www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News Eastern Catholic Church disagrees Kasper

The title comes by tradition, says Syro-Malankara Church [newindpress.com]

Thoughts?

Dear Ray,

Well, I, for one, feel a little shaken . . .

I thought the Vatican only picked on Ukies . . .

We should start a petition to have Cardinal Kasper assigned to a new position!

How about as an archimandrite for the Greek Catholic Studites?

So the Cardinal says the Syro-Malankara Major Archbishop can't call himself "Catholicos?"

Just to show how well I think of the Cardinal, let me say,

God bless the Syro=Malankara CATHOLICOS!!!

Yippee!
Alex

One would have to see the letter, really. The Archbishop says the title is not conferred by the Vatican (but come with the see). The Cardinal says the title has not been conferred by the Vatican; did he mean it MUST BE, but HASN'T; or that "we didn't give it to him, don't blame us"?

This could be a real disagreement, or a "public response" or clarification; it's hard to tell. It's made more confusing by the fact that the Archishop says the title is not conferred by the Vatican, BUT that he was elevated to it by the Pope. ??

Yours in Christ,
Jeff Mierzejewski

The Malankara Orthodox were very upset with the Syro-Malankar Major Archbishop assuming the title of Catholicos. Cardianl Kasper is correct, th Holy Father did not give him the title of Catholicos as such title does not exist in the CCEO. It raised him to the rank of major archbishop which is equvalent to a patriarch except that once elected by his synod he must be confirmed by the Pope before being enthroned, rather than being immediately enthroned and exchanging letters of communion with the Pope as a patriarch does.

However, in raising the Syro-Malankar Church to the rank of major archepiscopate they have given it the same relationship that the Malankara Orthodox Church, headed by a catholicos, has with the Syrian Orthodox Church, whose patriarch confirms the catholicos when elected. It is not unusual then that the Major Archbishop sees his status as rightfully being that of a catholicos according to Syrian tradition.

Fr. Deacon Lance

Dear Father Deacon,

When will Rome learn to simply butt out of Eastern Catholic Church affairs?

Cardinal Kasper should do what Cardinal Kasper does best - build Eastern Catholic confidence through his dealings with the Moscow Patriarchate . . .

Alex

Perhaps Cardinal Kasper should be, shall we say, suggested to retire......

Pope Benedict XVI did send Archbishop Dwiscz (sp) to Poland.

It is true that the Roman Church does not have any such title called 'Catholicos.' The same way the Eastern Churches do not have a title such as "Cardinal." Since His Beatitude the Catholicos is the Spiritual head of my Church, Archbishop Kasper (who is of lesser honor and dignity) has no right or need to comment. In the very least, have the sense to defer to His Beatitude Patriarch Ignatius Mar Daoud for further comment, as he is the head of the Congregation of Oriental Churches for the Vatican.

If anything, this latest stupidity demonstrates that "Major Archbishop" is not a rank or title that belongs to the Christian East - it was invented in the mid-twentieth century by overly fussy curial canonists. The only church that seems content with that title is the Syro-Malabar Church.

Incognitus

May I ask - what are Cardinal Kasper's qualifications vis a vis the Eastern Churches? How did he get into the job he is in?

Just curious...

Gordo, who is contemplating sending him a link to Monster.com

Fr. I,

The Orthodox Churches of Cyprus, Greece, and Albania are headed by Archbishops so I don't think that it can be said that having an Archbishop as the presiding hierarch of a Church, as opposed to Patriarch, is not Eastern. What is not Eastern is the way the CCEO differentiates between presiding hierarchs of Eastern Catholic Churches limiting the power of major archbishops and metropolitans. Among the Orthodox presiding hierarchs all have the same power whether metropolitan, archbishop, or patriarch.

In my opinion rather than worry about upgrading titles, Eastern Catholic Churches should be demanding the CCEO be rewritten, giving equal rights to all presiding hierarchs and granting them immediate jurisdiction over their faithful anywhere in the world.

Also I believe the Syro-Malabars are seeking the patriarchal title as well, they just don't get as outspoken as the Ukrainians about it.

Fr. Deacon Lance

Because of his job Cardinal Casper is subject to the erronious theories of false Ecumenism and latinism.It may be time for the Cardinal to find a new job so he can purge himself of these misstaken theories.

CaelumJR,

Glory to Jesus Christ!

You asked of the qualifications of Cardinal Kasper with respect to Eastern Churches.

It is my opinion that he is eminently qualified to continue to promote Christian unity through dialogue with Eastern Churches.

In the Consistory of February 21, 2001, Pope John Paul II named Walter Kasper Cardinal. He was appointed that same month a member of the Congregation for the Oriental Catholic Churches. On March 3, the Holy Father named Cardinal Kasper President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and of the Holy See�s Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews.

Under the leadership of Cardinal Kasper, the Council for Promoting Christian Unity has as its primary function guiding and serving the ecumenical activities of the Catholic Church and is also responsible for Catholic - Jewish relations. Among its numerous activities have been international theological dialogues with the Lutheran World Federation, the Anglican Communion, the World Methodist Council, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, the Pentecostals, the Disciples of Christ, evangelicals, the Orthodox churches, the Baptist World Alliance, and various Jewish organizations, including the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultation (IJCIC).

It is the task of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity to name Catholic observers at various ecumenical gatherings and in its turn to invite observers or "fraternal delegates" of other Churches or ecclesial Communities to major events of the Catholic Church.

At present, the PCPCU is engaged in an international theological dialogue with each of the following Churches and World Communions:
� The Orthodox Church
� The Coptic Orthodox Church
� The Malankara Churches
� The Anglican Communion
� The Lutheran World Federation
� The World Alliance of Reformed Churches
� The World Methodist Council
� The Baptist World Alliance
� The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
� Some Pentecostal groups.

The relations with other Churches and ecclesial Communities are divided into two sections:
� The Eastern section deals with Orthodox Churches of Byzantine tradition and the Oriental Orthodox Churches (Coptic, Syrian, Armenian, Ethiopian and Malankara), as well as the Assyrian Church of the East;
� the Western section is responsible for the different Churches and ecclesial Communities of the West and for the World Council of Churches.

He has specifically been involved in dialogue with the following Orthodox Churches. The documents of this Commission regarding these Churches are available at the Vatican web site:

Ecumenical Patriarchate � Phanar
Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria
Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch
Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem
Patriarchate of Moscow
Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Patriarchate of Moscow
Exarchate of Belarus of the Patriarchate of Moscow
Orthodox Patriarchate of Serbia
Orthodox Patriarchate of Romania
Orthodox Patriarchate of Bulgaria
Orthodox Church of Greece
Orthodox Church of Poland
Orthodox Church of Albania
Orthodox Church of Finland
Orthodox Church of Estonia

Hope this helps,

Deacon El

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Concerning Cardinal Kasper and Christian unity with Eastern Churches, we should consider his participation as plenary speaker in the Orientale Lumen Conference in 2004 held in Constantinople.

Patriarch Bartholomew I served as host for the Conference. The plenary speakers included:

Patriarch Gregory III (Laham), Melkite Greek -Catholic Church, Damascus, Syria

Walter Cardinal Kasper, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, The Vatican

Metropolitan Gennadios of Sassima, Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and Secretary of the International Catholic-Orthodox Theological Dialogue, Constantinople, Turkey

Archbishop Vsevolod of Scopelos, Ukranian Orthodox Church of the USA, Chicago, IL
Bishop Kallistos of Diokleia, Retired Spalding Lecturer of Eastern Orthodox Studies of Oxford University, England

Archimandrite Robert Taft, SJ, Professor Emeritus of the Pontifical Oriental Institute, The Vatican

Moderator - Rev. Dr. Robert Gribben, Professor of Worship and Mission, Ormond College

The Conference proceedings have been published and are available through Eastern Christian Publications.

It would be my recommendation to consider attending the Conference next summer, either in Washington DC or San Diego.

My prayers are with you,

Deacon El

Thanks, Father Deacon El. Your post was informative.

I will say, though, that Cardinal Kasper has a knack of offending the Catholic East - or maybe we are just a tad too sensitive. Then again, we may have good reason to be!

Gordo

Michael_Thoma:

Within the Roman Church, a Cardinal has a higher dignity than an Archbishop, Metropolitan or otherwise.

It comes as an insult to us Latins for you to demote His Eminence, Cardinal Kasper, to his previous title as "Archbishop." Only the Pope can do that!

HB Daoud was appointed Prefect of the Congregation for Oriental Churches not because he was Patriarch of the Syrians (he was retired when he was appointed) but because he was/is a Cardinal. The major dicasteries in the Roman Curia are always headed by Cardinals.

Amado