www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Do the ECs and EOs get along?

Hello, all.

I was raised in the American Carpatho-Rusyn Orthodox Church, and my heritage is one portion Lemko, so Eastern Christianity is rather in my blood. I made the decision to join the Roman Catholic Communion one year ago this February (a very long story goes along with that, which I won't get into! Ha!)

Growing up, my Orthodox Church (which was a Greek Catholic Church full of Lemkos until about one century ago) was full of Evangelical converts to Orthodoxy who had a certain dislike of Roman Catholicism. It seemed that there were none worse than the "Uniates" - Eastern Catholics, who were seen as traitors (though I didn't mention that to my grandfather, baptized a Ruthenian Catholic in Carpathian Slovakia!)

As I come to understand my identity as an Eastern rite Catholic, I am trying to come to terms with being both Catholic and Orthodox.

I know many Orthodox Christian Churches who celebrate Ukrainian festivals, Pascha meals, etc. with Byzantine Catholic Churches. On the whole the Byzantine Catholic Churches seem to be much more open to this kind of ecumenism than the Eastern Orthodox.

What I want to know is - in areas where both groups are present (at least in the diaspora), do the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholics get along?

Thanks,

Tikhon

Dear Tikhon,

(May I call you "patriarch" for short? :)).

If by "areas" you mean my family - then yes they do get along famously!

Seriously though, I believe that shared cultural identity plays an important role.

Alex

Hello, Tikhon

Our little mission congregation (UGCC) out here in Sacramento, has several Ukrainian Orthodox members and our pastor has a working relationship with the Ukrainian Orthodox bishop to provide pastoral care for Orthodox Christians in Northern California. I suspect it depends on what the ecumenical climate is in whatever part of the country you're in.

In Sacramento it is, for the most part, very good. Our congregation was one of the founding groups of the annual "Christmas Around the World" bazaar which features local Eastern Christian congregations: Copts, Greeks, Ethiopians, Melchites, Lebanese,Ukrainians, and more. As I understand it, there is also a local council of Eastern Christian pastors that is in the process of forming.

Hope this helps.

Glenn.

PS. What's a Lemko ... or should I ask?

Lemko is the term used to refer to Rusyns (Ruthenians)in Poland as I understand it.

A Lemko is also one of the three main Carpathian peoples (Lemko's, Boyko's and Hutsuls) and there are Lemko people who consider themselves to be Ukrainians.

Alex

Here, in Portland, because of there only being one Byzantine Catholic parish, amid plentiful Orthodox parishes, there isn't a pulse regarding relations, but I think there are some individuals within the Byzantine Catholic parish who have good relations with other individuals at the Orthodox parishes. I, for the most part, have maintained good relations with other Orthodox Christians in town.

The local Byzantine Catholic parish in Binghamton, NY has participated in a choral concert of primarily Orthodox Church choirs for several years. This year, it was held at St. Michael's which was founded as a Greek Catholic Church in 1904 and became Orthodox in 1938. The Byzantine Church was founded thereafter by people desiring to remain Eastern Catholic, It was a poignant moment this year when the BCC Choir director took to the amvon to direct his choir. He noted that in 1937 his parents stood there, on that very spot, as they were married on the eve of the tumultuous 'borba' which split the parish over enforced celibacy. Ironic that in the year in which Rome admitted her errors in that matter that the choirs of both parishes joined together. God is indeed great and create miracles. Snami Boh! Here are video clips...sorry for the quality.. Holy Spirit Choir: and and a combined choir directed by the Ukrainian Orthodox director...

A question: in arranging to receive you into Catholic communion, did the RC priest explain the Church's preference that you retain affiliation with the Eastern Catholic equivalent to the Orthodox Church you were leaving? If not, he was grossly, if ignorantly, malfeasant! In your case, you are a member of the Byzantine Catholic Church, as the Carpatho-Rusyns of the United States style themselves these days.