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Joe,

I guess it is a matter of perspective. I would argue that the schism itself is a sin against charity, thus furthering it would also be a sin.

Going back to the consecration of the Church.. was this a Romanian Catholic Divine Liturgy? Why were the clergy positioned around the altar in the Latin Rite manner? In the pictures I also noticed Stations of the Cross but no iconostasis. Could this have been a Latin Mass with the Greek Catholic bishop con-celebrating?

Michael

having looked at the pics on the Site - most clergy were Byzantine [ or were certainly vested as such ] .

It is possible that the actual Church building was given to the Greek Catholics and that would account for Stations of the Cross and the lack of an Iconostasis. Who knows . We weren't there and so only know what has been reported [ and since when was press reporting 100% accurate ] .

Dear Fr. Serge,

Fair enough. That's why I qualified everything by saying that it was my opinion. In the final analysis, when it comes to matters like this, I defer to the proper authorities.

Dn. Robert

I see your point. Of course, it brings up the question of who exactly is in schism? If the Catholic Church (meaning the communion of Churches in union with Rome) is the Church, then the Orthodox are in schism. If the Orthodox Church is the Church, then Catholics are in schism. If we are all in schism, however, then that suggests that neither of us is the Church. I don't think that authorities on either side want to hold to that position.

Joe

Or a third option could be that before the schism was justified, or at least could be justified, due to misunderstandings, and now it just continues because it was. In this scenario both are the �true church,� and all that is required now is to get past the artificial barriers that prevent this from being recognized.

Bob

Joe,
As with many things that are of the spiritual realm though left to the care of men, the answers to those things are more fluid. The Catholic Communion of Churches sees herself as the true Church, as does the [Chalcedonian] Orthodox Communion of Churches (as does the [pre-Chalcedonian] Orthodox Communion of Churches) - each has a proper claim and evidence for being Fullness. But all agree that something is not quite right, and that there is unity to be had.

I don't even know if that made sense.

This is a Greek Catholic parish, as the masthead of the website states. The photo album shows construction photos, so this church was built for a Greek Catholic congregation.

However, this parish does seem to be very, very Latinized, to a surprising degree: Liturgy versus populi, use of musical instruments, lack of an iconostas, Latin church decoration (Stations and the large "Our Lady of Medjugorje" over the altar), Perpetual Adoration in a monstrance, and so forth.

Most of us are aware that in areas where there can be open hostility between Orthodox and Greek Catholics, each party will often try and emphasize their respective Orthodoxy or Catholicity via externals. I noticed this in 2005 when I went to the Nicula Monastery for Dormition. On the way to the monastery, I passed the local Greek Catholic parish that was to be the site of the Greek Catholic pilgrimage. An outdoor altar had been set up on the side of the church, complete with large framed images of the Sacred Heart, the Immaculate Heart and Da Vinci's Last Supper. The message was clear.

On the flip side, there are Orthodox in Transylvania who want to rid their region of its local chant in favor of Byzantine chant, since they feel the local chant is "Catholic" and thus inferior.

Dave

I've never seen a Romanian Catholic parish so latinized (if that is what the pictures show), the Romanian Catholic parishes I've seen in my area are quite Traditional.

What I find disturbing is that the parish is officially promoting Medjugorge! That apparition has been repeatedly condemned by the relevant episcopal authorities.

The pictures also betoken a disturbing level of "Neo-Latinization." I hope that this parish is an exception to the rule, although I have heard and read that the Romanian Catholics are engaging in an alarming amount of Latinization and Novus-Ordoization. (I hope that it's all a lie)

MT:

Well put. Concise.

BOB

Versus populum is more of a modernization than a Latinization, since it's only been allowed in the Latin Rite for the past forty or so odd years...

Alexis

Actually, celebration versus populum might well be said to be a protestantization. I believe that Abp. Bugnini got the idea (which he promoted) from the Protestant advisers he consulted when he manufactured the Novus Ordo Missae. At least that was the picture painted by the late Michael Davies in his trilogy on the RC liturgical "renewal".

Dn. Robert

What a shame that this has caused so much controversy. I wonder what our Lord thinks about all of this? How much longer will the division continue? Truly Satin must be having a good laugh !

Converted Viking

I find this very strange as a cradle Ukrainian Orthodox Christian. We are always taught not to receive sacraments from the Ukrainian Catholic Church. Ukrainians usually go to the Serbs first, Romanians second and Greeks third if there is no Ukrainian Orthodox parish available.