Ascanio, your wife is Orthodox, I believe? I wrote an article on the Filioque, aimed at drawing back Orthodox Christians to the Catholic Church some time ago, please share it with her if you can. Already two Catholics I'm aware of who lapsed into Orthodoxy came back to the Catholic Church after reading it! https://onepeterfive.com/filioque-separated-east/ I think it is very important for Catholic Christians to evangelize separated Christians as well as non-Christians.
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Yes my wife is Orthodox and this is why I started this thread.
I was a culpable victim of ecuмenism. Culpable because I never questioned Rome due to spiritual indolence.
I was told by my parish priest in Tokyo, where I lived, that choosing a good Christian wife was enough to please God and to build a good Catholic family. Notice the adjective "Catholic" family and not "Christian" family. He told me that a good Orthodox soul can
please God more, and
be more, Catholic, than a bad Catholic.
For intellectual honesty I must admit that I was, and still am, desperately, absolutely and unashamedly, in love with my wife and that I was very happy to hear what I wanted to hear without questioning it.
Today I know better but I would still not change
anything, if not to save her soul.
I will add that, while my Apostolic Nuncio informed me that I did not even require Papal or Episcopal dispence to marry an Orthodox because it was a canonic marriage, we were refused permission, repeatedly, by the Orthodox hierarchy.
We experienced three gruelling years of interviews, letters, requests, etc., with Orthodox clergy in Tokyo (where we met) and Moscow (which primacy Tokyo's Orthodox church recognizes) and then in Naples (Italy), where we moved to, and reside now, to obtain dispence to get married.
During a number of very long interviews (some lasting three hours or more) I was repeatedly asked to convert to the Orthodox religion. Over and over, again and again. When it became clear that I loved only God more than my wife they gave up on trying to convert me, but asked that I promise to raise my children Orthodox. I refused this, too, which caused further delays and problems. Finally I was asked to promise that I would never try to convert my wife, nor even pray for her conversion. I underline that it was not my wife who asked me to promise not to try to convert her, but the Orthodox clergymen.
I agreed and promised and we were dispenced and authorized to get married... it took us three years to get "approved".
This anecdote only to evidence how the Orthodox church is more rigorous and honourable than our own Church's governance and why I will not try to convert her. Saving her soul is a priority but I will not break my bond.
What I do, regularly, is to pray God that
His will be done, not mine. Hoping that His will, be that she converts.
Last Sunday, for the first time, spontaneously, my wife asked me to join my daughter and me in Church. She said that it was only to ensure that "little one" would behave during Mass and added that she was not converting... but, at the end of the liturgy, when I introduced her to my priest, I started crying tears of joy and, when our daighter asked why papà was crying, my wife replied: "Because God is answering papà's prayers". I know my wife well and I know how much "exploring" is costing her and what it really means.
... so I will not hurry or press her, nor will I breake my bond. But I thank you for offering me valid arguments. When it will be time, I will bring them to the surface.
I never promised to not ask others to pray for her so nothing stops you, or other members, to pray for her.
:)
I am not ashamed of my love for an Orthodox woman. God has His ways to punish and reward me and, while this journey back to Christ and into His Church is disrupting my relationship with my family of origin, it may be rewarding me in the family that I created.
My jurney begun by Providence, when I posted here seeking for legal help in Germany and read lots of "really crazy stuff" and then... I now trust Providence to continue to guide my family and me back into the Church of Jesus and away from the Church of Rome.