1. Why isn't the Coptic Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria one of the Synod Fathers?
According to Apostolica Sollicitudo [vatican.va] (1965) and the Ordo Synodi Episcoporum [vatican.va] (last revised 2006) the Coptic Catholic Patriarch does have the right to attend ex officio. However, His Beatitude also has the right to send a Bishop who is "competent in the material to be treated at the Synod" to attend in his stead. In this case, His Beatitude has sent not one but three Bishops!
LC,
Actually, it would appear that His Beatitude has under-represented his Church. From the comments above, he has the right to attend ex officio or be represented by a bishop AND the Coptic Synod has the right to designate 3 attendees. That's a total of 4 - but there are only 3 in attendance.
I find it a bit bothersome that none of the three Eparchs from Eritrea were selected as attendees by the Ethiopian/Eritrean Synod, as the Eritreans represent the larger of the two constituent groups of faithful in that Church.
Many years,
Neil
"One day all our ethnic traits ... will have disappeared. Time itself is seeing to this. And so we can not think of our communities as ethnic parishes, ... unless we wish to assure the death of our community."
In this video, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is referred to as "the most ancient Christian presence on the African continent," but of course that honour properly belongs to the Church of Alexandria.
The statement is actually true. The Church of Alexandria is the oldest established Church in Africa, but Christianity was introduced to Ethiopia through the eunuch who was evangelized by St. Philip as recorded in Acts 8.
The Melkites in Egypt and Sudan are directly dependent on the Melkite Patriarch. Archbishop Joseph Jules Zerey, titular Archbishop of Damiata, is the Protosyncellus of the Melkite Patriarch for Egypt and Sudan. As such, I believe he is a member of the Assembly of Catholic Hierarchs in Egypt and eligible as a Synod Father (though not in fact elected).
I find it a bit bothersome that none of the three Eparchs from Eritrea were selected as attendees by the Ethiopian/Eritrean Synod, as the Eritreans represent the larger of the two constituent groups of faithful in that Church.
Many years,
Neil
Neil,
I noticed that myself and wondered about it. Still, let us not forget that Eritrea is one the world's most repressive dictatorships, and it may be that there are travel restrictions or other official obstacles that we don't know about.
Something which I hadn't noticed before is that there are also two Eastern Catholic Bishops elected by the Bishops' Conference of Ethiopia and Eritrea:
Bishop Abraham (Desta), Apostolic Vicar of Meki, Ethiopia
Bishop Tesfaselassie (Medhin) of Adigrat, Ethiopia
This brings the number of Eastern Catholic Bishops in the Synod up to nine.
LC,
While Abuna Tesfaselassie is of the Ethiopian Church sui iuris, Bishop Abraham is not, albeit he is likely in possession of biritual faculties, as are many (if not most) of the clergy in Ethiopia.
He was ordained to the priesthood for the Eparchy of Adrigat, an Ethiopian canonical jurisdiction but, on episcopal ordination, one presumes that he canonically transferred to the Latin Church, as all the Apostolic and Prefecture Vicariates in Ethiopia are of that Church. (The Eparchies, conversely, are all of the Ethiopian Church sui iuris)
Many years,
Neil
Dear Neil,
You are of course right that the mission territories of Ethiopia are organized as apostolic vicariates and prefectures, and that these belong canonically to the Latin Church. There is no provision, after all, in Eastern Catholic canon law for apostolic vicariates or prefectures.
If you remember, we have discussed Bishop Abraham and the liturgical situation in the mission territories of Ethiopia in another thread. Bishop Abraham's official portrait [ecs.org.et] shows him in Ethiopian vestments. If you watch the opening Mass [benedictxvi.tv] of the Synod (beware 2.71 GB file and very slow download!) I think you will also see him wearing Ethiopian vestments. So, while canonically he heads an apostolic vicariate of the Latin Church, he clearly maintains his Ethiopian Catholic identity.
How can the bishop do this? It is clear from a quick look at the Ethiopian Catholic website [ecs.org.et] that some of the clergy and people in these mission territories belong to the Ethiopian Catholic Church, and some of them belong to the Latin Church. The evangelization of these areas seem to be a unique collaboration between the Ethiopian Catholic Church and the Latin Church.
Perhaps we should remember that apostolic vicariates and prefectures are not yet fully-fledged particular Churches. Perhaps in future those prefectures and vicariates which have a large number of Ethiopian Catholic clergy and people will become eparchies of the Ethiopian Catholic Church, and perhaps those prefectures and vicariates which have a large number of Latin clergy and people (especially in the far south of the country) will become dioceses of the Latin Church?
My point, then, is that the situation in southern Ethiopia is unlike the situation anywhere else. It is not like India where Syro-Malabar missionaries must turn Latin to do missionary work in Latin dioceses. Rather, it seems that Ethiopian and Latin missionaries are coexisting, sometimes with a Latin ordinary and sometimes with an Ethiopian hierarch, even though canonically the missions are under the Latin Church and the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
Thus, Bishop Abraham is not easily categorized. Canonically, he heads a jurisdiction of the Latin Church, but he clearly maintains his Eastern identity. That is why I included him in the list of Eastern Catholic bishops attending the Synod for Africa, though I should of course have done so with a caveat.
In this video, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is referred to as "the most ancient Christian presence on the African continent," but of course that honour properly belongs to the Church of Alexandria.
The statement is actually true. The Church of Alexandria is the oldest established Church in Africa, but Christianity was introduced to Ethiopia through the eunuch who was evangelized by St. Philip as recorded in Acts 8.
The Melkites in Egypt and Sudan are directly dependent on the Melkite Patriarch. Archbishop Joseph Jules Zerey, titular Archbishop of Damiata, is the Protosyncellus of the Melkite Patriarch for Egypt and Sudan. As such, I believe he is a member of the Assembly of Catholic Hierarchs in Egypt and eligible as a Synod Father (though not in fact elected).
LC,
I wouldn't totally disagree, but conflicting info as to whom holds what office seems to be the norm, rather thn exception, when it comes to Alexandria of the Melkites.
Examples:
Rome never listed Paul (Antaki) as Auxiliary for Alexandria, only as Vicar (I think his episcopal ordination occurred only about a year prior to the end of his term as Vicar). The patriarchal website lists him as Vicar, but doesn't distinguish whether he was named as Auxiliary once elevated to the episcopacy. The Assembly of Catholic Hierarchs of Egypt, in listing him as a member, identified him as a bishop.
The patriarchal website doesn't even acknowledge Joseph (Tawil), of blessed memory, as having been Vicar of Alexandria, but Rome denominates him as having been Auxiliary for the See.
As to Bishop Joseph (Zerey), Rome carries him as Auxiliary of Antioch, the patriarchate doesn't, listing him only as Vicar of Alexandria. I can't locate a current listing of the Assembly members, so I give up.
Many years,
Neil
"One day all our ethnic traits ... will have disappeared. Time itself is seeing to this. And so we can not think of our communities as ethnic parishes, ... unless we wish to assure the death of our community."
I find it a bit bothersome that none of the three Eparchs from Eritrea were selected as attendees by the Ethiopian/Eritrean Synod, as the Eritreans represent the larger of the two constituent groups of faithful in that Church.
I noticed that myself and wondered about it. Still, let us not forget that Eritrea is one the world's most repressive dictatorships, and it may be that there are travel restrictions or other official obstacles that we don't know about.
LC,
Certainly possible, but the rather regular travel to the US of a couple of the Eritrean eparchs suggests that might not be the issue one would expect.
Many years,
Neil
"One day all our ethnic traits ... will have disappeared. Time itself is seeing to this. And so we can not think of our communities as ethnic parishes, ... unless we wish to assure the death of our community."
My point, then, is that the situation in southern Ethiopia is unlike the situation anywhere else. It is not like India where Syro-Malabar missionaries must turn Latin to do missionary work in Latin dioceses. Rather, it seems that Ethiopian and Latin missionaries are coexisting, sometimes with a Latin ordinary and sometimes with an Ethiopian hierarch, even though canonically the missions are under the Latin Church and the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
LC,
I agree absolutely - it is a truly unique situation there. I'm inclined to think that bi-ritual faculties are probably more prevalent in Ethiopia than anywhere else (with the exception of India, although there it is more of an enforced need to have such - in Ethiopia, it seems almost to be the norm and there is no evidence of any of the tension that seems to exist between the Churches on the Indian sub-continent.)
Many years,
Neil
"One day all our ethnic traits ... will have disappeared. Time itself is seeing to this. And so we can not think of our communities as ethnic parishes, ... unless we wish to assure the death of our community."
The Melkites in Egypt and Sudan are directly dependent on the Melkite Patriarch. Archbishop Joseph Jules Zerey, titular Archbishop of Damiata, is the Protosyncellus of the Melkite Patriarch for Egypt and Sudan. As such, I believe he is a member of the Assembly of Catholic Hierarchs in Egypt and eligible as a Synod Father (though not in fact elected).
LC,
I wouldn't totally disagree, but conflicting info as to whom holds what office seems to be the norm, rather thn exception, when it comes to Alexandria of the Melkites.
Examples:
Rome never listed Paul (Antaki) as Auxiliary for Alexandria, only as Vicar (I think his episcopal ordination occurred only about a year prior to the end of his term as Vicar). The patriarchal website lists him as Vicar, but doesn't distinguish whether he was named as Auxiliary once elevated to the episcopacy. The Assembly of Catholic Hierarchs of Egypt, in listing him as a member, identified him as a bishop.
The patriarchal website doesn't even acknowledge Joseph (Tawil), of blessed memory, as having been Vicar of Alexandria, but Rome denominates him as having been Auxiliary for the See.
As to Bishop Joseph (Zerey), Rome carries him as Auxiliary of Antioch, the patriarchate doesn't, listing him only as Vicar of Alexandria. I can't locate a current listing of the Assembly members, so I give up.
Many years,
Neil
It is a confusing situation, I agree.
Rome considers that the Melkite Greek-Catholic Church does not have any kind of "ecclesiastical circumscription" in Egypt and Sudan. However, since these countries are part of the canonical territory of the Melkite Greek-Catholic Patriarchate, Egypt and Sudan are considered "territory directly dependent on the Patriarch insofar as it has not been constituted as an ecclesiastical circumscription" (see canon 101 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches).
Accordingly, my edition of the Annuario Pontificio (2006) lists Archbishop Joseph Jules Zerey as "Auxiliary and Protosyncellus for Egypt and Sudan of the Melkite Greek-Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch"!
(I suspect that seen from Damascus things look different, and that they might answer that the Melkite Greek-Catholic Church does in fact have a well-established "ecclesiastical circumscription" in Egypt: one called the Patriarchate of Alexandria!)
Be that as it may, Archbishop Joseph Jules Zerey is the hierarch who is actually charged with the pastoral care of Melkite Greek-Catholics in Egypt, and as such it would be strange indeed if he were not a member of the Assembly of Catholic Hierarchs in Egypt.
In addition, since the promulgation of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches in 1991, there has been a change in terminology.
For example, the terms "Vicar General" and "Patriarchal Vicar" are now obsolete in the Eastern Catholic Churches. Presumably the term "Vicar" was considered too Latin and therefore expunged. Instead we find the terms "Protosyncellus" and "Patriarchal Exarch."
The Annuario Pontificio has been catching up is now using the new terminology, but not everyone else is doing so yet.
PS! In this video, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is referred to as "the most ancient Christian presence on the African continent," but of course that honour properly belongs to the Church of Alexandria.
I'd agree (being Egytpian) but the claim of the Ethiopians is that the Eunuch in Acts 8 returned (as it seems to be so stated in Scriture), which would have preceded St. Mark's arrival in Alexandria.
In addition, since the promulgation of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches in 1991, there has been a change in terminology.
For example, the terms "Vicar General" and "Patriarchal Vicar" are now obsolete in the Eastern Catholic Churches. Presumably the term "Vicar" was considered too Latin and therefore expunged. Instead we find the terms "Protosyncellus" and "Patriarchal Exarch."
The Annuario Pontificio has been catching up is now using the new terminology, but not everyone else is doing so yet.
It shouldn't have to be changed for the Oriental Catholic Churches. The OO use that title regularly.
What I do hope is that the Eastern Catholics represented press their rights to organize eparchies outside of their "traditional" territories. We Maronites if we had the cajones would establish eparhies in Western Africa and Southern Africa.
From the unoffical numbers that I have seen, we could easily have 5 new African Eparhies. And if we really wanted to be a "true" Church, we would establish exarchates in Eastern Africa, Central Africa, and Madgascar.
One of the unique features of the Ethiopian Church is that the Latin parishes are under the authority of the Ethiopian Hierarchs.
A propos of the Ethiopian Catholics, I was disagreeably shocked when the chairman of one of the sessions at a conference I was attending in Lebanon - the chairman was the Metropolitan of the Ethiopians - was supposed to introduce the keynote speaker of the session. His manner of doing this was unusual. He addressed the speaker, quite close to the microphone and asked him "What ARE you?" The speaker was himself an archimandrite, and the auditorium had for more archimandrites than Ethiopians in it. Pity that question wasn't addressed to me; I could certainly have come up with some suitably discourteous response.
Fr. Serge [I am a human being; do not fold, bend, spindle or mutilate)
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