www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Differences between the Byzantine Catholic Churches

Here we go again! Girls vested carrying candles!? Please! Why!?

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Not to mention the beardless bishop with a zuchetto, etc. By the way, the magnificent Saint Nicholas Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church in Toronto is only a few blocks walk from the Slovak church, and Saint Nicholas is usually glad to welcome visiting Greek-Catholic hierarchs.

Fr. Serge

The bishops of the Romanian Greek-Catholic Church wear the zucchetto.Every "sui iuris" Church has the right to decide in the discipline/lyturgical matters so I don't understand why somebody else (from another "sui iuris" Church or even outside the Catholic Church)should interfere in that.

I stopped looking at the Romanian website a while ago the photos showed that they are still modeling themsleves on the Latins and they are incorporating all the abuses of the Latins post Vat II. I did notice that Bishop John Michael was not in many photos with the Romanian bishops, who dress as Latins still, beause he dresses correctly. Photos of him if they appeared were always bareheaded, as he wears the Klobuk etc. I found the site depressing. Sadly they have made a big mess in my view of everything and are not a role model for other Eastern Rite Catholics.

Bishop Botean is not very often seen on the official website of the Romanian Greek-Catholic Church not because how he wears but because he lives in USA.

Concerning the identity of the Romanian Greek-Catholic Church it is a matter that concerns only this "sui iuris" Church and the Holy See.

Zuchetto?


The analysis is somewhat flawed. We are dealing with the common Constantinopolitan heritage and discipline, which certainly does not include the zuchetto. Such an obvious hybridism is an embarrassment to all of us.

In your own interest, you might ponder the point that if the Romanian Greek-Catholic Church decides to imitate the Latins in several ways, Rome is quite capable of deciding on the same "principle" to impose celibacy of the clergy.

Fr. Serge

We all know there are differences beween the "sui iuris" oriental Catholic Churches of the byzantine heritage but the Particular Law of every of these Churches must decide the particularities.

However, the consistent and continued directives of the Holy See have instructed the Eastern Catholic Churches to restore the fullness of their Tradition, to eliminate all latinizations, and to minimize the distinctions between themselves and their Orthodox counterparts. To a very large extent, the recent adoption of latin practices among Romanian Greek Catholics is a conscious attempt to put distance between themselves and the Romanian Orthodox, which is a betrayal of the reasons for the Union of Alba Julia as well as the entire purpose of being Greek Catholic.

To be Greek Catholic is to be an Orthodox Christian in communion with Rome. As the Instruction for Implementation of the Liturgical Provisions of the CCEO state, not only is the Tradition to be restored, but all differences in worship between the Eastern Catholics and their Orthodox counterparts are to be minimized.

Dear brother Stuartk,

On this matter, though I support de-Latinizations, I am on the side of Fr. Coryolan. This is a decision of their Synod. This is a sui juris Church, and we should respect the decisions of its Synod.

Blessings

On the matter of latinization, I'll stand with Father Taft: if the Greek Catholics do not intend to live in the fullness of the Byzantine-Orthodox Tradition while maintaining their communion with Rome, their existence as independent Churches has no meaning, and they should incorporate themselves into the Latin Church posthaste.

Dear brother StuartK,

Can you point out exactly what changes these were that has changed the Faith and spirituality of the Romanians? Or perhaps we should let Father Coryolan answer that question.

Blessings

On this I agree.

It makes things much, much easier for the Orthodox.

I noticed there are different discussions concerning the "latinisation" or not in some aspects of the Greek-Catholic Churches.Which are these so called "latinised" realities?

This question is legitimate but can have only a complicated answer. To me, latinizations essentially involve borrowing/adaptations by Byzantine Catholic communities aspects particular to the Latin Catholic Church (above all in litugics, art and theologizing)with the intent to "prove" that we Byzantines are just as Catholic as the Latins. Based on the presumption that whatever the Latin Church does is somehow paradigmatic for the other Catholic Churches, latinizations dilute our own identity and scandalize the Orthodox.
It ought to be obvious that I think the less latinization, the better.
Other people on the forum can do a better job than me in being specific about this matter. Have at it, folks!

Not even the orthodox are identical.