www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News Encourage EWTN to air more Eastern programming

Would love to see a Melkite or Greek Catholic liturgy on EWTN !!!!!!

I would love even more to see in my lifetime HHs Bartholomew and Benedict co-celebrate at St. Peter's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :p :p :p :p :p :p

Here's a really ambition project for EWTN:

a series - done by videorecording, of course, or the equivalent - with an excellent choir each time, a substantial congregation, and a full complement of highly trained hierarchs, priests, deacons and subdeacons - of the utterly solemn Pontifical Divine Liturgy of each Eastern Catholic tradition. We cannot all travel around the world to see these things.

They might begin by showing us the enthronement of the new Syro-Malankarese Catholicos; I trust that the ceremony was recorded for posterity on video or DVD.

Incognitus

Glory be to Jesus Christ!

Perhaps EWTN could air the Pontifical Divine Liturgy that took place a few years ago to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the reunion of the Ukrainian Catholic Church with the Pope.

--Mark Therrien

It's nice and dandy to have all this talk about increasing the portion of Eastern Catholic Churches in EWTN's programming!

I think it would be more fruitful if these proposals are coursed through Fr. Sopoliga and Fr. Bertha, or through our own Moderator, Anthony Dragani.

They should know the peculiar situation inside EWTN!

Amado

EWTN is not allowed to show the full TLM, they used to a few years ago and their bishop had a fit.

Actually, EWTN has never had a programme showing a TLM in its entirety, and certainly not a live broadcast. They have had clips and have interviewed priests and been to seminaries which are specifically for saying the ancient Roman rite however.

That kind of content is not required for approval by the local Ordinary. Nor would it be if they simply aired a TLM from a diocese where it is approved. The approval would be necessary if they wanted to have a TLM in the diocese of Birmingham.

Now, that being said, there is the unofficial question of "good relations" with the bishop since the network, while lay run and not under his jurisdiction in that sense, does geographically reside primarily in his diocese -- though not completely since EWTN has other satellite offices, including in different countries.

Hopefully under Pope Benedict, those Orders, monasteries, seminaries, etc. who celebrate the Mass and Sacraments of the ancient, or classical Roman rite, as the TLM is often called, will be given more of a "personal prelature" kind of status, complete with its own bishops. That will resolve much of this tension.

At any rate, not really a topic for this site, but somewhat related I suppose.

According to my limited and possibly misunderstood interpretation of the Bishop's view, the TLM cannot be aired on EWTN as the indult cannot be contained within a particular diocese - thereby making it null. While this seems good on paper, I think wider audiences would learn a thing or two if they were allowed to see the TLM.

As the original poster mentioned, what is really the question here is related to the Divine Liturgy.

I, too, would love to see a regular Divine Liturgy on a regular time slot. EWTN has aired, in the past special liturgies, for instance the ordination of an eparch, etc.

But a standing (ideally weekly, but maybe to start even monthly) Divine Liturgy that was transmitted on their global network would provide a wonderful opportunity to evangelize, and bring things Eastern closer to latin Catholics.

In the service of Him who walked among us,

Deacon Chris

PS: Perhaps discussion of airing a Tridentine Latin Mass might be wandering off the course of the original post? Food for thought.

While I cannot be certain what the Bishop in question said, or what his thinking is, certainly there is no prohibition contained in the indult/Ecclesia Dei Adflicta that would prevent the airing of TLM on EWTN or any other network, venue, etc.

Episcopal approval is only required for its celebration, and even there, the bishop is basically supposed to approve of it unless there isn't truly a significant enough desire (e.g. only a few people really want it, but not enough to make it worthwhile to throw a priest at it).

Unfortunately, a number of bishops have been much more "restrained" shall we say in their generosity.

Indeed, it is wandering. So enough said about that. A regularly schedule Byzantine Divine Liturgy in a duly appointed Byzantine church would be fantastic.

That alone would give so many of my fellow Latin rite Catholics an awareness of the Christian East.

Personally, I love being able to mix the Christian East, with the classical West and then the great moderns of the Catholic revival such as Belloc, Chesterton, Newman, Knox, Dawson, et al.

As Pope John Paul II once termed it, the multiple treasures of Catholicism.

The question is:

Which Church gets dibs on regular airings? Do we get to duel it out or rock-paper-scissors?

The Eastern Church with the highest donation to EWTN of course gets the most air time.
I hear EC's complain about how they don't get their church featured on EWTN you must remember the network is entirely supported by private donation
If that donation is provided by 98 percent Latin Rite Church then the programs will reflect 98 percetn Latin Rite programming.
If in your donation you clarifed you were a Byzantien Ruthian Catholic and would like to see your particular churchs liturgy or a priest from your church on their programs regularly and could get get other people from your church donate say 15 percent of EWTN operating expense than you will see a lot more Eastern Programming featuring your church. In many ways its suppply and demand.

Actually there is more involved than just air time.

1) You will have to wire a church for video

2) You will have to have people who can run the broadcast. This should be a group of dedicated trained individuals (mind you I didn't say professionals) who can put together a good production.

3) Then you have to keep this team together in order to keep the production going. Not as easy as it sounds.

I have been looking into what we (the byzantine church) can do in order to have our services recorded and broadcast. My major in College was Radio/TV/Film, however due to circumstances beyond my control I had to move over to computers in order to make a living.

My guess is that EWTN would give it a slot, if the show was originated and fed to them via a link, or sent to them for broadcast later that day. I don't think they would have a problem showing the liturgy if we, and I mean the Eastern Catholic Church, foot the bill on the production costs.

This is, incidentally one of the topics that I will be bringing up in Whiting Indiana at the Evangelization Conference that is happening in the Parma Diocese.

Many of you have probably heard about this, but if not, and you want to come and have your voice heard then I suggest that you come out.

The information is up on . http://www.byzantineevangelization.com/

If you truly want to see more eastern programming on EWTN, then we have to get off our butts and do the producing. Don't expect EWTN to do it because they have their hands full with productions for the Latin Rite. My personal hope is maybe we can found BCTN (Byzantine Catholic Television Network.) Who knows, mother started EWTN with 150.00, God does great things through those who give themselves up to him.

John Gibson

A couple of disjointed thoughts:

Despite my intense desire and longing, I CAN'T be in Whiting, because of other obligations and a flat wallet. But all of you who are there will be in my prayers.

If EWTN is having any bureaucratic problems broadcasting a Tridentine Mass, they might try this: for the first time, a Tridentine Mass is part of the official schedule of the World Youth Day in a few weeks. With a modicum of planning, a video hook-up can certainly be arranged (I would expect one to be in place for the World Youth Day in any case). Let's see the nuisances try and stop EWTN from broadcasting that!

Where we Oriental types are concerned, the Latins are the victims of their own propaganda. After a LONG time of giving us the impression that they are wealthy and powerful, and we are the poor relations seeking a few crumbs from the massa's table, turns out that 'tain't so. It will take a while to convince many of us.

Just as an example, about a dozen years ago Patriarch Maximos V was startled when he opened his mail one morning and found a request from the Pope for a five thousand US dollar donation! The Patriarch was so shocked that he decided to send the money. He then had the letter and the cancelled check framed for his office wall, both for yuks and for display to people who claimed that the "Uniates" only went to Rome for the money!

As the saying goes: Ichabod!

Incognitus

Dear John:

Thank you for affirming what EWTN programming really entails and the fact that there is no "conspiracy" on the part of the staff to curtail the airing of Eastern Catholic stuff!

For crying out loud, our Moderator for this sub-forum, Anthony Dragani has been the long-time "spokesman" for the East on the Q&A of EWTN and Fr. Mike Sopoliga and Fr. Bertha have been the gracious hosts of the very successful program "Light of the East!"

"Catholic Answers Live!" (which also produces shows for EWTN and patched up with "Relevant Radio") had as guests recently the Chaldean Archbishop of Baghdad, a Maronite Eparch, and a Syro-Malankara apostolic visitator. In these instances, it appears each of the Eastern Catholic Church represented here did nothing except to "lobby" the good people of Catholic Answers for a portion of their allotted slot on EWTN.

Being a Latin, on his way to the BCA, you must have known the difficulties Mother Angelica and her nuns (and priests) encountered, and encountering, in building up EWTN.

Amado