www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Dragani Letter to EWTN

Hello,

I am a Roman Catholic who became interested in learning about the Eastern Catholic Churches after speaking to a Byzantine Catholic at work.

When I found these forums and read the letter from Dragani I became dissapointed to see some of the tension that seems to exist between Roman and Byzantine Catholics. My question is, Does this tension exist or is it my reading to deep into the letter?

My personal belief is that the Byzantine Church has much to offer in the ways of tradition and I love the Icons. I think the introduction of these in the RCC would be a blessing.

Thank you,
Matt

[This message has been edited by Matthew (edited 03-05-2001).]

Matt,

It's great to see a Roman Catholic taking interest in the Byzantine world. We need more of you to take a little time and become educated on your Byzantine brothers.

As for the tension between Roman Catholics and Byzantine Catholics, I would hope that it doesn't exist (I'm a cradle Byzantine Catholic and I am unaware of these tensions).

However, since most Roman Catholics do not take the time to learn the Byzantine traditions and culture (and in reality, most Roman Catholics do not know we even exist), they can inadvertently offend us (for example look at the string for the "Metropolitan Archbiship Stefan of Philadelphia" discussion).

I encourage you to continue your quest for learning more of the Byzantine Church.

May God grant Pope John Paul II many years!

Erik

GLORY TO JESUS CHRIST!
GLORY TO HIM FOREVER!

Hi Erik!

I AGREE WITH YOU 1000%!!!!!

We recently (2 weeks ago) had a Latin family baptize their new son in our church. The father has been attending Divine Liturgy for the past 6-8 months. We've seen the mother once and one son on several occasions; there are 7 children total. The father does attend with friends on occasion. It seems that they used to attend a local Tridentine group but have had a falling out so the local Byzantine church was next on the list.

They have not taken the time or made the effort to learn anything about the customs and traditions of our Church.

It's going to get REAL interesting when we reach Paska!

the pyskany writer
mark

Matthew,

I would agree with my brothers who have posted above. With apologies for generalizing, I find little if any tension with our Roman brothers and sisters among mono-Byzantine Catholics. Mostly I find great thanksfulness for the assistance the Roman Church has offered us in our dark days. The most common points of tension tend to concern the national question. The Ostpolitik of Paul VI being a particular point of tension, one hundred times more contraversial than any issue of does a Metropolitan outrank a Cardinal.

As Medved alluded to, we did see an influx of Roman Catholics dissatified with their Church. Most of the compliants seem to come form here. Other, less bitter persons, have also migrated to us from the Roman Church, often for positive reasons rather than solely negative. They have the advantage we monoritual Byzantines don't have of being able to compare and contrast their two patrimonies. Much of their insights have been helfpul, but in excess it can result in an unhealthy focus on the externals of church life and governance.

To get a real feel of Byzantine community life, understand that our parishes are the reverse of the sterotype of American High Schools where personal popularity is often based on the most superfiscal attributes. Visit a parish and get to know the most socially outgoing and popular laity. it is generally because they reflect the spirituality and faith the parish hopes all could have. These folks will give you the best understanding of the interplay of our Universal faith with our particular patrimony.

Kurt

I dunno, Matthew. I've never seen much real tension in my own personal experience. However, my own family is a rich tapestry of East and West. We have Roman Catholics and Byzantine Catholics in our family. A couple of my relatives are Carpatho-Rusyn Orthodox, too.

I love the traditions of both East and West, because I grew up with both explained to me and with exposure to both. I'm a Roman Catholic, but I belong to a Byzantine Catholic parish. I feel just a little bit more spiritually at home in the East and with Eastern traditions.

I think the "tension" problem you ask about may be that the majority of Catholics are brought up to only understand Roman Catholic traditions and are totally unfamiliar with Byzantine Catholics and Eastern traditions. There is some misunderstanding as a result and this misunderstanding gets carried into the written and spoken speech and causes the kinds of difficulties that Dragani points out in his letter to EWTN.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Matthew:
[B]Hello,
SNIP
Does this tension exist or is it my reading to deep into the letter?
SNIP

Gee, Medved, they may have moved onto church number three on their list by then... ;-)

Dear Matthew,

I find the Latin Catholics very friendly. They advertize our parish bazzar in their church newsletters and alot always come. They are very nice and ask alot of questions.

One of the Latin parishes have loaned us folding chairs and things we need. Another has a van they have let us use. We also use the Latin diocese cementary (as do the Orthodox).

Olga Nimchek

Dear Matthew,
Laudetur Jesus Christus!

Speaking about tension, I once attended the Western Rite conference of the Antiochian Orthodox Church some years back.

There I found the same kind of tension between Western and Eastern RIte Orthodox that can be found among Roman and Byzantine Catholics.

I think such tension can be positive since Roman and Byzantine Catholics may learn from each other.

Roman Catholics may come to see that their Church is not a monolith and that there are other Churches of Apostolic Origin, Catholic and Orthodox.

Byzantine Catholics may also come to understand the West better as well.

The people on this Forum are extremely well read in the traditions of Byzantine Christianity and we also have some Roman Catholics who have much to share as well.

We have agreed in advance not to call each other "schismatic" or "heretic" and I think that is very helpful.

Welcome!

Alex

Dear Matthew,

Welcome!

I'm Mor Ephrem (actually I'm Phil, but haven't really revealed my name til now ). I'm not Byzantine, but Syriac/Malankar. I joined this forum to learn more about Byzantine Christianity, and I must say that I've learned a lot from all my new friends here about the Byzantine tradition, and try to give some of that back by referring to my own Syriac tradition. Sentimental as this may sound, I see in fora such as this the image of the unity we all long for. Anyway, that's my quota of sappy for the day...I'm glad you're here, and hope to hear from you more.

Hey, Phil. Perchance, do you live in Punxsatawny? (nyuk, nyuk!)

LOL, no, this Syrian groundhog proudly hails from New York!