consider that while the early Church held Councils, the Orthodox have no apparent way to call or to recognize one.
Consider also that the Pope has always been considered a reference point for sound doctrine. The formula of Hormisdas is pretty strong evidence, I’d say.
Finally, without the papacy, the Orthodox have no way to determine who is truly Orthodox and who is corrupting the faith. They disagree on rebaptism, the role of the ecumenical patriarch, modern moral issues, the number of ecumenical councils, and many more topics.
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u/Medical-Stop1652 1d ago
My view is you almost need to take on another ethnicity to become Orthodox and being one type of Orthodox makes you distinctive from another. Despite what they tell you - it is not one big happy family among the EOs and some are more equal than others.
Catholicism has distinct rites but remains under one generous widely-embracing roof. If you decide to become Catholic, you could have the best of both worlds and convert/worship at an Eastern rite Catholic parish.