www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News Russian Catholic Church sui iuris - Werth as a head

Fr. Golovanov was elected (or rather "recognized"
as a senior pastor) a temporary administrator
of the vacant Exarchate (CCEO, can. 320).

One should also remeber that it was only a part
of GC clergy in Russian who met and elected Fr.
Sergius.

Sincerely,
deacon Peter

Well, while I agree that such a move itself is
not proper, I wouldn't be so ready to attack Bishop Joseph Werth personally. I don't know whether he's Kasper's protege, but I do know his
treatment of GCs is maybe the best, if compared
to other Latin Bishops in Russia. His diocese
is AFAIK the only one with properly registered
(so recognized by the Church and state as well)
GC parishes, organized in a deanery with...Fr.
Sergius Golovanov as dean.
In fact, Fr. Sergius could be elected administrator of the exarchate because he was
the senior pastor. It was Bishop Joseph who
had made him a canonically appointed pastor!

Sincerely,
deacon Peter

It's in fact nothing new: Cardinal Casper in
his famous interview "predicted" such a move.
And, more generally, you has much right However,
not only Roman officials are to be blamed, but
also our own attitude. Why didn't our Synod of Bishops react to Kasper's statement on GCs in
Russia? Because they are not "ours"?

Sincerely,
deacon Peter

And both men.

Actually, their life paths differ definitely.

Werth is a "Soviet" German, son of parents
deported to Kazakhstan, "Soviet" priest and
secret Jesuit.

What does he have common with Kasper?


If it's intended to be permanent - YES!

But, as a temporarily mode, it's much better
than previous situation.

Sincerely,
deacon Peter

It is very unfair to write such things about
people you haven't the slightest idea about.
I mean Bishop Joseph, of course.

Sincerely,
deacon Peter

Dear Father Deacon Peter,

You are right about my comment directed towards Bishop Joseph and I withdraw my "lackey" remark.

However, regarding Cardinal Kasper, my labeling him as a modernist stands. I have definitely heard more than enough of his commentary to know he has consistently steered himself perilously close to heresy, as have others in the Church hierarchy.

God Bless,

Sam

As a long-standing supporter of the idea that the Exarchate of the Russian Greek-Catholic Church should be restored, a couple of observations. Father Sergei's "election", which Rome ignored, was to be Administrator of the Exarchate.

In actual fact, since an Apostolic Exarchate is an arm of the Holy See, there is no provision for election of an Administrator or Exarch by the clergy of the jurisdiction, which would be Rome's justification for inaction with respect to the election.

Canon 320 CCEO

So, Father Sergius would, by virtue of his senior presbyteral status, have been the administrator ex officio, anyway. That, of course, presumed the Exarchate to have status as a functional canonical entity, which I think is arguable, as Rome had allowed it to be sede vacante and effectively canonically suppressed de facto, though not de jure.

I do think, though, that the synodal act had the effect of causing Rome to acknowledge the existence of the Russians who, until then, it had effectively ignored.

I agree with Deacon Peter that Rome's action, while deplorable in failing to appoint a member of the RGCC clergy to the post, is preferable to the pretense that our Russian sisters and brothers don't exist. As it has been, they have been subject to local Latin ordinaries anyway; at least now, they will have the advantage of all being subject to a single hierarch under an Ordinariate, which is what I take this to be.

Neither the Vatican Information service nor Zenit has yet posted the pontifical appointment of Bishop Joseph so, for now, we can only speculate as to the form which the appointment will take. I agree with Deacon Peter that an "Ordinariate for Faithful of the Oriental Rites" seems most likely.

Many years,

Neil

Deacon Piotr, while I do agree that at least in that diocese Fr. Sergei has some legitimate (and very well earned) recognition, to me overall it is still a step backwards in recognition and respect of any form or semblence of synodal identity of the RGC. I did not mean any personal attack in the post which you quoted, but merely stated my own observations and that of Vatican insiders.

You are correct that not all of the GC clergy were present. The UGCC clergy have an external hierarchy with actual, standing, breathing bishops of their own ritual tradition (unlike the RGC), and they were naturally not involved in the election of a RGC exarch. A simple majority of the functioning RGC clergy were, however, present.

Now we have created another artifical layer of Latin hierarchy over the GCs when they certainly deserve at least an administrator, visitator, etc. of their own rite duly recognized as such.

Granted, the situation is very difficult. Fr. Sergei is constantly walking the tightrope in all of his missionary activity in Omsk and his surrounding environs.

But did that synodal election of an exarchial administrator mean anything to anyone in Rome? Apparently not. It seems to have been quite ignored. Why? Rome's turning its back on the whole thing is certainly not in the spirit of either Orientalium Ecclesiarum or Orientale Lumen.

And I think reality would dictate that no RC bishop could conceivably reach and maintain Werth's level of prominence as a Russian hierarch without Kasper's continued fiat to the Holy Father. That's just the way it works with respect to Catholic issues within Russia. We also saw that with the issue of the Patriarchate in Ukraine. Without Kasper's blessing, it won't happen.

Bishop Werth issued no statement even recognizing that the RGC Synod and election had even occurred.

Neil, all that canonical posturing gets us nowhere in a return to a legitimate synodal form of government. The end result is still a ghetto existence being kept under wraps within the Latin hierarchy.

Father Sergei was elected by a majority of functioning RGC clergy. Is there an RGC? Why can we just not say so and recognize it? Why hide it under another canonical layer of Latin hierarchy?

That ranting being done, we do appreciate the assistance by the RCs in using their resources for worship space, as the laws are very prohibitive in terms of registration of parishes and communities, and out of necessity some of our communities are driven to use the RC facilities. That should not preclude recognition and respect for the presence, identity, and need for hierarchy of the RGC.

I am far less optimistic than Fr. Deacon Piotr by this move. To me it is still an affront, even if indirectly, to the legitimacy and respect of synodal organization of the RGC.

Andreios, having any historical flashbacks to the German bishops "assisting" Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Moravia and Slovakia? Part of a larger plan by Kasper? Stay tuned.

At the end of the day, in spite of the niceties of another Latin being appointed as superior of Greek Catholics, we still do not have an exarch for the Russian Greek Catholic Church, vacant since the death of Bishop Andrei Katkoff of blessed memory. This is an issue very close to me personally and please excuse my intensity in its discussion.

Well gentlemen you know where the answer lies dont you?
The Eastern Church needs to stand up and say NO MORE, elect their Bishops, their Patriarchs and inform Rome of the the Election along with a profession of faith, like it was in the first millenium. What are they going to do, tell the Eastern Church to go back to Orthodoxy?
Stephanos I

ISTM that there is a better way.

The ECs in Russia (and elsewhere) are in a really bad situation. I just don't see what the point is anymore.

Agreements aren't worth the paper they're written on if one side has ultimate power and lacks the desire to honestly abide by the agreement. It's like a treaty between Native Americans and the U.S. Government.

As always, I'm praying for ECs and I'll keep the Russian ECs in my prayers as well.

Good luck, guys!

It's like I have often thought about us Eastern Catholics.
Rome treats us like mushrooms They keep us in the dark and feed us....manure.

if any one is interested in news about the Russian Catholic community, may I suggest
http://www.stmichaelruscath.org
much love,
Jonn

Jonn, you might also want to check out http://www.byzantinecatholic.org/ for OLF Russian Catholic Church in San Francisco. If you read Russian there are several other sites as well.

Yes, but this is a different situation. Armenians in Poland (or e.g. syro-malancar catholics in Italia etc.) do not have their own ecclesiastical structure there. So their people are entrusted to Latin bishops. But there is an Exarchate in Russia! (Even in the last Annuario Pontificio there is.) So the Russian catholics of Byzantine rite could not be entrusted to other hierarchs and no one can be nominated an ordinary for them. Rome can only nominate an exarch, administrator, visitator...

andreios
http://grkat.nfo.sk

This is another problematic moment. Werth does not have the right to appoint priests of other Church sui iuris to pastor under his jurisdiction. So the appointment of fr. Sergij is, IMHO, a little bit problematic.


The situation on the territory of Werths diocese is the best in the whole Russia, but it is far from "good".

andreios
http://grkat.nfo.sk