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I don't know what is being taught now within the Roman(Latin) Rite (Catechism), but prior to late 1982, I knew nothing of other churches within the Catholic faith--except Roman. Several years after attending a Byzantine Catholic church and being selected to cantor, I went to the long procedure to change my status as Roman Catholic to Byzantine Catholic. I called my sister in Lower 48, and said I am not Roman Catholic anymore but a Byzantine Catholic and her reply was---"Why did you change religons and not be Catholic anymore". She knows now and has attended a Divine Liturgy but still goes to her church--but she knows, and so do many other Roman Catholics know--from me. John

John,
this is a common problem in the West...my first introduction to the East was back in Berlin in the early nineties when I was teaching the RCIA class for the military parish. One of my students told me that her husband was Ukranian Catholic and I couldn't understand why she was becoming Catholic if her husband was Orthodox! Once it was explained to me that there were other Churches in Communion with Rome, I wanted to crawl under a rock in embarrassment...here I was, supposedly the instructor for those joining the Church, I was missing a large chunk of instruction myself.

When I told my family that I was no longer Roman and was officially becoming Byzantine, my mother flipped out and said my dad must be turning in his grave that one of his kids was going to be Orthodox. Being Jewish, I think she was better able to understand once I explained the situation to her, but I think my siblings are still confused. One of my sisters got to meet our priest and is still wondering why, if he is really Catholic, he doesn't wear a collar.

Vie

Yes, these past few years I have had to explain the same thing over and over to parishioners and friends. We attended a Byzantine Catholic Parish when we lived near one in another city in this state for about a year. One Sunday though we had been out of town so went to Liturgy at a Roman Catholic parish that evening. We ran into a "Sister" friend (religious) afterwards and she came up giving us a big smile while she said. "Oh, I see you have returned to the faith.!" All of which is to say that sometimes even the religious don't know that being Byzantine Catholic or attending a Byzantine parish is truly being Catholic. So, we just keep explaining and sharing. Amen!

Dear Friends,

The funny thing is that although I grew up knowing about the RC Church, I was sort of taught that the only really PROPER way of crossing oneself etc. was the Byzantine way.

The RC ways were to be tolerated since "they didn't know any better . . ."

We had a guest who was RC once and when I saw him cross himself, I asked my grandmother why he was doing it "that way."

She of course smiled and said, "Because he doesn't know any better!"

Alex

My family joined our local RC parish (the nearest Eastern Rite parish is 3.5 hours away). When I introduced myself to the priest and explained to him that my children should receive communion because we were Byzantine Catholic, he asked me why we weren't going to an Orthodox Church.

It's not surprising that it needs to be explained to parishoners when the priests don't know about the church's other lung!

Beth

Dear Beth,

It's a good thing I didn't know that priest!

Otherwise, I just might be sorely tempted . . . oh, so sorely . . .

P.S. the reason my screen name is "Orthodox Catholic" is because, in my Latin high school, when my Latin teacher, a Basilian Priest, learned I was of the "Eastern Church," that is how he referred to me . . .

Alex

I grew up Roman Catholic and attended St Agnes school. Just down the road was St Michael Byzantine Church. The nuns told us they were Greek Catholics; different but still Catholic. It always seemed a mysterious place to me, and when I got older [after I returned to the Church] I visited, my first encounter with Eastern Catholicism.
So there was not and is not universal ignorance among RCs...
-Daniel

I remember that the RC parish I grew up in listed the day of the liturgical calendar for both the Roman Rite and the Byzantine Rite on the front of the Sunday bulletin. I remember asking my Mom what the Byzantine Rite was, but it was so long ago that I can't remember her precise explanation. I seem to recall she was aware that there were Catholics other than Latin Rite Catholics. This was in the mid 1970s.

As far as my education in a Catholic grammer school, or my CCD education during high school, Eastern Catholicism was never mentioned. Of course neither was any Latin Tradition that predated 1970. It was as though the years from about 100AD to 1970 never existed. I don't think much has changed in that regard in recent years.

I always retained a curiosity about those "other Catholics", however, and eventually researched the subject myself in high school and college. It was a long time before I finally attended a DL though. In the Albany NY area we had Ukrainian Catholic Church, but the DL was in Ukrainian, and I was somewhat intimidated by the ethnic nature of the parish. I was afraid to go exploring although I had investigated enough to know where the Ukrainian Church was, and I had seen it many times in passing on the interstate.

After many years I returned to the Church with a renewed faith and finally sought out the DL. We are blessed to have here in St. Pete two DLs, one Ruthenian and one Ukrainian. We are also blessed to have a Tridentine Mass every Sunday (but no Holy Day indult.) All of these are no more than 20 minutes from my house. On any given Sunday I am truly presented with a feast. The Sundays of my youth were days of obligation to me, now the liturgy is the high point of my week.

Yes, externals have a lot to do with it. The incense and chant at the DL. The solemnity of the Traditonal Low Mass, the beauty of the Gregorian chant in the Traditional High Mass. This is Catholicism, this is how we pray, it is how we have prayed for centuries, and these externals serve to put my focus on the Lord. On the sacrifice of the Cross, and on the Risen Christ. As they are designed to do. In short, I find spiritual fulfillment in all things Catholic that were omitted from my Catholic education.

I have resolved that my daughters will not be ignorant either in regard to the Eastern Church, or in regard to their own Traditions. My oldest daughter, at five, is familiar with both the Byzantine Rite and the Tridentine Mass. She attends an RC school, and I have considered suggesting that at some point each class attend a DL at the nearby Ruthenian Church. I think sometime around seventh or eighth grade would be best, when there would be more understanding of the history of the Church. I think the Pastor at the Ruthenian Church would probably welcome the suggestion, but my guess is that my daughter's RC school will give me a polite "thanks but no thanks" for the suggestion. One can never underestimate the Holy Spirit though. I also think that education on the Eastern Church with attendance at at least one DL should be a mandatory part of all RC CCD programs. At my daughter's school the children could also go as a class to one Tridentine Mass, since that is the parish where the Mass is held. This would in effect be a combined history and religion lesson. The Holy Spirit would really have to get busy for that one. I'll suggest some of these things at my daughter's school and post the results. It should make for an interesting discussion.

We have not changed rites at present, as I still have faith that the Roman Rite will recover. In my mind this does not require a full return to the Tridentine Mass. The Pauline Mass with faithful translations and the Roman Canon in Latin would be a good start. I do think the Tridentine Mass should be more widely available, and the indult of the Ordinary not a requirement. Even if these miracles were to occur, I would never forget the Eastern Church, and would continue to breathe with both lungs. The Eastern Church will always be part of my life, and I intend to work to see that more Latin Catholics become aware of what they are missing, of what has essentially been kept from them.

John:

It was good to see you post here. I hope to see you on Sunday the 4th, when I'll be passing through Anchorage, if the schedule holds up.

Doug, the Cathay Pacific guy

Big John Of Anchorage.....I am curious...what brought you to make the change to Byzantine Catholic ?

First of All: I am sorry that emails have kept me occupied and have not checked byzcath, until Doug(Padraig) said to me today at St Nicholas Byzantine Catholic church in Anchorage--If I checked his response--I felt bad that I did not until today. Its probably not kosher to give my email address, but Doug call me at 907 277 1563.
Why did I become a Byzantine Catholic?? God had in his destiny for me, for me to attend a Byzantine Divine Liturgy. Something within me, gave me the feeling that I was truly home now. Not that Roman Catholic was not home, but the Divine Liturgy was more so. A great priest(God Bless His Soul) Monsignor(Mitred Arch Priest) Michael Artim asked me to be a Cantor--no formal training, and it was this position that made me want to know more of this Byzantine Catholic faith and in time I became a Byzantine Catholic. Now like many others around this globe--I want to bring others to a Divine Liturgy. I don't want them to switch(but really it would nice if they did) churches, but to experience the other lung of the Catholic church. To experience truly THE BEST KEPT SECRET OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. I better stop before I run out of space. I just want to say in addition-- Fr Tom Loya of Annunciation Parish has a terrific web site and I applaud him for his dedication to spread the Byzantine Catholic teaching. John