www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Poll: Where do you stand on the RDL?

Wether we like the RDL or don't like it, we seem to feel very strongly about it. Passion can be a good thing, but we should remember the Christian way--do unto others, turn the other cheek, what you do the least of my brothers, etc. Think of how our ancestors felt when they switched to English from Slavonic. There must have been very hard feelings on that one. On both sides. But at the end of the day, we are all Christians.

Tim

Last summer many of you will recall several of us tried to encourage the bishops to call a Sobor or at least have a national meeting on the New DL. We took no stand against the new liturgy but could see that there was not only something wrong with the implementaion but more importantly we saw that having a general meeting of some sort that would raise up a call to evangelization with a discussion of the liturgy as part of that could have a positive effect upon the entire metropolia. Alas the idea was nixed. What do I know? In the long run the bishops may well be right. However, looking at the entire picture it doesn't look very promising. It almost seems like no one cares whether the BC Church lives or dies. Then again, maybe that is what God wishes to happen.

I do believe that most of the problems could have and should have been taken care of without all of the heartache that now exists. But I'm just a lowly laymen. What do I know?

CDL

And what will the future be like? What Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic churches that manager to stay open will be subject to the availability and use of Bi-Ritual Latin priests (and the genorosity of their bishop). It doesn't look good.

Ungcsertezs

My family and I voted with our feet as well. God bless the Metropolia, but I believe that there are aspects to this whole initiative - which probably began very positively - that have ended up ostracizing a large number of us who care about integrity as it pertains to worship as well as reunion with Orthodoxy, the prospects of which, IMHO, are damaged by its implementation.

Thanks for posting this poll.

Since we have so few stats and the few we have are very questionable I doubt that we can even track our demise...though it seems there are some clergy candidates around. We have a man in the Deacons program. I do think we would be more open to wiser decisions if we knew what was going on and were challenged to take action based upon proper stats. But then again, that seems to be a suggestion that doesn't gain alot of support either on this board or anyplace else in the Metropolia.

The blind really are leading the blind.

CDL

What's the Archeparchial Chancery's e-mail address? I want to forward this page to the Archbishop.

Ungcsertezs

You're kidding right? A poll with less than a hundred respondents? How much you want to make a bet you will be the centerpiece of tonight's entertainment and laughter.

Then print the same poll in the BCW. I bet the percentages would be the same. We all know that would never happen!

People Unite!

Ungcsertezs

I remember seeing similar types of slogans in public areas of most communist countries when the wall was still up.

Contrary to what certain hierarchs believe, the voice of Ruthenian Byzantine Catholics wanting a true Ruthenian Recension will be heard. The people will not remain silent!

Vostochniks Unite! Power to the People!

Ungcsertezs

Dear Ungcsertezs,

I would be more impressed if I could talk to any group of thirty average Byzantine Catholics and find five who know what the Ruthenian Recension IS. Unless of course it means "what we used to have" - I know a number of people who REALLY want to see daily Divine Liturgies during Lent, the feast of the Sacred Heart, and Benediction back, cause its "what we used to have."

What you are proposing, in effect, is a "revolutionary vanguard" of vostochniki who want to wield power ON BEHALF OF the people, with neither their support (most of our people are NOT vostochniki) nor the authority to enact changes. Try educating the People first, and convince them to convince the bishops.

Yours in Christ,
Jeff

P.S. I spoke with Professor Thompson today, and he has not been on the forum since before this poll was posted. None of the votes there are his.

Jeff,

You can ask me, I'm over 35! I hope that the parishes in Florida have proper Great Lent services this year. As I pointed out, this isn't just a Pittsburgh or Pennsylvania "Latinization". I'll be waiting to read their bulletins this Lent.

U-C

If we had a Sobor, this revision would have been voted down during the first vote.

U-C

Jeff writes:


What do you expect? The hierarchs did a thorough job of keeping the faithful in the dark on this matter (amongst other matters). If you are old enough to remember the years following Vatican II, the hierarchs and the diocesan newspapers were not, to put it gently, enthusiastic for the implementation of the conciliar teachings concerning the Eastern Churches.

Real newspapers - including Catholic newspapers - publish Letters to the Editor as a matter of course. The Byzantine Catholic World and Eastern Catholic Life do no such thing.

There are occasional complaints that the Forum provides those who are opposed to the Party Line with a vehicle to express alternate views. So it does - and thank God, since there is no other such vehicle available anywhere in the Pittsburgh Metropolia.

Fr. Serge

Letters to the editor published in the BCW and Eastern Catholic Life(I'm sorry there's laughing in my head :L)?

Ungcsertezs