www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West "Romophobia" in (Western Rite) Orthodoxy

A very insightful article on the problem of being a convert to Orthodoxy with anti-Catholic baggage:

http://padretexwest.blogspot.com/2010/08/romophobia-in-wrv.html

Thank you for posting this, and a big "Amen" to Father's comments. This is an issue that's been on my mind quite a bit lately. Sadly it does not just exist among Protestant converts to Western Rite Orthodoxy. I've come into contact with plenty of Protestant and Catholic converts to Byzantine Orthodoxy who are rabidly "Romophobic." Why there is such a great fear of Rome I have no idea.

As far as I can see, it depends on a number of factors. Here are a few:

• The fact that the Pope is the single most influential religious leader in the world (Catholics take pride in this, but for others it can be quite intimidating)
• While popes have become less and less autocratic and more and more pastoral over the past 150 years or so, the Papacy still has a long way to go to distance itself sufficiently from policies and attitudes of the past--or rather the impressions that resulted from them
• The trappings of the Papacy still look very monarchical and autocratic, especially to an outsider
• Overcoming suspicion is a lot more difficult than avoiding it in the first place; it's like when a couple has divorced, and it's much harder for them even to think of reconciling than if they could have done so before the divorce

It is very important for Catholics to understand how they appear to non-Catholic Christians (in this regard, Orthodox and Protestants are very nearly in the same boat). It is still typical of Catholics to attribute all anti-Catholicism to closed-minded bigotry, while in reality--even though they are certainly distorted--most of the popular misconceptions about Catholicism have some basis in fact.


Peace,
Deacon Richard

Apropos of "most of the popular misconceptions about Catholicism have some basis in fact", Bishop Sheen put it best:

"Most people don’t hate what the Catholic Church teaches… they hate what they think the Catholic Church teaches."

As for anti-Catholicism, historian Arthur Schlesinger Sr. has called it "the deepest-held bias in the history of the American people." Another historian, John Higham, described anti-Catholicism as "the most luxuriant, tenacious tradition of paranoiac agitation in American history". And, it still exists. See Philip Jenkins who wrote THE NEW ANTI-CATHOLICISM: THE LAST ACCEPTABLE PREJUDICE (Oxford University Press, 2004). In my own life, I have been told more than once by teachers and managers, "Do NOT tell anyone that you are Catholic (and of Polish descent). It may (or will) be held against you". That's why my father shortened and Americanized our last name.

I don't normally comment unless it is to correct an error, and there is a serious one here that needs addressing.

Western Rite theological students take the St. Stephen's Course of Studies, which is not limited to Byzantine Rite Orthodox, or even Orthodox Christians (there are Catholics on this Forum who are Alumni). The Western Rite Orthodox students attend the annual residency in Ligonier, where besides the regular programing of the week they receive specific Western Rite liturgical and musical instruction.

That Western Rite Orthodox are not receiving an Orthodox theological education is something that really needs to clarified. I can personally attest to the fact that is not true.

Christ Is Among Us! Indeed He Is And Ever Shall Be!

Just my ... Three Cents!

And always a pleasure to see those infrequent posts, my brother!

Many years,

Neil

I found Father Guy's essay fascinating, because it reveals that "uniatism" is not a phenomenon related to the Eastern Catholic Churches alone. Rather, whenever a minority community of a particular rite or spiritual tradition is placed under the control of a majority community of another rite, over time, yet invariably, members of the minority will begin to identify with and adopt the practices and attitudes of the majority, while simultaneously developing ambivalent feelings about their own authentic and legitimate tradition. The process is not helped when members of the majority act as though their particular rite is normative for all, and that the minority is, at best, being allowed to practice its quaint rituals as a matter of economy (or until they come to their senses). Yet ultimately, it is members of the minority rite who become the most vociferous in undermining the authenticity and legitimacy of their own patrimony, a sort of theological "Stockholm Syndrome", in which the oppressed identify with their oppressors. Experience in the Catholic Church has shown that, once this attitude takes hold, it is extremely hard to break, even when the leadership of the majority rite explicitly directs and encourages the minority to restore its legitimate Tradition. Since the leadership of the AOC and other Orthodox jurisdictions has done nothing to reassure members of the WRV about the legitimacy of their Western (i.e., Roman) patrimony, I don't expect any change in the attitudes of the rank and file in the WRV.

I think you are spot-on, in this characterization. I went to 12 years of Catholic schooling, and the Eastern Catholic Churches were only something mentioned in passing. The attitude that seemed prevalent was that the Roman Catholic Church the only expression of Catholicism. Even when my brother married a Ukrainian Catholic at her parish, I never really realized it was Catholic. I thought it was Orthodox because i knew little difference, and was never taught about the beautiful spirituality of the Eastern Churches. The only thing I knew was that it wasn't the Roman Catholic Church, so it was differnt, and so I had little interest in gong beyond what I assumed was the one true Church as a Roman Catholic.

I think this attitude is something that is prevalent, and has been for a long time. It is a real challenge.

I would sadly have to agree. An author I know, am in communication with and respect, Desmond A. Birch, who even attended a Ukrainian Greek Catholic parish for 10 years or more, told me the other day that the Eastern Catholics are Roman Catholics of different rites. I would have to strongly disagree with him and saddened me that someone as intelligent as him said that.

Kyrie eleison,

Manuel