www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Opus Dei of the East

Nothing like the words "Opus Dei" to generate a firestorm! Ah, well, I love a good fight...

Anyway, my fianc� is a member of OD and very committed to it. She`s not at all crazy, is largely indifferent on the question of Franco, has no secretive tendencies, exhibits no cult-like behaviour, and is generally quite normal�if, in our day, "normal" can be said of holy, devoted, zealous Catholics! But I digress.

In our discussions, we have talked about whether and how OD might work in an Eastern context (since I am Ukr. Greek Catholic and generally�but not entirely�a supporter of the charism of OD-although, juridically, there is some not inconsiderable incoherence in their structures). I don`t know how it would, or whether it would, so I want to solicit opinions of those with a *genuine* knowledge of OD (rather than, that is, trashy rumours read in the local paper and repeated as fact) and of the East to ask: do you think it is possible? And if so, what would it look like?

The Patriarch of Bucharest thinks it might. He arrived in Rome for an official visit on 6 October 2002, the very day that Jos�maria was raised to the dignity of the altars and made a saint of the Roman Church. He extended an invitation to the members of OD to come to Romania and work there.

However, my concern is that it has a very distinctly "Roman" feel to it presently (eg., daily Mass, rosary, sometimes self-flagellation), and I would not want to see it become like an Easternized version of the Redemptorists or Jesuits�basically a Western phenomenon tarted up with a few chotkis and icons. It would, in a word, have to be an organic development, taking what is universal in OD and implanting it in an Eastern context. At a minimum, the requirements for daily Mass and the Rosary would of course have to be replaced. What else should be done, or is this an entirely unrealistic expectation? Is it conceivable that OD could develop into a charism in the East, keeping the emphasis on daily holiness while marrying it to traditional Eastern devotions?

Or is there already such an organization in the East of which I am unaware that could do, or does, this? What about the brotherhoods of old (like those of L`viv that were so active around the time of the Union of Brest?).

Let the conflagration begin!

Well, I hope that the Romanian poster here can gives us an explanation. There was an organization called Ostea Domnului (the Army of the Lord) in Romania, which was similar to the Opus Dei in terms of organization and ideology. Its roots come from Corneanu's Leage of st Michael before WWII (after that it was replaced by the Iron Guard). The organization was Orthodox in its origin, not so long ago their members supported a kind of evangelical-style preachers and a "liturgical reform" (allowing the use of instruments in the liturgy for example) If Im not mistaken a section entered the Greek catholic Church there.

Dear Adam,

Opus Dei is basically a Western group and I think we in the East have not had the best of luck or experiences with imported Western Orders.

Even our original monks following the asketicon of St Basil the Great were later "reformed" and "improved worse" by the Polish Jesuits.

Our charism lies with the Studites and others of That Ilk.

The thing with the spiritualities of both East and West is that we differ on EVERY point.

Both sides do believe in God, however.

Alex

I think the teachings of Opus Dei and the notion of lay, professional celibates would work really well. But I think it would take a long time for Opus Dei to come to terms with a Catholic spirituality that didn't include daily Rosary or daily Mass. But my experience/knowledge of OD indicates that given enough time they could assimilate into an Eastern mindset.

Lay, professional celibates of this type I believe would not be harmonious with the Byzantine ethos and spirituality our Churches should be striving for and to which the Holy Father has exorted us to return to in Orientale Lumen. In the Christian East traditionally the only professed celibates belonged in monasteries.

We are still dealing with the aftermath of 'paramonastic' orders foriegn to the Byzantine tradition, especially the Basilians, and really don't need another one to contend with.

Importing the Opus Dei to the East will not be a good idea. Believe me. :p

Talking about the Opus Dei (or should I better say "that organization that calls itself "Opus Dei"?)and Rumania...there were a lot of Orthodox Rumanians (of fascistic ideology) flighting in the side Franco in our Civil War (Jose Maria Escriva de Balaguer was also in the side of Franco and was a fascist as well, nobody can deny the fascistic ideology which inspired Jose Maria's work "Camino"). I think that there were also Ukranians in the side of Franco but I am not completely sure of it. By the way, should Jose Maria Escriva be proclaimed pratron saint of the fascistic parties and associations?

P.S. Please notice that I am not saying that all Rumanians Orthodox were fascistic in the time of the Spanish Civil War or that all the members of OD are of fascistic ideology.

Dear Diak,

Yes, excellent point and I like your use of the term "paramonastic."

The Redemptorists, Oblates of Mary Immaculate and others were initially imported into our Church, with the original encouragement of St Andrew Sheptytsky.

This is not to say that these Orders have not contributed to our Church's life.

No one is suggesting that they should leave or else close down.

St Basil Velichkovsky and St Nicholas Charnetsky were both Redemptorists, but followed the Eastern monastic traditions to the letter.

One sometimes gets the idea that the Orders in North America are suspicious of anything that is too "Orthodox" or "Eastern" by way of a "uniate seige mentality."

The Basilians were originally Eastern monks that soon developed into an "Order" under the guidance of the Polish Jesuits. Today, their rule has them take the same ultramontanist vow to defend to the last dying breath the Papacy - as do the Jesuits.

Just as our Churches must always grow in the knowledge and implementation of our lost Eastern traditions, following Vatican II, so too must all members of Eastern religious communities strive to do the same.

Eastern Redemptorists should not, and need not, look identical in outward dress as do their Western counterparts.

Vatican II also mandated a full inculturation in Eastern Church culture and this applies to religious communities as well.

Alex

I believe the Zoe Brotherhood (also Soter?) is comprised--essentially--of Greek Orthodox lay theologians who are celibate.

Abdur

Dear Mark,

Daily rosary and daily Divine Liturgy can also be a hallmark of true Eastern spirituality.

St Seraphim of Sarov and countless other Russian saints prayed the 150 Hail Mary Rule of the Mother of God daily and expected their spiritual children to follow suit. The Orthodox Church sees this private prayer rule as having been revealed by the Mother of God to an Eastern monk of the Thebaid in the 8th century. We should all really say it daily as Eastern Christians.

St John of Kronstadt and others led the movement for frequent Communion.

Of course, the danger is that we would be tempted to not prepare well for more frequent Communion - but temptation is part and parcel of our spiritual struggle anyway.

Alex

Traveler, the members of the female fellowship of Saint Lydia of Philippos (Greece) are all celibate (not theologians) girls. Most of them are what we call in Greece "kotsides" or "papadies" ( I hope you will understand what I mean).

Good points about the paramonastic issue, Alex...my point was primarily directed at the latinizations of the Basilians, but you understood the point. Ironically Metropolitan Sheptytsky invited the Belgian Redemptorists in partly to counterbalance the latinizing tendencies of his own Basilian clergy.

Blesseds Mykola Charnetsky, Vasyl' Velychkovsky, Zenon Kovalyk, all Redemptorists, are some of the only Ukrainian Catholic clergy (besides some Studites, Metropolitan Sheptytsky and a few others) to have been photographed in traditional Eastern monastic/clerical dress in the earlier part of the 20th century.

And I shudder to think what would have happened without the strong leadership by another famous Redemptorist, Metropolitan +Volodymyr (Sterniuk) of blessed memory who lead the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Ukraine both through the brutal Brezhnev era and finally out of the underground.

But the point about the Basilians is a case in point, and we don't need to throw back to that era of Western orders in a Byzantine church. We need to foster our own traditional monastic vocations i.e. the Studites.

I understand. But I am afraid many secularized Greeks do not understand the meaning of a spiritually beautiful lifestyle, just like the majority of contemporary Americans and Europeans.

I envy you and--often--miss Ioannina and my old home.

Hellas Forever!

Abdur

Dear Diak,

Yes, indeed, and the Redemptorists are no longer in the Eastern Eparchy of Canada, with the Basilians dwindling as well here.

They are strong in Ukraine and elsewhere in Eastern Europe.

But for the life of me, I don't know why they seem to have acquiesced in allowing the RC's to take the relics of our Blessed Pratulin Martyrs to Poland!

I would really like to see a strong lay support group for the Studites, people who partake of some of their spirituality and are "out there" in the community and the world spreading their message and way of life.

Anyway, I'm disjointed this morning as I'm onto the Akathist to St Francis!

Alex

I once read that a good number (around 50%) of the Canadians who volunteered on the Republican side were of Ukrainian heritage. I've never verified this, however.

I would think, however, that most Galicians would have been on the side of the Church and not the Communists.