Do Greek Orthodox Have To Go To Confession?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Do Greek Orthodox have to go to confession? Did you know that

Holy Confession is one of the Holy Sacraments in the Orthodox Christian Church

? Most Christians understand that in order for God to truly forgive us from our sins, we need to repent. In the Orthodox Christian Church, the Holy Sacrament of Confession is an integral part of the process of repentance.

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How often do Orthodox go to confession?

It depends on the spiritual condition of the faithful, their needs and their sins during the war against the visible and invisible enemies. More specifically, the Christian should go to confession,

whenever there is a reason

, just as they go to the doctor when they feel ill.

Is confession necessary for salvation Orthodox?

Do Orthodox priests forgive sins?


The Eastern Orthodox Church has always believed that the Church has power to forgive sin from Christ

.

What is the Orthodox confession of faith?

role of Mohyla

reformers, Mohyla in 1640 composed The Orthodox Confession of Faith of the Eastern Orthodox Church. It was approved by the four Eastern patriarchs and was formally approved at the Synod of Jerusalem in 1672. It remains

one of the primary outlines of Eastern Orthodox doctrines as set forth in refutation

What are the sacraments in the Greek Orthodox Church?

Contemporary Orthodox catechisms and textbooks all affirm that the church recognizes seven mystēria (“sacraments”):

baptism, chrismation, Communion, holy orders, penance, anointing of the sick, and marriage

.

Is confession necessary before Communion?

Sufficient spiritual preparation must be made by each Catholic prior to receiving Holy Communion and one must believe truly in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

A Catholic in a state of mortal sin should first make a sacramental confession

: otherwise that person commits a sacrilege.

Does the Greek Orthodox Church perform exorcisms?

Orthodox theology holds that

every Christian performs an exorcism through their struggle against sin and evil

: [T]he whole Church, past, present and future, has the task of an exorcist to banish sin, evil, injustice, spiritual death, the devil from the life of humanity …

Who is head of Greek Orthodox Church?

The Greek Orthodox Church is led by an ecumenical patriarch, currently

Bartholomew I of Constantinople

. Underneath him are archbishops, such as Elpidophoros, that oversee entire nations.

Do Orthodox Christians repent?

In response to sin, Our Lord Jesus Christ says,

Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand

(Matt. 3:2). Thus He expects from us true, heartfelt faith and true, heartfelt repentance.

Can a person be forgiven without repentance?


The believer only receives God’s forgiveness through repentance and faith

. In a similar way, the abuser is only forgiven when there is genuine repentance. However, if we are echoing God’s forgiveness, then by God’s grace we are able to extend forgiveness, whether repentance is present or not.

Does the Orthodox Church believe you can lose your salvation?

The Orthodox believe that

there is nothing that a person (Orthodox or non-Orthodox) can do to earn salvation

. It is rather a gift from God. However, this gift of relationship has to be accepted by the believer, since God will not force salvation on humanity.

Does the Russian Orthodox Church have confession?


Confession does not take place in a confessional, but normally in the main part of the church itself

, usually before an analogion (lectern) set up near the iconostasion. On the analogion is placed a Gospel Book and a blessing cross. The confession often takes place before an icon of Jesus Christ.

Does Orthodox Church believe in penance?


In the Eastern Orthodox Church, penance is usually called Sacred Mystery of Confession

. In Orthodoxy, the intention of the sacramental mystery of Holy Confession is to provide reconciliation with God through means of healing.

Can a priest refuse absolution?



You can refuse to give the absolution if the person doesn’t show they’re genuine in wanting to reform

,” Bishop O’Kelly said. “It’s not like coming in and committing a sin and going out and getting forgiven and coming back and doing it again — there has to be a real purpose of resolve to reform your life.

How do you make a good Orthodox confession?

What is confession of sin?

confession, also called reconciliation or penance, in the Judeo-Christian tradition,

the acknowledgment of sinfulness in public or private, regarded as necessary to obtain divine forgiveness

.

Is the Nicene Creed a confession of faith?

Can a Greek Orthodox take Catholic communion?

Catholics should always consult beforehand with one of the clergy of the church in question as to whether or not that church will be able to administer Holy Communion to Catholics. For the most part, the Polish National Catholic Church allows this, but

the Orthodox churches do not

.

Do Greek Orthodox have First Communion?

Eastern Orthodoxy

In the Orthodox Church,

any person of any age receives communion as soon as possible after baptism and chrismation

, usually at the next Divine Liturgy.

Is the Greek Orthodox Church in communion with the Catholic Church?

While the Eastern Orthodox Church recognizes what it shares in common with other churches, including the Catholic Church,

it sees catholicity in terms of complete union in communion and faith, with the Church throughout all time

, and the sharing remains incomplete when not shared fully.

Do you need to go to confession?

If you want to receive Communion, do you always have to go to Confession first? The short answer is

no—so long as you’re only conscious of having committed venial sins

.

Can you confess without a priest?

Ask His forgiveness with all your heart with an act of contrition, and promise Him, ‘Afterward I will go to confession. ‘ You will return to God’s grace immediately.

You yourself can draw near, as the catechism teaches us, to God’s forgiveness, without having a priest at hand.

Is not going to Mass a sin?

All of the commandments of God are serious matter, so

to deliberately miss Mass on Sunday — without a just reason — would objectively be considered a mortal sin

.

What religion is Greek Orthodox similar to?

And so came the birth of the Greek Orthodox (Eastern Orthodox), similar to

Roman Catholicism

in ways largely related to the teachings of the Apostles and Jesus Christ.

What do you call a Greek Orthodox priest?

Orthodox priests conduct services in more than 20 languages. They are also called

pastors or presbyters

.

Can Greek Orthodox priests marry?

Under Orthodox rules,

a celibate priest cannot marry after ordination

, and a non-celibate priest cannot remarry and remain a priest, even if his wife dies, he said. Widowers who remain celibate can become bishops, but that’s happened just once.

Is hesychasm biblical?

What is repentance in the Bible?

Will God forgive unbelievers?

God Is No Longer Holding Men’s Sins Against Them

Although unbelievers aren’t saved,

their sin is forgiven

.

Can you forgive someone who has not asked for forgiveness?

Which comes first forgiveness or repentance?


GOD’S FORGIVENESS PRECEDES REPENTANCE

The common assumption, found even in the most standard textbooks and dictionaries of theology, is that our forgiveness remains conditional Page 2 God’s Repentance-Enabling Forgiveness 65 upon our repentance: first we repent, and then God forgives.

What do Greek Orthodox believe about death?

Greek Orthodox Christian believe that

death leads to the separation of the body from the soul

. They believe that when Christ comes again to the world, final judgement will be delivered to each soul which would result in it spending an eternity in either Heaven or Hell.

Do Orthodox Christians believe in eternal security?


Catholic, Methodist, Anabaptist, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox theology hold to synergism with respect to salvation and view the doctrine of eternal security as heretical

, instead teaching that one’s one’s salvation is conditional on one’s continued faith, good works, sanctification, and avoidance of sin.

Why is it called Greek Orthodox?


The Greek word “orthodox” simply means “correct belief” and at the same time, “correct worship.”

It became the name applied to the Christian Church that grew and flourished in the eastern, predominantly Greek speaking regions of the late Roman Empire.

Amira Khan
Author
Amira Khan
Amira Khan is a philosopher and scholar of religion with a Ph.D. in philosophy and theology. Amira's expertise includes the history of philosophy and religion, ethics, and the philosophy of science. She is passionate about helping readers navigate complex philosophical and religious concepts in a clear and accessible way.