www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News Metropolitan Basil has been to Houston!

Hey Everybody (especially you Ruthenians)
We in Houston had the privilege of Metropolitan Basil's visit this weekend. I got to meet with him in a small group setting. BTW I was grateful for the etiquette advice some members gave me. He was very personable and gentle; very open. (Also very tired as apparently he had visted three parishes in three different states since Thursday).
It was a flying visit, less than 24 hours, but a happy and honorable occasion. Perhaps other Houston Byzantines will see this topic and offer their thoughts?
The Metropolitan was very upbeat but also very frank about problems in the Church. There is a _severe_ vocations crisis, with only one priest training for the Archeparchy in the next four to five years. The Metropolitan reported that over half our priests have more than one parish with many having three or even four; our priests are aging, with many serving past 70 or 75 years old. Although he did not rule it out categorically, when asked, the Metropolitan indicated he is not interested in considering married priesthood and noted that the Ruthenians in Europe are pushing more for celibacy (though he did not indicate whether he thought this trend was internal or pushed by Rome). Met. Basil's current strategy seems pinned on expanding the diaconate to balance the loss of priests.
Also, when asked by a parishoner who is a Traditonal Latin Catholic, the Metropolitan warmly endorsed the idea of welcoming people who do not find themselves nourished by the current Roman liturgy, but he was very clear that Churches ought not Latinize to accomodate such people; instead parishes should explore their Eastern identity to the full and let people encounter that when they come. In everything, he was a consumate diplomat and very charitable even when having to disagree.
Plus, he sings beautifully and celebrated a beautiful liturgy assisted by our pastor and a visiting priest whom I could not remember meeting. The Metropolitan was also especially welcoming of children and encouraged them to meet him and get pictures with him. (Also, when he sang Many Years for them, he remembered the names of every altar server with him, and there were several!)

All in all, I was grateful for a chance to meet my shepherd, if even so briefly. He had obviously put himself to much fatigue and inconvenience to come way down here and his effort is deeply appreciated. If anybody from the Archeparchy ever reads on this list, please tell the Metropolitan how happy we were to have him with us. Tell him the big guy with the long beard and the cute wife said so!
KH

I am saddened to read this. Having a married clergy will not fix the shortage of priests but I'm sure it would add a few. (Disclaimer: I have no calling to the priesthood so I'm not saying this for personal reasons.)

Why are we still afraid to be ourselves?

David Ignatius DTBrown@aol.com

"they're pushing for more celibacy in Europe."

I wonder who. Certainly not the seminarians

It sounded like a truly wonderful time for you.

I also think is a marvelous bishop.

Some interesting info on the ordination of married men in the Ruthenian Church in Europe (includes some pictures):

http://www.byzantines.net/epiphany/ordination.htm

David Ignatius DTBrown@aol.com

I am truly glad that Metropolitan Basil was able to make the visit to Texas. It is terribly difficult to minister to an eparchy the size of these Byzantine eparchies in North America, The bishop is our pastor, we need him among us.

Even in Illinois one can feel on the fringes, a recent visit from bishop John lifted our spirits enormously. I imagine Houston must seem much more isolated by comparison, I am glad the visit went well.

But I am also very disappointed in the remark about the celibate priesthood.

Of course encouraging a married priesthood would not automatically solve the vocational problems, because the ministerial shortage is a major issue with most churches and denominations, but clearly the problem is worse among those churches that insist on celibacy. The sooner we restore our tradition of married parish priests the sooner we will begin recovering and rebuilding this lovely church and turn the situation around.

Wasn't it in Slovakia that 18 married Roman Catholic priests were transferred to the Byzantine church after the communists fell from power? That doesn't sound like a movement toward celibacy to me.

I hope Bishop John of Parma doesn't think like Metropolitan Basil.

Michael

Dear Friends,

This is interesting!

In our UGCC the issue of married priests is so strong among the laity that our bishops wouldn't dare come out against it in public.

For us, this issue really DEFINES our sense of Particularity and much more than whether we have Latin devotions and the like - because we do have them and we like!

Alex

I too was very excited about seeing the Archbishop, and second all the positive comments made in the first post.

However, I got a different take on what was our Archbishop's attitude to the married priesthood. It was my understanding that he isn't focusing on or actively recuiting among married men, but if the 'right' man with the 'right' qualifications presents himself (we can debate on what 'right' is defined as, b/c I don't know) then he *would* ordain him.

Maybe not a wholesale endorsement of the married priesthood, but at least this seems to indicate that he is not flat out against it.

- Henri

Dear Friend,

Still, I think this is a double standard being applied here.

If one has a lousy personality etc. then that would still qualify him for the priesthood if he was celibate.

But if one was married, then he would really have to jump through hoops to be considered to be ordained.

A sad state of affairs in the Ruthenian Church!

Alex

I think hmjd has a good point but is reading too much positively into it (assuming that we are all in favor of married priesthood).

When I first mentioned this issue in my first post, this is what I meant (what I understood Metropolitan Basil to be saying): he is more than open to ordaining or accepting married clergy (say from the Anglicans or the Lutherans, or even if an Orthodox wanted to come in) but he is not in favor of accepting regular, married Ruthenian Catholics to come to seminary to become priests. I understand him to say that he does not intend to allow for a regular married clergy in the sense that we usually understand that term. I do not think he intends there will be any change of the current norm during his time as Metropolitan. Of course, the best way for people to put their minds at rest on this score is to write the Archeparchy with a politely worded direct question. However, it is my clear sense from the Metropolitan's direct answer to a question that fundamental change is NOT in the offing.
Maybe hmjd could give more information if I missed something on this issue.
BTW hmjd, shoot me a PM when you get a minute so we can chat; I was sorry not to get to talk at the reception, but child issues interposed and we had to leave pretty quickly.
KH

Alas KH, your direct communication with him on this issue trumps my secondary conversation with another parishoner. You asked the right questions to get to the heart of where he stands on the issue. I stand corrected - unless of course somebody else has yet a different spin on this issue straight from the horse's mouth.

Well Alex, I guess your observation re: a double-standard is closer to the mark then my positive spin on this issue.

KH, sorry we missed each other. I'll send you a PM soon.

- Henri

I would not read too much into Metropolitan Basil�s comments regarding the restoration of a married priesthood. Imagine what it is like when, everywhere you go, people come up to you ask you about the restoration of a married priesthood. Given that there has been such negative press on this issue (caused by Roman Catholics who do not understand our custom of ordaining married men), the safest answer to this question is to simply state that yes, it is our custom and no, we are not actively pursuing it.

It is my experience in answering questions at this website that 90% of those who ask about the married priesthood are Roman Catholic men who are married but also feel a possible vocation to the priesthood. The part they usually miss is that they first need to have a vocation to be a Byzantine Catholic.

I have no doubt that within the next 10 years a few married men will be ordained by our bishops for service in our Church and that within the next generation the custom will again become normative.

Dear Administrator,

Point well taken! (How are you today?)

But I still think my Church is better than yours on this score.

God bless,

Alex

Alex,

I agree.

Admin

Dear Administrator,

You are wonderful, erudite, insightful and very wise.

Let's see . . . have I left anything out?

Alex