www.byzcath.org Forums Mysteries: The Life of Worship Vespers, Matins & the Divine Liturgy Celebrating the Divine Liturgy "facing the people"

Someone's been drinking the cool aid.

Wow, I am going to stand back, get some popcorn and watch this one.

Most of us old enough to remember Bishop Nicholas Elko of the BCC and Bishop John Martin (his one time protege) who became ACROD's Bishop following "L'affaire Elko" would answer "fired" if this is a multiple choice whether we are BCC or Orthodox. While Bishop Elko was indeed "transferred", the perception of that reality was that it was done one step ahead of yet another rebellion - this time by the clergy.

Dear Franciscum,

How do you know that? I grew up in a very Latinized environment.

I'm still Latinized as my very Eastern Greek-Catholic colleagues here will remind me from time to time. So what? I like being Latinized

But there are those who don't and who work to get rid of Latinizations.

I would rather re-state what you said to say that there are those who (like me) are so attached to their Latinizations that they see them as integral parts of their Eastern Catholic identity (which they are not, but we choose to ignore that).

But I don't care what people think of me as being an East-West "hybrid."

Alex

I know people in EC religious orders who promote Western practices in the East . . .

Alex

Dear Franciscum,

Please be temperate in your language when addressing a Priest.

Rev. Fr. Archpriest Straut is none of the things you suggest.

As a rule, no EC or EO cleric should celebrate the Divine Liturgy facing the people.

I support Rev. Fr. Archpriest in his statement and so please feel free to apply the same invective to me, Latinized though I am.

Alex

Yeah, and I'm thinking we need to do something about that. Like promote our own authentic form of monasticism in place of Eastern "rites" of Western orders.

Does he really want to go there? Because I'm game if he is.

Butter for your popcorn, anyone?

Dear Royal Stuart,

And how is it that Jesuits like Fr. Taft know so much more about the East than, well, Easterners do, for the most part?

But you are more than correct - we need to promote authentic Eastern monasticism. And we need to begin by understanding what that is.

Are you not being engaged as a lecturer/teacher for our parishes and eparchial events?

If you are not, we can begin by asking our bishops and priests why people like you, the Administrator, Todd and others here aren't being utilized for the "new easternization" of the EC Churches?

Alex

The same way one gets into Carnegie Hall--practice, practice, practice.

Begging the question, do most EC Bishops truly embrace "New easternization" or do they fear it? It seems to me, from my limited (and biased) point of view, that many EC clergy are on board, but the leadership, i.e.the hierarchy, often seems to be left waiting on the station's platform.

I can name three or four here who are fully on board. That's out of what? fourteen or fifteen? Abroad, I would say the Melkites and a plurality of the Ukrainians are committed, and the further west you go, the more ambivalent bishops become. But the real opposition, interestingly, lies with the smaller, non-Byzantine Catholic Churches, including the Maronites, the Chaldeans, the Syrians, and the Syro-Malabarese, who are all very thoroughly latinized.

It's all about who appoints the hierarchs . . . and why . . .

It is also the same issue with respect to who appointed Orthodox bishops under Poland in the 16th century.

Ultimately, those same bishops signed the Union of Brest.

Alex

I wonder what Archimandrite Taft would say?

Isn't it interesting to see that he, considered a leading expert by both Catholics and Orthodox in almost all things Eastern, was originally Roman-rite and is an "Eastern-rite Jesuit" of the largest Western religious order in the Church?

Would he ever consider leaving the Jesuits and enter a monastic community, like Holy Resurrection Monastery [hrmonline.org]?

Has anyone ever asked him about that? I certainly would love to know how he would answer.

Dear Griego Amigo,

Just saw a movie about a Basilian priest-teacher who trained students in racing.

He himself could not engage in competitive racing, however. As he told the principal, "When I got to seminary, I was told, 'Basilians don't run . . .' I should have become a Jesuit . . ."

Alex