www.byzcath.org Forums Mysteries: The Life of Worship Vespers, Matins & the Divine Liturgy The Revised Divine Liturgy For Clergy: A Matter of Conscience

For the Clergy:

A canon lawyer in Rome has been consulted (schooled in both Eastern and Western Canon Law).

If celebrating the Reformed Divine Liturgy is something you really cannot bring yourself to do you have a right under canon law to petition Rome directly for permission to celebrate from the 1965 Red Book as a "matter of conscience."

In your letter you need to state:

1. That the Reformed Divine Liturgy promulgated on January 6, 2006 contains errors, abbreviations and inclusive language all of which violate the official directives from Rome to renew our Byzantine heritage. Reference specific documents in your own words.

2. Ask Rome to review the Reformed Divine Liturgy to assure you that it fulfills the direction that the Holy Father wants for us.

3. State that your conscience is deeply troubled by this Reformation of the Divine Liturgy.

4. Ask for permission to celebrate according to the 1965 "Red Book" (give the full name and information from the front). Note that you are asking for permission to celebrate the official Divine Liturgy of our Church according to the books issued by Rome. Note that all the other Byzantine Catholic Churches follow this standard issued by Rome. Note that your petition is legitimate since the Roman Catholic priests can now celebrate according to the 1962 Missal.

Send separate letters to:

Cardinal William Joseph Levada, Prefect
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Piazza del S. Uffizio, 11
00193 Roma, Italy

Most Rev. Archbishop Pietro Sambi, Apostolic Nuncio
Nunciature to United States of America
3339 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W,
Washington, DC, USA 20008-3610
Telephone: (202) 333-7121
Fax: (202) 337-4036

The nunciature in Washington is already aware of the problem.

I would add the Congregation for Eastern Churches to the contact list.

The Oriental Congregation supposedly approved this. They are very likely to ignore any requests. It is also possible to appeal directly to Pope Benedict XVI via the Nunciature.

I hate to say this people, but look what Rome allowed to happen to its own Liturgy. Do we honestly think by writing and complaining to Rome that we will get anywhere?
I know this is a very sensitive topic, but lets face reality here. The deed is done. If we want an authentic Eastern Liturgy there is only one place to truly find it. As someone posted on another thread- they'll leave the light on for us.

Certainly _not_ complaining and writing won't work.

Pravoslavnych Christian Tserkva!!!

It's very easy to find an excuse for not bothering - and the line that nobody will pay attention to a letter is as old as the hills.

Take it from me, even thoroughly hostile bureaucrats take letters more seriously than that. Better yet, ask your Congressman's secretary - he will tell you that if the Congressman gets even 5 separate letters, from 5 separate people, on the same issue, the Congressman will sit up and take notice and may well be moved to act - because the Congressman knows full well that those five letters represent many more people who wouldn't bother to write but who will be pleased if said Congressman does something about the issue.

I could say a lot about the same principle and the campaign to restore legal rights to the Greek-Catholic Church in the USSR. letters were critcally important, and it both shocked and discouraged me to find how terribly difficult it is to persuade people to invest a few minutes of time, an envelope and a stamp to write and send such letters.

If you don't have the gumption to write a letter, you don't have the right to complain that no one will listen to you. So get busy and build that file!

Fr. Serge

Just waiting until I get a copy of the liturgy book. I will be cordial, respectful of my hierarchs, but will be firm in well-argued and well-documented opposition.

Ditto.