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

Has anyone contacted Marcus Grodi about these issues?

Amadeus, I do not totally agree with you here-

"Free ride"- I do not think this is some kind of capitalist question, with Byzantines expecting "Welfare" from EWTN. I do not think that is the proper way to look at things. I think that if the network is going to show the world what the Catholic Church is, it should cover the Eastern Churches occassionally. Of course, we should individually support EWTN if we believe in it, an I know many Byzantine Catholics who do. We always have have EWTN literature and program schedules on our literature table at Church.

My experience is that many in Catholic media are happy to learn about our churches. One of my friends and I were on the local Relevant radion station one morning for an hour sharing our experience and conversion to the Byzantine Church. The folks there were very happy with the program, and are having us back in July or August to talk about the Dormition.

I think too, simply calling or e-mailing to EWTN might help. I think there are only good intentions there, and they will try and respond to us if we remind them we are here.

I agree, Fr. Serge. And actually, considering the time restraints, I felt that Marcus Gordi and the guest did an admirable job trying to cover all of that, about as good as one could do given the time retraints.

I actually had a brief flirtation with the Way Ministry in my late teens. I remember me and some of my friends looked forward to the "kiss of peace" with a particular woman in her 30's there, who was very attractive, and took the "kiss of peace" from the bible very literally! But thank God, it was not enough to keep us there.

I agree, AMM, in general with you. I think that we should not target the members of each others churches.

IF someone moves from the Orthodox to the Catholic Church or vice verse for reasons of conscience, I feel I need to respect that.

The deacon should not have left the church, but people do all the time. I myself am a revert to the Catholic Church. I grew up Latin Rite, but after a stint in fundamentalism and a liberal Latin parish, reverted back to the Catholic Church via the Byzantine Church.

I which we could have the good deacon in our church, he obviously still loves the Eastern Church and Spirituality, and did a wonderful job giving a high level overview of it, especially given how many different issues were dealt with on the show.

This makes me really think about what our role as Byzantine Catholics is-

For our Orthodox brethren, we need to model how genuine Eastern Churches can be in union with the West. For the Roman Brethren, we need to model genuine Eastern tradition, to allow them to see how the church should be breathing with both lungs.

Targeting Orthodox for conversion would seem to undermine both of these goals.

Dear Lance:

As it is, EWTN "occasionally" carries Eastern programming.

Fr. Loya's "Light of the East" is carried by EWTN Radio and partched up with "Relevant Radio!" (Or, the other way around.)

EWTN TV/Radio is now presenting the Maronite Church this May, as Pani Rose has reminded us.

It seems the issue here is whether EWTN, on its own, would "increase" the Eastern content of its programming without the "nudge" or the serious efforts of concerned Eastern Catholics to be in the limelight?

As you can see, my answer is NO!

In other words, the initiative should come from the individual Eastern Catholic Church, or as a group, like when Fr. Loya recently guested in his "Light of the East" radio program both the Maronites and the Melkites.

Let's keep on knocking on EWTN's doors, until they see the entire "Light of the East!"

Dear Brother in Christ Serge:
Greetings in Christ.

I was truly dumbfounded at your remarks regarding my interview on EWTN with the Journey Home Program on April 30th,2005; especially your attacks on my person, my manor of dress and such insulting accusations.Your comments reminded me of a catty woman's remarks regarding someone they were gossiping about. Did they bring glory to God? Ask yourself if you were being charitable? Did you suppose you are defending your faith by criticizing and condemning me? Your opening remarks were also very condescending.Your profile says you are a Greek Catholic; is this how you normally talk about your fellow brothers in Christ and Clergymen in the Church? I don't think Saint Ignatius of Antioch would agree with your manor of speak with respect to me. Being you post these things publicly you should ask for forgiveness publicly or at least apologize.

You say I should not dress with a tie and business suit? Should I not obey my bishop? Our Bishop of Buffalo has mandated that permanent deacons where suits not clergy clothing. I must obey my bishop, so I were what he tells me to wear. By the way, Metropolitan Philip wanted his clergy to wear black suits not cassocks (except in Church), I heard him publicly reprove a priest for wearing a cassock after the Divine Liturgy during the coffee hour and ask him, "are you a fundamentalist?" He then ordered him to talk off his Cassock.
You then mention that being asked to Give a blessing that I was wrong to do so? In the Catholic Church(Latin), deacons are given the faculties/power to bless people, places and things. Deacons are ordained Clergy they have received the Sacrament of Holy Orders, and are incardinated into a diocese by the Local Bishops, who then gives them all the faculties whereby they may offer their service as deacon to Christ and the Church. Deacons not only give blessings in the Western Church, but Preside at Funerals ( when their is no Mass), Communion Service outside Holy Mass, They May Officially Witness and Bless Marriages, Deacons baptize Infants according to the rites of the Church which include the anointing with the oils, Deacons Bless homes, Preside at the Liturgy of Hours, Bless with the Blessed Sacrament during Solemn Benediction of the Holy Eucharist...Deacons may not hear confession nor absolve sins, Offer the Eucharist, nor anoint the sick with the Sacrament of Unction, deacons may not Confirm.
Deacons serve in three areas: Service of the Word: They Proclaim the Gospel, Preach Homilies ( they have intense homiletics courses/ 4 years of theory and practicum), They teach and prepare candidates for Sacraments especially for baptism and confirmation, they may teach Christian Education Classes, may teach nor preach anywhere. They are canonically bond to pray the Divine Office, especially Morning and Evening Prayer. Service of the Liturgy:They Serve The Divine Liturgies of the Church, they Offer the Penitential Rite in the beginning of Mass, Assist with Incensing if it is used, Read or Chant the Gospel, Give the Homily when assigned, Read or Chant the Intercession, prepare the Altar and gifts of the Offertory,Distribute the Body and Blood of Christ, assists the priest in anyway he needs it, and gives the dismissal.
Service of the Charity: Deacons help at food pantries, Prisons, St. Vincent De Paul Societies, Catholic Charities, Hospitals, nursing homes, home visits etc. There is no work of Charity that is strange to deacons.

You say that my interview only show confusion? You should see the emails and heard the phone calls that I got since the show. I have at least 6 orthodox persons who are contemplating entering the Catholic Faith, and I have received phone calls and Emails from protestants and former WAY Ministry Believers who are seeking the fullness of the Faith. So God can use the poor words of his Deacon to bring about His will and for his Glory.
The purpose of the Program what to discuss my Journey of Faith, It was a long Journey, and people are blessed to hear such Journeys and like minded Believers should rejoice and support one another when one gives his testimony and witness for Christ.
My purpose was to share my heart and life with the World, not to have a discussion solely about Orthodoxy verses the Latin Catholic Church. You tried to make a mockery of my Life's Journey of Faith...You mention these things are very personal and should not be talk about...perhaps that is a cultural thing with you.. but it was not for Saint Paul, nor for All the Missionaries that Christ Sent and sends into the Word. If the True Chruch doesn't do it, then shame on them...if they refuse to obey the comandment of God to "Go into the Highways and byways and compel men to come to me", (Jesus Christ), preach the Gospel to all creatures, then God will call others to do it.

My prayers are with you and your Church. May the Holy Spirit be your constant source of wisdom.
Yours truly in the Risen Chrsit,
Deacon Joseph Pasquella
(Diocese of Buffalo, NY)

Are you planning to stay and interact with the people here on this Forum or is this a one shot deal?

Mary

Father Deacon Joseph,

I would normally say that such disputes between you and Father Serge are private business. But, since you've posted publicly, I hope you will stay and continue to participate in our community. Despite your contemporary feelings, I think that if you stay long enough, that you find this to be a very disciplined and charitable forum. By the way, I'm a former eastern Catholic (Melkite) who has become Orthodox. And my view is that each of us should follow his own conscience and serve Christ as best he can. So, I congratulate and bless you in following your own conscience and finding your place in the greater body of Christ.

You should know that Father Serge is loved and greatly respected here. I understand if you feel that your interview on EWTN was given an unfair assessment. I did not watch most of the interview myself, so I cannot comment much on that. I just hope that you discussed this privately with Father Serge first to find out if there were simply honest misunderstandings. I don't believe that Father Serge or anyone that I know here would intentionally insult anyone. Let us not stoke the fires, but instead, let us educate one another and regard one another with charity. I will confess, for myself, that in situations where I feel that I have been wronged, that it is very difficult for me not to strike back with righteous indignation. But, then again, our Lord said, "If you are compelled to go one mile, go two..." Easier said than done I know. Also, forgive me if I sound like I am preaching. It is not my place to lecture a member of the clergy. I am simply sharing my thoughts on this response and it is my hope that instead of hard feelings and resentment, forgiveness and love will reign. Be blessed,

Joe

Dear Deacon Joseph Pasquella:


If you are so inclined, I would encourage you to stick around, and participate in our forum whenever you can. I hope you will become a regular contributing member here.

I would echo Joe's comments about Fr. Serge, I feel the same way about him. We are lucky to have him, he is a treasure.

If we Byzantines sometimes prove to be sticklers for details and proper rubrics, please know that we are all working hard to be faithful in our vocation as Eastern Catholics, trying to recover our genuine traditions, as several Popes and the Second Vatican Council have called us to do so.

I thought you did pretty well on the show for the most part, given the time constraints, and the fact that we did not have all of your context.

Blessings,

Lance

"You say I should not dress with a tie and business suit? Should I not obey my bishop? Our Bishop of Buffalo has mandated that permanent deacons where suits not clergy clothing. I must obey my bishop, so I were what he tells me to wear. By the way, Metropolitan Philip wanted his clergy to wear black suits not cassocks (except in Church), I heard him publicly reprove a priest for wearing a cassock after the Divine Liturgy during the coffee hour and ask him, "are you a fundamentalist?" He then ordered him to talk off his Cassock."

Christos Voskrese! Christ Is Rise!

Dear Father Deacon,

I am most disappointed to have read your post. I am very sorry that both your Orthodox Bishop and your Roman Catholic Bishop do not repect the Holy Priesthood enough to have Deacons and Priests wear Cassocks. To wear the Protestant suit with the three inch plastic collar slide in thing or a suit and tie of the laity denies the Real, and Mystical presence of the Eternal High Priest in Deacons and Priests (Bishops also).

Your post went on to give a beautiful description of the Diaconate. Much of it was good except for the parts about performing Pristly roles. The current Roman Catholic view of the Diaconate is seriosly flawed. I firmly disagree with Deacons performing Marriages (I am aware of the Western "the couple Marry themselves-the Deacon, Priest, or Bishop is only a witness" view. I will stick with the Eastern view, it is the Church in the Form of Priests and Bishops that were given the power to Bind and Loose, not Billy Joe and Sally Sue.), giving Blessings, etc. I wish that you would have mentioned the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Deacon. Though the Deacon does not have the degree of the Priesthood that a Priest has nor the Fullness of the Priesthood that the Bishop has, the Deacon is very special! To force a Deacon to wear a Suit and Tie or Protestant Suit and collar thingy denies the reality of the Holy Diaconate. It is dishonest. I also firmly stand behind Father Serge's remarks regarding your wearing of a Priest's Pectoral Cross. That too is dishonest.

If Roman Catholic Deacons are going to perform the duties of a Priest, then they should be ordained to the Priesthood. Until then they have plenty of work to do performing their correct Liturgical Roles in addition to Preaching, Teaching, visiting hospitals, and many, many other works of Charity.

I will remember you, and your former and current Bishops in my prayers.

Thank you for your Ministry, though I must oppose certain aspects of it.

Dear Father Deacon Joseph,

Welcome to the Forum. Believe it or not, we do attempt to maintain charity in our conversations on the Forum (although, like everyone else, I do not always succeed in that effort). All of us also try to be sensitive to the Byzantine tradition and to the pain of the division between Eastern Orthodoxy and Greek-Catholicism.

EWTN's treatment of the Eastern Churches (both Catholic and Orthodox) is sometimes problematic. You may have noticed this yourself in their occasional references in our direction. This is not the moment to offer a list of specific examples, but many of us would hope to see a major improvement - as Pope John Paul II reminded us, the Church must breathe with both lungs.

Would I have you be disobedient to your bishop? Of course not (barring the unlikely event of the bishop ordering something clearly immoral or clearly heretical, which is not in question here). Do I object to a Bishop, Priest, or Deacon appearing on a Catholic television program (as the guest of honor in this case) dressed as a layman? Obviously I do; I have already said so. When an Orthodox deacon who has become a Catholic is required to dress like a layman, on a program which has been announced as the testimony of a convert from Orthodoxy to Catholicism, the result is a counter-witness. It might be sensible for you to bring this objection to the attention of your bishop - but since I am not personally aquainted with either your bishop or yourself, I would not presume to tell you to do that. I would not hesitate to tell EWTN that presenting a deacon in such circumstances dressed as a layman was bound to give offense.

I strenuously doubt that the Roman Catholic Bishop of Buffalo has ordered his deacons to wear the Priest's Cross. The sight of someone introduced as a deacon wearing a priest's Cross over a necktie could not be other than offensive. These things have their meaning. You would not recommend that I should bedeck myself with a Bishop's Panagia (I don't own one, incidentally; I have never worn one in my life nor do I expect to) and still less would you recommend that I should wear that Panagia over a sports shirt, blue jeans, and tennis shoes. You also would not - I hope - suggest that I should give blessings with both hands as a bishop quite properly does.

I shall not discuss Metropolitan Philip's sartorial preferences, except to say that they are not typical of Eastern Orthodoxy. You and I may realize that; most EWTN viewers would not realize that and would have no way to realize that.

Were you wrong to give that blessing? Yes. You held your right hand in the manner used by an Orthodox or a Greek-Catholic priest when giving a blessing - but in the Western Church, to which you appeal, that specific manner of giving a blessing is reserved to the Pope. So you offered the interesting sight of a formerly Orthodox, now Roman Catholic, deacon, dressed as a layman, wearing a Priest's Cross over a necktie, and presuming to give a blessing in the manner of the Pope! Is that really the impression your bishop has told you to convey?

An Eastern Orthodox friend was with me when I watched your appearance on that program. We were both of us severely grieved by the manifest abuse of what we hold sacred, and the distortions of what we believe. You should see some of the messages I have received, asking me if you are an example of what the Catholic Church wants to do to Orthodox Christians.

If you wish to be a Latin Deacon, that is certainly your right and I wish you every success in your service. But in that event, I strongly ask you to refrain from abusing the Eastern Churches. If you wish to do something positive with and for the Eastern Catholics, there are Greek-Catholic parishes in Buffalo and in some nearby towns where you might consider offering to be of assistance. But in that event, you should be willing, even happy, to dress and conduct yourself as our deacons are expected to do.

in the Risen Lord,

Archimandrite Serge, and my guardian angel

Just curious about Metropolitan Philip's preferences for clergy attire. Can Metropolitan Philip decide this for all of the Antiochian diocese in the United States? My Bishop is Antoun. I ask this because if I do become a priest, I intend to wear a cassock, unless directed otherwise. Is it the kind of thing where a priest can wear a cassock, just don't do it in front of Metropolitan Philip? It leads me to another question that would be best saved for another thread. I think I will start the thread under the faith issues.

Joe

And P.S., if someone were to ask me if I were a fundamentalist, I might just say yes . A friend tells me that you can take the boy out of the baptist, but you can't take the baptist out of the boy.

Joe

Joe, my understanding is you will never see an AOA priest outside his parish in Riassa and Kamilavka, and that this comes from the top. I've even seen an AOA priest in normal secular clothes.

The last time I was at a hierarchal liturgy, there was a farewell gathering for the bishop. He had immediately changed in to a dark suit and was wearing a roman collar. I believe that's pretty much the standard for street clothes.

Andrew I think that this is unfortunate, at least it is unfortunate if it is mandated that clergy cannot wear a cassock under pain of sin. But, I think that instead of blending in and making ourselves more inconspicuous, we should make ourselves more conspicuous. American society needs Holy Orthodoxy more than anything else, yet most Americans don't even know that the Orthodox Church exists. If an Orthodox priest dresses in a suit and roman collar, people will just assume that it is a Roman Catholic or Episcopal priest.

I'm not necessarily saying that it should be mandated that priests wear cassocks. But it does bother me when personal preferences are legislated and the traditional symbolic attire of the clergy is forbidden. Well, it is not the end of the world, of course and nothing that I'm going to obsess over (I'll find other useless things to obsess about )

Joe