|
From East to West
-
Introducing the west to the treasures of Eastern
Catholicism
"Thus says the LORD of hosts: Behold,
I will save my people from the East
country and from the West country; and I
will bring them to dwell in the midst of
Jerusalem; and they shall be my people
and I will be their God, in faithfulness
and in righteousness." -Zech 8:7-8
|
|
|
|
|
Conflicts with the Latin Church
Tridentine Catholics Joining Eastern Catholic Parishes
Eastern Catechisms
Eastern Catholics Becoming Roman Catholic
Introductory Questions
What are the Eastern Catholic Churches?
 Although it is not widely known in our Western world, the Catholic Church is
actually a communion of Churches. According to the Constitution on the
Church of the Second Vatican Council, Lumen Gentium, the Catholic Church is
understood to be "a corporate body of Churches," united with the Pope of
Rome, who serves as the guardian of unity (LG, no. 23). At present there are
22 Churches that comprise the Catholic Church. The new Code of Canon Law,
promulgated by Pope John Paul II, uses the phrase "autonomous ritual
Churches" to describe these various Churches (canon 112). Each Church has
its own hierarchy, spirituality, and theological perspective.
Because of the particularities of history, there is only one Western
Catholic Church, while there are 21 Eastern Catholic Churches. The Western
Church, known officially as the Latin Church, is the largest of the Catholic
Churches. It is immediately subject to the Roman Pontiff as Patriarch of the
West. The Eastern Catholic Churches are each led by a Patriarch, Major
Archbishop, or Metropolitan, who governs their Church together with a synod
of bishops. Through the Congregation for Oriental Churches, the Roman
Pontiff works to assure the health and well-being of the Eastern Catholic
Churches.
While this diversity within the one Catholic Church can appear confusing at
first, it in no way compromises the Church's unity. In a certain sense, it
is a reflection of the mystery of the Trinity. Just as God is three Persons,
yet one God, so the Church is 22 Churches, yet one Church. The Catechism of
the Catholic Church summarizes this nicely:
"From the beginning, this one Church has been marked by a great diversity
which comes from both the variety of God's gifts and the diversity of those
who receive them... Holding a rightful place in the communion of the Church
there are also particular Churches that retain their own traditions. The
great richness of such diversity is not opposed to the Church's unity" (CCC
no. 814).
Although there are 22 Churches, there are only eight "Rites" that are used
among them. A Rite is a "liturgical, theological, spiritual and disciplinary
patrimony," (Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, canon 28). "Rite" best
refers to the liturgical and disciplinary traditions used in celebrating the
sacraments. Many Eastern Catholic Churches use the same Rite, although they
are distinct autonomous Churches. For example, the Ukrainian Catholic Church
and the Melkite Catholic Church are distinct Churches with their own
hierarchies. Yet they both use the Byzantine Rite.
ÙTop
of page
Are the Eastern Catholic Churches
the same thing as Greek Orthodox Churches?
No, they are not the same thing. The Greek Orthodox Church, and the other
Eastern Orthodox Churches, are not in communion with the Pope of Rome. In
contrast, the Eastern Catholic Churches are in full communion with the Pope
of Rome.
This having been said, it is important to note that the Eastern Catholic
Churches have a great deal in common with the Eastern Orthodox Churches, and
are virtually indistinguishable. In most respects there are no differences
between them. This is because the Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox
Churches share a common heritage, which colors all aspects of Church life.
The average visitor cannot tell the difference between a Byzantine Catholic
parish and a Greek Orthodox parish, for instance. This is because we share
so much in common, and have almost identical liturgical, spiritual, and
theological perspectives.
ÙTop
of page
How many Eastern Catholic Churches
are there, and how many rites are used?
Eight Rites of the Catholic Church:
1. Roman 2. Armenian 3. Byzantine 4. Coptic 5. Maronite 6. East Syrian 7.
West Syrian 8. Ethiopian (often listed as a recension of the Coptic Rite)
The twenty-two Catholic Churches:
* ROMAN RITE * 1. Latin Church
* ARMENIAN RITE* 2. Armenian Church
* BYZANTINE RITE * 3. Italo-Albanian Church 4. Melkite Church 5. Ukrainian
Church 6. Ruthenian Church 7. Romanian Church 8. Greek Church (in Greece) 9.
Greek Church of Former Yugoslavia 10. Bulgarian Church 11. Slovak Church 12.
Hungarian Church 13. Russian Church 14. Belarusan Church 15. Albanian Church
* COPTIC RITE * 16. Coptic Church (in many lists the Ethiopian Church is
also placed here)
* MARONITE RITE * 17. Maronite Church
* EAST SYRIAN RITE * 18. Chaldean Church 19. Syro-Malabar Church
* WEST SYRIAN RITE * 20. Syro-Malankara Church 21. Syrian Church
* ETHIOPIAN RITE * 22. Ethiopian Church (often listed under the Coptic Rite)
ÙTop
of page
Is Pope John Paul II the head of the
21 Eastern Catholic Churches in addition to being head of the Roman Catholic
Church?
The Pope, in his role as head of the Universal Church, is in an indirect way
head of the individual Eastern Catholic Churches. But each of the Eastern
Catholic Churches have their own specific heads, either a Patriarch or
Metropolitan.
Pope John Paul II explains it as such:
"In harmony with the tradition handed down from the earliest centuries, the
Patriarchal Churches have a unique place in the Catholic communion. One need
only think that in these Churches the highest authority for any action,
including the right to elect Bishops within the borders of the patriarchal
territory, is constituted by the Patriarchs with their Synods, without
prejudice to the inalienable right of the Roman Pontiff to intervene." (WE
EXTEND OUR ARMS IN BROTHERHOOD, no. 5)
In a very direct way, the Pope is head of the universal Catholic Church,
which is comprised of the Eastern Catholic Churches together with the Latin
Church.
ÙTop
of page
How did the Eastern Churches start
and was the Roman Catholic Church started first by Jesus Christ?
In the early centuries every community of believers gathered around a bishop
was considered a Church. We see this in Paul's epistles to the various
Churches. For example, St. Paul begins I Corinthians with "To the church of
God which is at Corinth..." (I Cor. 1:2).
Eventually these local Churches found themselves uniting around certain
prominent centers. Naturally large cities and sees established by Apostles
had a certain prominence, and the bishops of these cities took on a
leadership role. Thus, these groupings of local Churches also became known
as Churches. As Christianity continued to spread and evolve, different
customs and even theological perspectives arose. In time these groupings
could accurately be called distinct ritual Churches (in today's language).
All of these Churches can trace their founding to Jesus Christ and his
commission to the Twelve to go out and make disciples of all nations.
ÙTop
of page
Maronite Catholic Church:
In large part because of this forum, we visited today a Maronite Rite
church and will attend the Divine Liturgy this weekend. Can you tell us a
bit more about this rite, it's history and what we may expect?
The Maronite Catholic Church was founded in the Fourth century by St. Maron,
an influential monastic leader. They have never been out of communion with
Rome, although communication was interrupted for many years due to
geography. The Eucharistic Liturgy is a variation of the Liturgy of St.
James, with some Latin traditions mixed in. In the twelfth century the
Maronites came into contact with French crusaders, and as a result many
Latin customs and traditions became incorporated into their worship. Since
Vatican II, much of the original Syriac tradition has been restored to the
Liturgy.
You will not find an iconostasis, as that is a Byzantine usage. Instead, you
will find a very intricate but beautiful liturgy, which makes much use of
the poetry of St. Ephraim. The Eucharistic prayer (anaphora) is said in
Aramaic, which is the language spoken by Jesus! Communion is distributed by
dipping the Body into the Precious Bloood, and placing it on the
communicants tongue by hand. I hope that you have a wonderful visit.
ÙTop
of page
What is the Maronite Divine Office like? Is is much like the
Latin Liturgy of the Hours?
There is a considerable difference between the Maronite Divine Office and
the Latin Liturgy of the Hours. Although I have never prayed the Maronite
Divine Office, I hear that it is extremely beautiful. In the Maronite Church
Vespers is called "Ramsho" and Matins is called "Safro."
You can order a nice two-volume set of the Maronite Divine Office. This set,
which is remarkably inexpensive, is called "Eyes of the Heart." It is
published by the Maronite Voice, an eparchial newspaper. You can order it
from Fr. George Sebaali, at (804) 270-7234 or by e-mail at
gmsebaali@aol.com.
ÙTop
of page
My question concerns ecclesiastical titles in the Maronite
Church. What are the various offices and ranks of this Church and what are
the titles to both verbally address (e.g. Your Excellency) and to address in
writing (e.g. Most Reverend)?
The head of the Maronite Catholic Church is a Patriarch. The current leader
is Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir, who has reigned since 1986. He is addressed as
"Your Beatitude."
The Maronite Church also has chorbishops. Here is what Mr. Lance Weakland
says about chorbishops:
"In regards to chorbishops what you wrote was true, chorbishops were the
equivalent of a Latin auxillary bishop with the appointment of episcopal
vicar. However, in current Eastern Catholic practice, the office of
chorbishop is much like our office of archimandrite and does not include
episcopal consecration. It is conferred during the liturgy and the recipient
is given use of some pontifical insignia like the gold pectoral cross, ring,
crosier, and masnaphtho (amice-like hood). He may or may not have added
office or jurisdiction like protosyncellus (vicar general) or syncellus (episcopal
vicar). Currently this title is used among the Maronites, Syrians, Malankars,
and Chaldeans."
I believe that otherwise the Maronites use the same titles that are found in
the Latin Church.
ÙTop
of page
Of all the Eastern Churches, why is it that the Maronite Church
hasn't produced as may icons as the Byzantine or Melkite Churches?
Actually, the Maronite Church does have its own distinctive style of
iconography. Unfortunately, because of the Crusades and the resulting
influence of French culture in Lebanon, much of the Maronite iconographic
tradition was lost and replaced with Western statues. Thus, today many
Maronite Churches have no iconography and only use statues.
The Second Vatican Council requires all Eastern Catholic Churches to
recapture their authentic traditions, even those that have apparently been
lost. For the Maronite Church this includes recapturing its tradition of
iconography. I have heard of some places where this is occuring, but
progress is slow. Hopefully more young Maronites will come to realize the
value of this tradition, and will take steps to restore it.
ÙTop
of page
Ethnicity
Are Eastern churches still pretty
much divided along ethnic lines? Why don't they evangelize like Roman
Catholics to other ethnic groups?
Most unfortunately, many Eastern Catholic Churches are still divided along
ethnic lines. This results in a lack of evangelization, and the stagnation
of parishes. This is changing, thankfully. My own Church, the Byzantine-Ruthenian
Catholic Church, has been making a serious effort to reach people from all
backgrounds. We now have members from all ethnic and racial backrounds. We
have some parishes with large numbers of blacks and hispanics. We even
have some African-American nuns. In the fall we are beginning a new
evangelization commission, and I expect this to bear much fruit. Please
keep us in your prayers.
ÙTop
of page
Conflicts with the Latin Church
While I am currently Byzantine
Catholic, I am about to become Orthodox. Historically the Latin Church has
treated the Eastern Catholics very badly, and they continue to do so. I
can't take it any more, so I am leaving. Eastern Catholicism is a failed
experiment. How can you remain Byzantine Catholic when you know the
history???
The Byzantine Catholic Church is in communion with Rome, despite our
differences. Nor are the differences as great as you seem to think. Unity
does not have to equal uniformity. Indeed, this fact is expressed in the
reality of the Trinity. God is three distinct persons, yet one God. In the
same way, there can be great diversity within the Catholic communion of
Churches.
You raise the history of the Latin Church being abusive to the Eastern
Catholic Churches. Historically, there is truth to this claim. Throughout
much of our history, many members of the Latin Church have attempted to
remove our traditions, and turn us into Latin Catholics. At Verdana,Arial,Helvetica, they
have even used connections in the Roman Curia to accomplish this goal. But
things are changing, and have changed significantly already! At Vatican II
the Catholic Church officially recognized our traditions, disciplines,
liturgy, and theology as being equal to that of the Latin Church. Since
then, a great deal of energy has been spent restoring us to our original
traditions. Much of the damage has been undone, and more is yet to be
fixed. In fact, it is amazing how much progress has been made in less than
fifty years!!!
Also, many of our Western Catholic brothers and sisters have developed a
great respect for us. Many of them are very eager to learn about us, as is
demonstrated daily on this new forum. We aren't living in the 1920's, my
friend.
The biggest hindrance in our progress is ourselves. First of all, many of
our priests were trained in the pre-Vatican II mentality that the Latin
way is superior. Many of our older priests, and perhaps even some bishops,
are convinced that we must become as much like the Latin Church as
possible in order to be "fully Catholic." Such clergy are a vanishing
breed, and they will soon be replaced entirely with younger priests who
are extremely eastern. Rome is very eager for us to restore our Eastern
heritage, and is intervening when necessary to assure this. I even have it
on good authority that Rome no longer opposes our restoration of a married
priesthood in North America.
The second problem that is holding us back is our own bitterness! Yes, the
Latin Church has been uncharitable with us in the past. But holding on to
this bitterness, and even nursing it, is only harming ourselves.
Resentment has a way of poisoning a person, and even paralyzing them. As
long as we nurse bitterness and resentment against the Latins, and against
Rome, we will assuredly destroy ourselves. Today, we are the masters of
our own fate, and can determine whether or not we grow and flourish. We do
not require a fiat from Rome or anyone else to do this. Likewise, we
primarily have ourselves to blame for our failures.
In conclusion, I believe that the Eastern Catholic Churches exist for a
reason. When you consider the major historical obstacles that we have
faced, it is truly amazing that we even exist today. Surely God has
preserved us, and has something magnificient in store for us. We have
suffered intensely for the sake of Christian unity, and this has not gone
unnoticed by Jesus. In the decades to come, the Eastern Catholic Churches
have an opportunity to be a model of "Orthodoxy in communion with Rome."
With much help from the Holy Spirit, we can prove to the world that it IS
possible to be in communion with Rome without having to abandon our
Eastern Christian heritage. However, we must be willing to cooperate with
God to make this happen.
ÙTop
of page
Did Archbishop John Ireland have
a prejudice against Eastern Catholics?
Yes, it is well known that Archbishop John Ireland had no tolerance for
Eastern Catholics. You can read about his unrelenting persecution of
Byzantine Catholics in a book entitled "Before the Birth of Ecumenism." It
is published by Byzantine Seminary Press. You can order it from them by
calling 412-322-8307. It is a very detailed and documented account.
For the record, in 1999 at the 75th anniversary celebration of the Byzantine
Church in America, Cardinal William Keeler delivered the keynote address. On
behalf of the Latin hierarchy, Cardinal Keeler apologized for the
inexcusable actions of Archbishop Ireland. I was present at this event, and
the apology was very warmly received.
ÙTop
of page
Why does there seem to be so much
hostility toward Latin Catholics by SOME Byzantines?
What you are referring to is what I call "Byzantine Bitterness." Some
Byzantine Catholics have a great deal of resentment towards the Latin
Church. This isn't very widespread, but it does exist in some quarters.
To understand the source of this hostility, it is necessary to look at
history. First, you will only find such bitterness in North America. This is
because of the very real abuse that Byzantine Catholics suffered when they
arrived here. Allow me to give you some historical background.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries large waves of immigrants came to
the United States. Among these immigrants were numerous Latin and Byzantine
Catholics. The only bishops established in the country were Latin bishops,
most of whom were of Irish background. These bishops had never even heard of
Byzantine Catholics before, and were shocked by our differences. They were
especially revolted by our tradition of married priests, which they
considered an abomination.
As more Byzantine Catholics arrived, we began building parishes and
recruiting priests from Europe. Most of the priests that we were sent were
married with families. This greatly angered the Latin bishops, especially
the famous Archbishop John Ireland. The Latin bishops began a vigorous
campaign to have our married priests expelled from the continent, and sent
back to Europe. The Latin bishops had many friends and contacts in the
Vatican. At the time, we Byzantine Catholics had no one in the Vatican to
present our side of the dispute. Eventually, the Latin bishops managed to
obtain a Vatican ruling that banned married Eastern priests in North
America.
At this point all heck broke loose. Almost all of our parishes were served
by married priests, and if they had to leave we would have had no priests.
All of our parishes would have closed. Some of the Latin bishops proposed a
solution: they would loan us Latin priests who would celebrate the Roman
Mass in our parishes. Eventually, we would be fully assimilated into the
Latin Church.
As you could imagine, this option was considered unacceptable. We Byzantine
Catholics have a great love for our liturgy and traditions, and would rather
die than part with them. For these immigrants especially, the Byzantine
tradition was the only connection that they had maintained with their roots.
At this time the Russian Orthodox Church entered the picture. The Russian
Orthodox were sympathetic to our sufferings, and offered to help. They would
provide our parishes with priests, and life would continue as before. All of
our Byzantine traditions would remain fully intact. The only catch was that
these parishes would henceforth be considered Russian Orthodox, not
Byzantine Catholic.
A large number of Byzantine Catholics took this option. Feeling deeply
betrayed by Rome, and not wanting to be coerced into the Latin Church, they
became Russian Orthodox. The majority of Byzantine Catholics in the United
States became Russian Orthodox during this time. Only a minority were left
in the Byzantine Catholic Church.
The large numbers leaving our Byzantine Church caught the attention of Rome.
They realized that something had to be done fast. Thus, the Pope established
a Byzantine Catholic hierarchy of bishops in North America. This angered
many of the Latin bishops beyond belief. They were furious that they had to
share America with Eastern Bishops. With our own bishops serving us,
Byzantine Catholicism in the New World became more stable and secure.
Nonetheless, the damage was already done. Families were painfully divided
between Orthodox and Catholic lines. Legal disputes over parish property
flooded the courts. And worst of all, we lost so many members that our
Church became a gaunt shadow of its former self. Almost all of the Russian
Orthodox and OCA Christians in North America today are descended from
Byzantine Catholics.
Because of this horrible travesty, a great deal of animosity remained
between Latin and Byzantine Catholics. This animosity lingered well into the
1960s. As recently as at Vatican II, a group of American Latin bishops
attempted to have Eastern Catholicism banned in North America. Of course
this attempt was quickly squashed. Instead, Vatican II went on to affirm the
equal rights and dignitiy of the Eastern Catholic Churches. Since then
things have dramatically improved.
Today the relationship between Latin Catholics and Byzantine Catholics is
far better. Our bishops have a good working relationship. Unfortunately, a
great deal of hurt feelings still remain.
In 1999 Cardinal William Keeler, on behalf of the Latin hierarchy,
apologized to the Byzantine Catholic Church for the abuse we had suffered.
This apology was very warmly received. Likewise, the current Archbishop of
Minneapolis expressly apologized for the actions of his predecessor,
Archbishop John Ireland.
Let us pray that all of the residual wounds from this dispute are soon
healed. Some Byzantine Catholics are having a hard time forgiving. Instead,
they are paralyzed with bitterness. It is my fervent hope that they will
eventually learn to forgive.
ÙTop
of page
Tridentine Catholics Joining Eastern Catholic Parishes
I am dismayed at the number of
Roman Catholics who are considering Eastern Catholic or Orthodox churches
because they do not LIKE the Novus Ordo mass. Do the Eastern Catholic
churches welcome these malcontents? How do they turn out?
Based on my own observations over the years, I must say that when Roman
Catholics become Eastern Catholic primarily due to displeasure with the
Novus Ordo Mass, it doesn't usually turn out well.
When such individuals come to worship in Eastern Catholic Churches we
welcome them in, since hospitality is a Christian virtue. However, in many
cases these persons are not content with Eastern Christian liturgy and
spirituality, but are longing for the Tridentine Mass and Latin
spirituality. Inevitably they find themselves unhappy and unsatisfied.
When large numbers of Roman Catholics who are longing for the Tridentine
Mass join an Eastern Catholic parish, certain problems can ensue. There have
been many cases in which such individuals begin demanding that the Eastern
Catholic parish begin practice Latin devotions, such as stations of the
cross. Very often they voice their displeasure with traditional Eastern
practices, such as standing during the Eucharistic prayer and offering
communion to infants.
SomeVerdana,Arial,Helvetica small Eastern Catholic parishes can become "refugee camps"
dominated by these individuals. One case in point. I have a friend who is
pastor of a small Eastern Catholic parish which had an unusually high number
of these persons. The church building itself had been constructed during a
time of great "latinization" in Eastern Catholicism, and didn't resemble a
proper Byzantine parish. In fact, it looked more like a Tridentine parish in
many respects. When my friend was appointed as pastor, he began to implement
the Vatican directives for a full restoration of Eastern Christian
traditions. Thus, he installed an icon screen. When the icon screen was
erected, the Tridentine Catholics were extremely unhappy, and voiced their
displeasure. The entire group eventually left the parish.
In my humble opinion, it is somewhat unfortunate that the Tridentine Mass is
not made more widely available for those who desire it. I tend to think that
the Catholic Church is large enough to accomodate a variety of liturgical
tradtions, and I don't see much point in banning the Tridentine Mass when
there are large groups of Catholics who are strongly attached to it. That's
just my opinion. Unfortunately, when such individuals flock to Eastern
Catholic parishes they often insist upon latinizing the parish and resisting
the restoration of Eastern traditions, which the Holy Father has ordered.
Thus, I always make the following point, which is extremely important: a
person should only join an Eastern Catholic parish if they are attracted to
Eastern Christian liturgy, spirituality, and theology, NOT because they are
fleeing something else.
ÙTop
of page
Eastern Catechisms
I was just wondering if the
Catechism of the Catholic Church applies to all the Eastern Churches or just
the Western Church?
The Holy Father has encouraged the Eastern Churches to use the Catechism of
the Catholic Church "as a point of reference" for composing our own
Catechisms, particular to our tradition. This is also stated in paragraph
no. 11 of the text. The Byzantine Catholic eparchies in the United States
have been working on such a catechism for several years now, and it has very
recently been completed.
Our catechism is called "Light for Life," and it is published in three
volumes: The Mystery Believed, The Mystery Celebrated, and The Mystery
Lived. It is a marvelous resource, and I HIGHLY recommend it.
You can order all three volumes from:
God With Us Publications, Service Provided by: Theological Book Service,
Phone: 1-800-558-0580 or 414-529-6400, Fax: 1-800-369-4448 or 414-529-6419,
E-Mail: tbs@execpc.com
ÙTop
of page
Eastern Catholics Becoming Roman Catholic
I'm Byzantine Catholic, but am
more comfortable with Roman Catholicism. Can I simply become Roman Catholic,
so that I can be a "normal" Catholic? I'm tired of being different, and I
like the Roman theology.
It happens all the time. However, I would urge you to fully understand and
appreciate the richness of your Byzantine Catholic Church before leaving it
behind.
As an Eastern Catholic, you have a special obligation to preserve your
tradition for the well-being of the entire Catholic Church. We Eastern
Catholics are a tiny minority, and if all of us were to simply join the
Latin Church we would cease to exist, and something infinitely important
would be lost. The best thing that you can do is to remain in your Byzantine
Catholic Church and to learn more about it and its rich patrimony.
Furthermore, you should make an effort to educate your fellow Catholics
about.
There is no reason that you can't remain a committed Byzantine Catholic
while still appreciating Western theology. This simply means that you are a
well-rounded Catholic. However, I would also urge you to spend time studying
and becoming acquainted with Eastern Christian theology. Your first
obligation as an Eastern Catholic is to know your own theological heritage,
which is every bit as rich and important as Western theology.
ÙTop of page
|
|
|
|