Catholic Online Forum

Hi all,

This may seem like an incredibly stupid question but I am looking for an answer. Is it considered bad/wrong/taboo for a Roman Catholic to buy/wear/use Eastern (particularly Russian) Orthodox icons or crosses?

I ask because I feel especially attracted to alot of the artistry from the Russian Orthodox Church and was considering purchasing a few icons and crosses. In addition I've also come into possession of a few other Russian Orthodox items (a prayerbook among other items) through inheritance (my grandfater was at one time Russian Orthodox). I just wanted to make sure that having these icons and crosses wasn't in some way considered taboo, especailly the ones with Russian Orthodox prayers on them.

Thanks all

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Ryan B.

Ryan,

It's fine. Some of those icons are very beautiful. Do you know how to "read" an icon? The colors and even the way the person is standing often has a deeper meaning.


Effie

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“The business of Progressives is to go on making mistakes. The business of Conservatives is to prevent mistakes from being corrected.” –G.K Chesterton

Effie,



I have acquired several Icons through the years, and I'd be interested in learning more about them, why don't you start a thread?

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Bob C

Yeah that sounds really interesting, I saw a little bit on that on I think it was the History Channel and it was really neat. Starting a thread would be cool.

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Mary, mother whom we bless, full of grace and tenderness. Defend me from the devil's power and greet me at my dying hour.
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Chayo

Bob,

I wish I could but I don't know how. It's something that I want to learn too. I'll start one, maybe someone will jump in that knows how to do it.


Effie

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“The business of Progressives is to go on making mistakes. The business of Conservatives is to prevent mistakes from being corrected.” –G.K Chesterton

Effie,



Oh, I thought you were our resident expert I do know that all the icons of the Blessed Mother, she points toward Jesus, beyond that I'm lost.

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Bob C

Bob,

I started a thread about it in this section. Unfortunately no one ever taught me how to read icons.


Effie

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“The business of Progressives is to go on making mistakes. The business of Conservatives is to prevent mistakes from being corrected.” –G.K Chesterton

Icons are becoming popular in our Western culture and I love it!

I would love to see more art from our Eastern brothers and sisters in our Churches and in our lives.

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Steve W

We are born to be happy and to live joyfully.

I love the neo-byzantines churches in Spain and I would like to have eastern catholic churches, thanks to the immigration, I think that we will have

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Rafael

Rafael,

I believe that there is a Ukrainian Greek Catholic parish in Spain presently, although I don't remember where. If you'd like, I'll try and get some more definite information on that.

Many years,

Neil

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"One day all our ethnic traits ... will have disappeared. Time itself is seeing to this. And so we can not think of our communities as ethnic parishes, ... unless we wish to assure the death of our community." Sayedna Joseph Tawil, 1st Eparch of Newton of the Melkites, 1970

All Italian churches have Icons, Esp. Our Lady of Perpetual Help and Our lady of Consolation. it seems that elsewhere in western europe the use of Icons dropped off. I was digging around and found stunning examples of Italian Iconography, esp. Cimabue.

I would have a question to any of our Ukrainian friends about the San Damiano Icon Cross. I read somewhere that this Icon was brought to Italy by Monks fleeing from the invasion of Ukraine. what are the exact details and how did this Cross come to be so identified with St. francis of Asissi?

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kai esesqe misoumenoi upo pantwn dia to onoma mou
et eritis odio omnibus propter nomen meum.
And you shall be hated by all men for my name's sake.

Luke 21:17

Istarted a thread on Icon Reading. I know a bit about them so tell me your Icons.

Click HERE

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Patrick Mitchell

Hospody Isuse Khryste, synu zhyvogo Boga, pomylui mene grishnyka
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have Mercy on me, a sinner

Dear All,

I have a reproduction of a 17th-century Russian icon, "The Face of Christ not by human hands," which hangs above my computer desk. Must admit I know nothing about it, but I'd like to know more.

I have a link to a page of articles on icons and iconography, but:





... which thread should I put it in?

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Kerrie

Kerrie,
Well, I started a thread on the reading because someone suggested it. Yo can put it in there or in here.

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Patrick Mitchell

Hospody Isuse Khryste, synu zhyvogo Boga, pomylui mene grishnyka
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have Mercy on me, a sinner

printery house sells icons and if you click on the link it will give you a brief discripstion into the symbolism & meaning.

like here http://www.printeryhouse.org/mall/Icons ... ns/m16.asp

Here is a complete list of all the icons available. http://www.printeryhouse.org/mall/Icons/IconAisle.asp

I have bought several icons from them & am very pleased with the quality of the icons. I give them two thumbs up!

Amazon has some good books on praying w/ icons that help you understand their history & symbolism... I got a fwe on my wish list.

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Kat
mommy to Thomas 1/1/03
^i^ William 8/19/01-8/21/01

http://thecrescat.blogspot.com/

"But there is a far greater kind of poverty. It means being unwanted, unloved, and neglected. It means having no one to call your own"
~ Bl. Mother Teresa

Kat - Printery House is also my favorite for icons.

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- Joe Kelley

Death is only a shadow across the path to Heaven.