www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Q on Decree on Ecumenism Unitatis Redintegratio and Orthodox

"To remove, then, all shadow of doubt, this holy Council solemnly declares that the Churches of the East, while remembering the necessary unity of the whole Church, have the power to govern themselves according to the disciplines proper to them, since these are better suited to the character of their faithful, and more for the good of their souls." http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_..._19641121_unitatis-redintegratio_en.html

Does this mean it might conceivably better for some people to be in an Orthodox Church where it is traditional and another traditional Catholic Church is not available?

I don't know the answer to the question posed above, but I have printed this out and will read it for comment tomorrow. It is a lengthy document, obviously. Without reading it, however, I am wondering if the reference to "the Churches of the East" is in regards Uniate and Oriental Catholic Churches, as opposed to the Orthodox Churches of Eastern Christendom which declare the Latin Rite Church to be in schism.

Anastasia13,
I am not sure I completely understand the last part of your question.
I believe that the statement refers directly to the Eastern churches that are in communion with Rome but in principle to those that are not.

After re-reading this, I agree that it seems to be about those in communion with Rome. I think I read something about like if the Churches unite, then the other Eastern Churches should govern themselves because they are already prepared/set up to do so. That is what caught me with the govern part.

You said, "in principle to those that are not." What principle?

The principle that the document lays out--that the Eastern churches should govern themselves.

I think it would apply to those Eastern churches presently not in communion with Rome if communion were to be restored.

What does this mean character of the faithful?

I think its meaning is very general, 'what their faithful are like'

Would this have any impact on a part-Armenian Protestant who didn't want to be Roman Catholic and does not have an Eastern Catholic parish they can regularly attend?

Anastasia,

I think a strong argument can easily be made for reception of such a person into an Eastern or Oriental Catholic Church, based on cultural heritage. (I'm very certain that the number of Latin Catholic Armenians, at least in the US, is relatively small - the sole Latin jurisdiction in Armenia itself is only of the rank of an Apostolic Administration.) The Eparchy of Our Lady of Nareg in New York of the Armenians is indeed decidedly small as regards the number of its parishes, however a fair number of Armenians can be found worshiping in Melkite Greek-Catholic parishes in the US and, I suspect, smaller numbers can be found with the Syriacs.

Without asking that you divulge the particulars of your geographic location, could you offer a general idea of where in NA you're located? Although we are still few and far between versus our Latin brethren, there are fewer and fewer places in which there are no Eastern or Oriental Catholic temples to be found.

Many years,

Neil