www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Miles Jesu.

As to the Miles Jesu, I would advise caution.

Incognitus

I have deep suspicions of a Latin religious organization that utilizes the Byzantine Liturgical practice and vestments as it pleases them.

There is no indication on the website that Father Duran has received faculties from an eparch of any Sui Iuris church. There is only the fact that he is the head of the organization and the Pope permits it.

The site also implies that the other priests concelebrating with him may vest as Byzantine priests because they are concelebrating with him! Isn't this a violation of canon law? Latin priests concelebrating are supposed to vest as Latins as far as I knew!
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I am bi-ritual because i am the General Director of Miles Jesu. I have the right given to me by the Holy See of saying both the Latin Mass and the Byzantine Liturgy. The other priests who concelebrate with me, because of the fact that they are concelebrating with me, are allowed to concelebrate in the Byzantine rite.

Concelebrating at a Byzantine altar with a 'Byzantine rite' priest and vesting as Byzantine priests are two different things AFAIK. Do these men serve 'Byzantine' congregations or are they just doing 'Byzantine' demos?

I think the whole situation looks abusive, it has the appearance of playing church. It has a comic quality to it like some Old Catholic vagantes, and really tends to offend.

On the other hand...
Perhaps this is the backup plan, if Byzantine Catholicism takes a nosedive in the USA the Vatican can turn over whatever properties are left to organizations like this when the eparchies are suppressed.

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+T+
Michael

I never knew anything about the Byzantine thing when I knew them; indeed, when I visited them their common prayer, instead of the Liturgy of the Hours, consisted of kneeling before a statue of the Blessed Virgin and reciting Latin devotional prayers, which even at that time was not too appealing to me....
Nevertheless, my impression of them as vitally Gospel-oriented stands...
-D

SPDundas,

I thought the same thing as well when I read the founder's words. It sounds like he may know the rubrics and have the best of intentions, but he is far from fully catechized and formed about our nature and ethos as a communion. This is always the hazard with bi-ritual priests, although I know that there are MANY very good ones. The risk, though, is that our tradition becomes reduced to that of a "rite", which does not fully capture the wealth of our spiritual patrimony or existence.

I think it would be very good if someone wrote to the founder of Miles Jesu to explain this to him. My sense is that his intentions are probably very good, and in fact he would be surpirsed to know that he had offended anyone!

I may take a whack at it. Maybe it could come in the form of a journal article for their magazine, Miles Jesu?

Your thoughts?

Gordo

Another worrying thing to me was from the original post on this thread

This really sounds as if someone is getting into the 'pick 'n mix' sort of Liturgy [ sorry for the way I put it - but I can't think of a better way ] Surely you CANNOT mix the celebrations of East and West Liturgies in this way.

Anhelyna

Please lets be a little understanding on this matter. I have attended both the Divine Liturgy and the Novus Ordo Mass at the Miles Jesu community in Phoenix. I have been in constant contact with the priest there, Father Foeckler.

Miles Jesu priests are bi-ritual for many reasons. One major reason is that they have missions in Ukraine and say Divine Liturgy there! They are trying to minsiter and maintain Tradition!

Please also understand that Miles Jesu are some of the most traditional Catholics that you can get with the Novus Ordo.

"Some people still have some misgivings. They try to convert the Byzantine Catholics to the Latin Mass. That is wrong. They don�t need to be converted because they are Catholic, whether Byzantine or Latin. The Holy Father is continually telling us to explain these two Liturgies and their history."

That is a major part of Miles Jesu, to spread the news about the Eastern Catholic Church!

Laka,

I am certainly not contesting either their orthodoxy or their intentions. I think it is wonderful and indeed impressive that they intend to develop as an apostolate that, like the Catholic Church, "breathes with both lungs" of East and West. I hope that they continue along this path, so long as they understand that our heritage extends beyond that of "rite". NOt to mention the fact that the distribution of scapulars, miraculous medals and rosaries in Ukraine, while praiseworthy devotions, are not strictly speaking part of the Eastern Catholic patrimony. (Alex, you may - and probably will! - disagree with me here.)

My thought is to see their commitment to the East as a positive development that should continue as they grow in their understanding of our Eastern/Byzantine heritage.

Gordo

PS: Are you a member of Miles Jesu, Laka? Also, I'm unclear about the membership structure of MJ. Any insights?

Dear Laka,

In fact, why should Miles Jesu have missions of any kind in Ukraine where there are priests aplenty and even more religious?

They should be supporting the existing UGCC financially and in other ways to do the work it is ready and eager to do.

If it is competing with the UGCC, then it really should get out of Ukraine and go to work re-evangelizing Catholics in North America where they are greatly needed.

Alex

Alex,

Great point. We could certainly use help here in North America with Byzantine Evangelization! (So long as they were properly formed and had the blessings of the hierarchs...)

Gordo

Dear Gordo,

Yes indeed - they seem to be a kind of "Byzantine Rite-Wing RC" order!

Alex

Hello Gordo,

Yes, please write them a letter. I haven't seen anyone else on the forum saying that they'll write a letter. I just didn't want to take a risk of writing a letter and explain it the wrong way since sometimes I'm not good with English.

Many thanks,

SPDundas
Deaf Byzantine

Has any of the Byzantine Bishops in America of any jurisdiction (Ruthenian, Ukrainian, Melkite, etc.) addressed some concerns to Miles Jesu?

Or has anyone contacted their respective Eparchial Offices and express some concerns about Miles Jesu.

I remember after I went to the World Youth Day in Denver in 1993, that Miles Jesu group is "questionable". Meaning that many people had negative view on that group plus my spiritual director at the time wasn't fond of that group (he's a conservative priest).

So, now looking at the whole situation, the group is indeed questionable. If they were smart, they would have known better the differences between rite and Churches, they would have known the laws better or even consulted with it. Plus, if they were spiritual people, then they would have known better than to "play Church with Divine Liturgy". I know of a case like that here in this town. :rolleyes:

It's also somewhat egoistic for that priest that he is bi-ritual because he is member of Miles Jesu and that the Pope of Rome permitted him? Geez!

I haven't seen any information about which Eparchy he represents when he holds a bi-ritual facalities (sp?).

SPDundas
Deaf Byzantine

I am not a member of Miles Jesu. I, for a while went there for Mass and when I am in Phoenix, I stop by for confession (they offer it everyday 30 min. before Mass) and Mass and to visit.

I first found out about Miles Jesu from a friend of mine who had went. There Novus Ordo is very reverant and closer to tradition than every other one in Phoenix (except the Indult Mass there). It was also nice to see a Priest who wears a cassock all the time.

Some of the prayers are said in Latin at the Novus Ordo, they kneel to recieve Communion. Those and many others caught my attention, so I thought i'd check it out.

I still talk to Fr. Foeckler frequently.

I'm not so sure that you can draw that conclusion based on the opinion of one priest. From what I understand, some of the roots of Miles Jesu are in the charismatic renewal, which elicits any number of different reactions, positive and negative from different perspectives in the Church. That may be what he was referring to, but I'm not sure.

Again, I don't think it has anything to do with egotism or smarts. I think it is simply a matter of catechesis. I can think of many assumptions I made along my own pilgrimage Eastward that were incorrect. I am thankful for my many brothers and sisters over the years who were patient with me (including some here on this very forum) in their explanation of Eastern/Byzantine Catholicism. I think it is purely a matter of sharing our perspective in all charity, while encouraging Miles Jesu to continue to cultivate its appreciation for the Catholic East.

There is no ill will or vice here that I can discern. I think we should rejoice that such a worldwide and growing apostolate has a heart for the East!

My two cents -

Gordo

"In fact, why should Miles Jesu have missions of any kind in Ukraine where there are priests aplenty and even more religious?"

They feed, clothe and educate the poor there.


"They should be supporting the existing UGCC financially and in other ways to do the work it is ready and eager to do."

???
Miles Jesu, I'm sure runs on donations. They are not parishes, they are missions. The work they do a priests and religioyus is free. All members that are not priest and not religious that live in the community and have jobs take vows of poverty, chastity and obidience. I assume that the money they make is donated.
Either way thier Charity is free and i'm sure they are supported only by doantions.


"If it is competing with the UGCC, then it really should get out of Ukraine and go to work re-evangelizing Catholics in North America where they are greatly needed."


???
Miles Jesu is from Spain. They do charitible works everywhere. I'm not sure what you mean.