www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Disappointed with EWTN's Journey Home last night

Dear Friends,

Did any one of you see the Journey Home last night, with a Russian woman named Tatyana as guest?

I was very disappointed with it. I hate saying that, because the guest herself was delightful, and she did have a wonderful conversion story to the Church.

However, I was profoundly disappointed by a few things:

1) She had been Russian Orthodox, but there was no mention or questions about the Byzantine Church. She is canonically Byzantine when she joins the church. She married a Catholic, whom I assume (but don't know for sure), was Latin Rite. I can understand if she goes to Latin Church, for perhaps her husband is Latin rite, or there are no Greek Rite parishes in her area. I was still disappointed the subject of our Greek Rite did not come up.
2) Marcus Grodi the host, and none of the questioners asked her if she knew of the Byzantine Rite.
3) Also she mentioned she was confirmed. She had to work to use correct English, so perhaps, she used the wrong terminology. But she should not have been confirmed upon entering the Catholic Church, for the Orthodox sacraments are valid. And if her parish confirmed her, that was wrong! They should not have.

Marcus Grodi is typically sensitive to the Eastern Rite churches, but I was very disappointed that there was no mention of the Greek rite on his show last night, considering the convert was a Russian Orthodox.

One of my treasured videos is Fr. Terry Kraychuck's conversion story on the journey home. Fr. Terry is a Ukrainian Greek Catholic Hiermonk in Canada, and has a very wonderful testimony.

I believe forum participant Deacon Lance has also been on the Journey Home.

Just a quick note: According to RC Canon Law, when a woman marries, she becomes the rite of her husband. So, an Orthodox woman who marries a Latin rite man automatically becomes Latin Rite and the children are automatically Latin rite, so they can choose to return to their mother's rite when they are older.

Joe

That is correct, a fully initiated Orthodox Christian entering into full communion with the Catholic Church should do so by profession of faith only.

Typically, this person would probably want to receive the sacrament of reconciliation shortly before the profession of faith, but this is needed, well, only if it is needed.

Shalom,
Memo

I did not know the fact that Joe brought up, the fact that a woman automatically joins her husband's rite.

Still I wish they could have said more about the Eastern Rites and Churches. Western Christians need to appreciate the Eastern Churches. Everything this woman had in the Orthodox Church is authentically Catholic.

After all, it is not just that the Orthodox holy orders and sacraments are valid and that the Orthodox are considered "true churches." It is also the case the we celebrate the same liturgy, use the same prayers and devotions in the Eastern Rite as our brethren do in the Orthodox.

When someone comes to my Church, the only thing that should be different than in the Orthodox Liturgies is that we mention the Pope of Rome in our litanies. TO the extent that is true, we are faithful in our vocation as Byzantine Catholics. To the extent that is not true, we have a ways to go yet.

Lance,

Was this a parish in the United States where she entered? I fear that many RCIA directors and parish staff are ignorant (through no fault of their own) of eastern churches and what Canon Law has to say about these things.

Joe

Lance,

"I believe forum participant Deacon Lance has also been on the Journey Home."

Sorry, must have been another deacon. I am a life long, unfallen away Catholic and wouldn't qualify.

Fr. Deacon Lance

Joe,

According CCEO a woman may transfer to the sui iuris Church of her husband upon marriage but is not required to do so. Children may belong to either sui iuris Church upon agreement of the parents. Only upon disagreement does it default to the husband's Church.

Canon 29

1. By virtue of baptism, a child who has not yet completed his fourteenth year of age is enrolled in the Church sui iuris of the
Catholic father; or the Church sui iuris of the mother if only
the mother is Catholic or if both parents by agreement freely request it, with due regard for particular law established by the
Apostolic See.

2. If the child who has not yet completed his fourteenth year is: (1) born of an unwed mother, he is enrolled in the Church sui iuris to which the mother belongs; (2) born of unknown parents, he is to be enrolled in the Church sui iuris of those in whose care he has been legitimately committed are enrolled; if it is a case of an adoptive father and mother, 1 should be applied; (3) born of non-baptized parents, the child is to be a member of the Church sui iuris of the one who is responsible for his education in the Catholic faith.


Canon 33

A wife is at liberty to transfer to the Church of the husband at
the celebration of or during the marriage; when the marriage has
ended, she can freely return to the original Church sui iuris.

Father Deacon,

Hasn't Pat Madrid been on the Journey Home? I thought that he never left the Church.

Dr. Eric

Ah, Father Deacon, thanks for the correction. I wonder if the situation is the same for a latin rite Catholic who marries an eastern rite Catholic? My wife was latin rite and I was Melkite. It was my understanding that she automatically transfered to my rite. In fact, we would have had to get special permission to be married according to the latin rite.

Joe

Joe,

The CIC does not address this issue so the CCEO is the governing canon for both Latin and Eastern Churches.

As to your situation, if you married before 1990 and the promulgation of the CCEO I think what you state would have been true, if it was after you were simply misinformed.

Fr. Deacon Lance

Any thought about writing to Marcus Grodi? I have found that oftentimes even though a Latin Catholic has knowledge of the East, it is not "on the front burner" of their mind so to speak. Does this make any sense? I think Grodi's predominant ministry is to Protestants becoming Catholic.

Yes, Coming Home Network International's main thrust is to assist Protestant clergy (Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, etc.) in their conversion process into the Catholic Church. Marcus Grodi said in one episode that his group has helped more than 600 such clergy come home (or in the process of coming home) to the Catholic Church.

There are Protestant laity in the mix and non-Christian converts from Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam.

James Likoudis was featured in one episode but he was not under the program of CHNI as he converted a long time ago before the birth of CHNI.

After the Tatyana episode aired last Monday, April 16, there is another convert from Orthodoxy who will be featured live on "Journey Home" on Monday, April 30, Deacon Joseph Pasquella.

Also, there are non-converts (like Karl Keating) who are featured guests, especially on open line Mondays (used to be open line Fridays.)

If Byzantine Catholics (and Orthodox) have concerns, it would be an oppurtune time to phone in or e-mail your question(s) or comment(s) on April 30. Based on past episodes, Marcus Grodi and the program staffers love to take questions.

BTW, you should listen (again) to Tatyana's testimony aired last Monday before making hasty judgment:

http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio...=-6892289&NewLis%20t=&T1=journey

Anna & Amadeus, thanks for the suggestion that we write Grodi. I am sure he will receive well the comments he receives from us. My impression of Marcus Grodi is that he is supportive of our Eastern Churches.

James Loukidis, in my view, is not very respectful to the Orthodox. I realize he converted to Catholicism to Orthodoxy.

I guess I live in a dream world. I am committed to unity with the Holy Father. But I feel like the Orthodox Churches are true Churches and the Petrine ministry is the only thing that separates us.

I am often just as protective of my Orthodox brothers and sisters when talking to my fellow Catholics as I am of our Byzantine Churches in union with Rome.

Dear Friends,

It seems that the impression that show created, at least to me, is that Orthodox Christians really need to convert to the only "True Church."

Is not the Orthodox Church the "True Church" as well in accordance to contemporary Catholic ecclesiological praxis?

Is it not an OUTRAGE for this channel to portray the Eastern Orthodox as an "outside" religion like Protestantism, Mormonism etc.?

Alex

I also just by chance saw this interview and my impression was that this lady was orginally converted to Orthodoxy without any firm basis or education in the faith and thus fell prey easily to the Mormons. Her views on the Mormons are also interesting but somewhat naive. What gets my attention is that she said she couldn't find any orthodox churches. Where did she look? In the "yellow pages"? Other Russsians?