www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News Orientale Lumen V Report--Finished!

Due to personal and business commitments, this took a bit of time. Sorry for the delay.

Orientale Lumen V

Day One

The afternoon of 18 June 2001, a typical hot, humid and hazy Washington summer day, saw the beginning of the Fifth Orientale Lumen Conference at Catholic University of America. As delegates and speakers began tricking into Hannan Hall to register, elsewhere conference volunteers were busy preparing a chapel in the auditorium of Caldwell Hall for the first evening's prayer service. Old friends greeted each other warmly, new acquaintances were made, and by dinnertime an atmosphere of fellowship and anticipation had already been established.

The Conference formally opened with a Moleben to the Holy Spirit, concelebrated by no fewer than eight holy hierarchs. Joining the principal celebrant, Archbishop Vsevolod of Scopelos (Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the US) were Bishop Kallistos of Deiocleia (Ecumenical Patriarchate); Metropolitan Nicholas of Emissa (Carpatho-Rusyn Orthodox Diocese); the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Montalvo; Cardinal McCarrick of Washington, DC; and the Rev. John Quinn, Archbishop Emeritus of San Francisco (Roman Catholic Church); Metropolitan Stephan (Soroka) of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia; and Mar Bawai Soro of the Assyrian Church of the East. Surely the joining in prayer of so many bishops from so many Traditions made this a unique gathering, and duly inspired by this visible sign of unity in the Holy Spirit, the delegates joined the bishops in singing prayers and petitions that the Spirit come and dwell within those gathered to discuss the pressing issue of "Primacy and Conciliarity: the Quest for a Common Vision".

Evening prayers completed, the Conference returned to the Herzfeld Auditorium of Hannan Hall for opening remarks from Society of St. John Chrysostom President, Mr. Jack Figel, from Co-Moderators Bishop Kallistos and Fr. Raymond Collins, from Archbishop Vsevolod, and from Father Stephan Happel, Dean of the School of Religious Studies. In addition to welcoming the delegates and hoping that that they would have an interesting, fulfilling and spiritually profitable experience, Mr. Figel took the opportunity of reading letters of greetings, patronage and endorsement for the Conference from the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholemew I; from Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch Gregory III; and from Greek Orthodox Patriarch Petros VII of Alexandria. Letters of greeting were also received from dioceses and eparchies across the United States.

After covering necessary logistic arrangements, a closing prayer was led by Bishop Kallistos, and the Conference adjourned for refreshments and socialization in the hall, at which, as always, many people remained until late in the evening.

Day Two

As is customary at Orientale Lumen, the day opened with the celebration of Orthros by Fr. Nicholas, Hegumen of Holy Resurrection Monastery, ably assisted by Deacon James with Fr. Maximos as cantor. This year, the conference secured the use of the Ruthenian Byzantine Chapel in Memorial Hall on the lower level of the Shrine. In this intimate setting, about two dozen people gathered to sing the Divine Praises, in spite of the early hour of the morning. After about ninety minutes of prayer greatly enhanced by the expert chanting of Fr. Maximos and two other cantors, some of the delegates caught a quick breakfast in Hannan Hall before entering the great Upper Church of the Basilica Shrine of the Immaculate Conception to participate in a Roman Catholic Mass celebrated by Cardinal McCarrick. Hymns and responses were sung congregationally, and the Cardinal delivered an excellent and inspiring homily.

Returning to Herzfeld Auditorium at 11:00 AM, the Conference gathered to hear (with great anticipation) the presentation of Archbishop John Quinn, whose book The Reform of the Papacy: the Costly Call to Christian Unity, had been read by many of the delegates. In his presentation, entitled "A Trajectory of Hope: From Primacy of Jurisdiction to Vigilance and Service of Communion", the Archbishop recounted how the modalities of the Roman Primacy had changed significantly over the course of the past 2000 years, before concentrating on the "stumbling block" of Pastor Aeternus (the Vatican I definitions of infallibility and universal ordinary jurisdiction). Noting that the Episcopate at Vatican I was divided between "maximalist" and "minimalist" factions over the question of Papal prerogatives, he said that the Council had chosen a "middle way" that can only be understood in light of the clarifications offered to the Roman Catholic bishops of Germany in 1871. That clarification stated that Pastor Aeternus, rather than "abolishing" the episcopate, in no way impinged upon the traditional and legitimate powers and prestige of the bishops, and that infallibility applied only to declarations made on behalf of, and with the moral assent of, the entire Church as represented by the College of Bishops. Viewed from that perspective, the Archbishop did not believe that Pastor Aeternus was as insurmountable an obstacle to unity as many would have it.

However, Archbishop Quinn then went on to note that while Vatican I in fact rejected the "maximalist" position, in practice the Catholic Church has habitually acted from a maximalist perspective in regard to its relations with the Latin episcopate and the Eastern Catholic Churches. He gave many examples of excessive centralization and curial interference in the internal life of local dioceses, which, he said was slowly strangling the Church in bureaucracy and stifling the voice of the Holy Spirit. He noted in particular the increasing dismay of the bishops of Asia, Africa and Latin America, who, in attempting to better inculturate the faith in their particular reasons, find themselves being restricted and second-guessed from the Vatican, their Episcopal Councils increasingly reduced to irrelevance. Unless this situation changes, he said, the Church would shortly implode.

From the ecumenical perspective, the dichotomy between the conciliar language used by Rome in dialogue with the Orthodox, and the monarchical reality of the exercise of primacy within the Catholic communion, has created a serious credibility problem which can only be rectified by a thoroughgoing overhaul of the Curia Romana and the modalities by which primacy is exercised by the Pope. In accomplishing this, Archbishop Quinn called on the Vatican to take seriously Pope John Paul II's call for help in redefining the papacy in the Encyclical Letter Ut Unum Sint, and to begin by implementing the reforms mandated by Vatican II. If this is done, the Archbishop concluded, it will change the nature of the primacy from that of jurisdiction to one of maintaining vigilance in the protection of the faith the service of unity and communion, a modality that should be acceptable to all Christians.

Needless to say, such a frank and challenging presentation led to a lively and extended question and answer session that ended only when it was pointed out that the time for lunch was long past. Further confirming the interest generated by Archbishop Quinn's presentation is the fact that more than forty audiotapes of his speech were sold during the Conference.

As a token of the thanks of the Society of St. John Chrysostom and the Orientale Lumen Conference, Archbishop Quinn was presented with a custom-mounted icon of Saints Peter and Andrew embracing, a copy of the icon given by Patriarch Athenagoras to Pope Paul VI. Copies of this icon were given to all speakers and special guests, and additional copies were made available to raise funds for the SSJC.

After a delicious lunch (which included vegetarian offerings for those observing the Apostles' Fast), the Conference was treated to some much needed free time. More than a few delegates spent that time (and considerable money) at the Icon and Book Service, certainly the best source for Eastern Christian icons, books, music and liturgical supplies on the East Coast (and possibly the United States).

At 3:00 PM, the Conference resumed to hear a presentation by Protodeacon Lawrence Cross of the Australian Catholic University and Russian Catholic Center in Melbourne, Australia. Fr. Lawrence addressed the issue of the transition "From Authority and Power to Diakonia and Charism". He began by noting that the stagnation in the formal theological dialogue has overshadowed the continuing progress and importance of the "dialogue of love", the ongoing interaction of Catholic and Orthodox clergy and laity at the personal level, both officially and unofficially. He notes that every opportunity for exercising caritas between Catholic and Orthodox Christians--everything from birthday greetings, messages of condolence, and occasional speeches, to say nothing of gatherings such as the Orientale Lumen Conferences--increases our mutual love and understanding, and foreshadows the united Katholikon of the future. Through the dialogue of love, both sides are changing their understanding of primacy away from one of authority and power to one of service and of charism. When this change of mind (metanoia) is consciously recognized and internalized, the formal modalities of primacy will also have to change in response.

At the conclusion of Fr. Lawrence's presentation, the Conference adjourned for dinner at Caldwell Dining Hall, where the day's events were discussed intently and the "dialogue of love" renewed. After dinner, the Conference convened in the chapel erected in Caldwell Auditorium for an Akathistos to the Holy Mother of God, celebrated by His Grace Archbishop Vsevolod. As before, all the responses were sung congregationally with great joy.

Following the Akathist Hymn, the final plenary session of the day gathered in Herzfeld Auditorium to hear Mar Bawai Soro of the Assyrian Church of the East. Mar Bawai spoke at length and with great erudition on the image and role of Peter in the Assyrian Tradition, using little-known Assyrian patristic texts to discern the role of St. Peter as seen by the Church of the East, and the role of the Apostolic See of Rome in the universal Church of Christ. Mar Bawai contended that there was indeed a universal primatial role for the Bishop of Rome, though this undoubtedly would look different from the one currently held by the Church of Rome. The role envisaged by the Church of the East is not one of jurisdiction, but of the Ignatian "Presidency of Love", a pastoral and diakonial approach to primacy based on Eucharistic communion. Returning to the matter of Eucharistic communion, Mar Bawai repeated his assertion, made last year, that insofar as all the Apostolic Churches profess the same Creed, have the same understanding of Christ, and share the same belief in the Eucharistic presence of Christ, that they already partake of the same Body and Blood of Christ and thus are already in communion with each other, though ecclesiastical differences keep them formally separated. This statement was greeted with a long round of applause--though, let it be said, not all concurred with Mar Bawai's assertions. Nonetheless, the sincerity of his words was beyond doubt, and represents a great challenge to all Christians, East and West.

After a closing prayer by Mar Bawai, the Conference adjourned for an hour or two of socializing and refreshment. But the evening was not over for some. At 9:30, about fifty people gathered again in Herzfeld Auditorium, where they were joined by Mar Bawai, two of his presbyters, and one of his deacons, for an impromptu "sing-along" of Aramaic hymns used in the Assyrian Divine Liturgy, the Holy Qurbana. The people learned four liturgical hymns in all, plus received some helpful information about the "shape" of the Assyrian liturgy, and of such customs as "the passing of the Peace". It says something for the faith and dedication of the delegates to Christian unity that so many were willing to extend their already long day in order that they might better praise God, in Christ's own language, in a liturgy of a Tradition other than their own. Finally, adrenaline rush exhausted, the die-hards dragged themselves off to a well-earned rest.

Day Three

Wednesday would be special in many ways, but it began with the soothing comfort of Orthros in the cool and the dark of the Ruthenian Shrine. Morning prayers completed, the Conference assembled in the Upper Church of the Shrine for a most unusual liturgical event: a celebration of the Hallowing of the Holy Qurbana according to the ancient Liturgy of the Apostles Addai and Mari.

This ancient liturgy of the East Antiochean Tradition does not feature an iconostasis, and while retaining the basic shape of Eastern liturgies, lacks many of the features added to the Byzantine rite over the centuries in response to various challenges to Christian Orthodoxy. It is noteworthy for lacking both an institution narrative and an explicit epiclesis directed towards the transformation of the Offering (Qurbana); rather, the Holy Spirit is invoked on the gifts and the congregation together that the offering may be spiritually efficacious. Mar Bawai chose to celebrate the Qurbana using the bema, a usage that has generally disappeared from the Assyrian Church due to the small size of their temples. In this case, Mar Bawai started the liturgy from his throne in the center of the Church, then began a series of introductory prayers, blessings and incensations at the altar before returning to the bema for the Liturgy of the Word. At the beginning of the Hallowing of the Qurbana (Liturgy of the Eucharist), he returned to the altar for the Creed, Anaphora, anamnesis, and distribution of communion. The Qurbana was celebrated in a combination of Aramaic and English, with Mar Bawai, his presbyters and deacon doing most of the chanting. The people joined him for those Aramaic hymns that we had practiced the night before, including the Trisagion and the Seraphic Hymn (Holy, Holy, Holy). As he intended, Mar Bawai offered the Chalice to all baptized Christians of the Apostolic Churches who were prepared and who professed belief in the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist. A good number of the delegates, including some clergy, availed themselves of this opportunity, though an equal number later expressed the opinion that such an "opening" of communion was inappropriate given the differences between the Church of the East and the Chalcedonian Churches. Overall, however, the Qurbana was an inspiring and holy event, a unique opportunity for we Western Christians (as Mar Bawai refers to both Byzantines and Latins) to experience one of the more venerable Traditions of the Church.

Grabbing a quick breakfast at Hannan Hall, the Conference reconvened in Herzfeld Auditorium to hear Hegumen Nicholas of Holy Resurrection Monastery in Newberry Springs, CA. As head of one of the few authentic Byzantine Catholic monasteries, Fr. Nicholas chose to speak on the exercise of primacy and conciliarity within the Ruthenian Byzantine Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh, and the role that particular Church could play in exercising a local primacy within the Byzantine Catholic jurisdictions of North America.

He began by noting that while in theory the Byzantine Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox share a common Tradition, including a common liturgical-spiritual heritage, in practice the manner in which the two groups manifest their faith through worship has been gradually diverging, mainly through the effects of latinization on the Byzantine Catholics. As examples, he cited the near-disappearance of the celebration of Orthros and Vespers within the Byzantine Catholic Churches, the substitution of Eucharistic vigil liturgies on Saturday evenings for the traditional Vespers or All-Night Vigil; the redaction and streamlining of the Divine Liturgy in some jurisdictions; and a pronounced refusal to worship according to the norms set down in the Typicon, Orientalium Ecclesiarum, the Liturgical Instruction of 1996, and other documents. He placed the blame for this situation squarely upon the shoulders of the Byzantine Catholic hierarchy, and its failure to lead the kind of spiritual and liturgical renewal envisaged at Vatican II. Only by being true to ourselves and our own identity as Byzantine Christians can we begin to exercise a primacy of love within the Byzantine Catholic Churches in the US. Restoring our Byzantine identity requires most particularly a restoration of authentic Byzantine worship in accordance with the Typicon, and in that regard, the Metropolia should look to the monastic community for guidance, for the monastics, who live the Typicon daily in their rule of prayer, can provide a normative example of how Byzantine worship should be conducted. Fr. Nicholas remarks were greeted with great enthusiasm by the Eastern Catholics present, particularly those of the Ruthenian Metropolitan Church.

At noon the Conference adjourned for lunch, followed by a period of free time in which many caught up on well-needed rest, socialized with the other delegates, wandered about the campus of Catholic University, visited the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, or jumped on the shuttle bus for a trip to the Icon and Book Service. All were back by three o'clock to hear Father Raymond Collins address the issue of the "Role of Peter in the Scriptures".

As is always the case, Fr. Raymond gave the Conference a tour de force of scriptural exegesis, covering the entire canon of the New Testament beginning with the Gospels and Acts, then proceeding to the Pauline canon. He points out that Peter fills several roles throughout the New Testament, and that sometimes Peter is leader and sometimes follower. He placed special emphasize not merely on Matt 16:18, but on the passages that precede and follow it, and also on the treatment of Peter's role in the different resurrection narratives. He stressed that in changing Simon bar Jona's name to Kephas (Peter), Jesus was commenting not only on Peter's character, but also on the role he had to play in salvation history. In the post-Resurrection Church, considering both Acts and references to Peter in the Pauline Epistles, Peter provides a unique leadership role. He is first into the tomb. John, the Beloved Apostle, defers to him and waits outside. 1 Cor 15 reveals the ancient tradition that the risen Christ first appeared to Peter, a tradition reiterated in the story of the Disciples on the Road to Emmaus, who, returning to the Upper Room, are told that "The Lord has appeared to Peter". And it is Peter who speaks for the Apostles at the Pentacost. But, for all that, Peter remains both human and eminently fallible, as witnessed by his various confrontations with Paul. When he exerts his leadership, it is always from within the college of the Disciples, never from above it. Peter's is a primacy of love and authority, not power or jurisdiction. Peter works constantly for unity, and to strengthen the brethren in their faith. And this model of Petrine ministry is still a valid one for our day and age.

Wednesday is the traditional "Dining Out" day at Orientale Lumen, so after Fr. Raymond's presentation we boarded a pair of buses for a trip across the Potomac River. Our first stop was Epiphany of Our Lord Byzantine Catholic Church in Annandale, where the Conference was treated to dinner in the parish hall--much more spacious accommodation than the smaller hall under the church that was used the year before. Not being so crammed together, the people took the opportunity to mingle not only with the other delegates but with members of the parish who were there. Fr. John Basarab, the Pastor of Epiphany, gave a brief welcoming address, and invited all to wander around the parish grounds and visit the church before leaving; many took advantage of his kind offer.

At 6:30, we re-boarded the buses for our next destination, St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Church, out in the wilds of Fairfax County. A large, modern parish complex that combined the contemporary with the traditional, St. Marks serves the large Coptic community in Northern Virginia, and operates a school, day care center and many charitable outreach activities. On this night, the people of St. Mark's turned out en masse to welcome the Conference with a demonstration of Middle Eastern hospitality. First, the 150 members of the Conference, joined by an equal number of parishioners, celebrated Vespers according to the Coptic Tradition, in a combination of Greek and English. A small choir led the congregation in traditional Coptic chant tones, sometimes using small cymbals. The syncopated rhythm of the chants had an infections quality, and soon the delegates were singing along with the people of St. Mark's , thanks to a very beautiful service book assembled by members of the parish and printed by Eastern Christian Publications. It was fascinating to see the differences between the Coptic evening service and the familiar Orthodox Vespers. As is the case with the Church of the East, there is no iconostasis, but the sanctuary is divided from the nave by a curtain. Fond as Byzantines are of incense, I suspect that the Copts are fonder still, for the celebrant, Fr. Bishoy, and his deacon, released huge clouds of smoke throughout the service, using no fewer than three different types of incense.

Having completed our evening prayers to the Lord, the Conference and the parishioners of St. Marks settled back in their seats to hear His Grace Bishop Kallistos address an issue of seminal importance: "How Christian is Our Understanding of Church Authority ?"

Bishop Kallistos began by asking whether, in our attempt to understand primacy and conciliarity in the Church, we in fact have a proper understanding of what "authority" means in a Christian and ecclesiological context, and whether we have, for too long, been applying, implicitly or explicitly, a secular standard to the Church. His conclusion is that within the Church of Jesus Christ, authority derives from authentic witness to Christ, and leadership constitutes a ministry of service, in which, as Christ said, "the last shall be first, and the first shall be last". When and if all Churches recover that authentic understanding of the Christian concept of authority and leadership, it will be possible to establish an enduring primacy that encompasses the entire Body of Christ.

Following a brief intermission, Bishop Kallistos continued with a pastoral sermon for the members of St. Marks, on "Putting the Jesus Prayer into Daily Life", which highlighted the sacramental and vocational nature of life for the Christian, and simple acts of prayer and devotion that serve to focus our hearts and minds upon God so that in all we do we may render Him all glory and honor.

After Bishop Kallistos concluded, the Conference was treated to a social reception by the people of St. Marks, featuring a luscious array of Middle Eastern cuisine. Not wishing to seem ungrateful, most of the delegates settled in for their second dinner of the evening. In addition to food, the people of St. Marks also offered for sale a wide range of Coptic icons, recordings and devotional items, many of which were acquired by the delegates. Sated at last with food and fellowship, everyone reboarded the busses for the return to Catholic University, arriving back home considerably after hours. "Dining Out" was another remarkable success.

Day Four

Thursday morning began as usual with daily Orthros, somewhat abbreviated to accommodate the early start of the Orthodox Divine Liturgy. Considering the late hour at which everyone had gotten to bed the previous night, attendance at Orthros was quite good.

The Orthodox Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the Upper Church of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception by Metropolitan Nicholas of Emissa of the Carpatho-Rusyn Archdiocese, and concelebrants Archbishop Vsevolod of Scopelos and Bishop Kallistos of Deiocleia. Assisting at the Liturgy were a number of presbyters, deacons, lectors and acolytes from different Orthodox jurisdictions in the Washington-Baltimore area. A choir from _______ sang the responses using tones from a variety of traditions, and Bishop Nicholas gave a frank yet erenic homily which pointed out not only the great progress that has been made on the path to unity, but also the obstacles that still remain to be overcome. Perhaps inspired by the example of the Assyrian Qurbana of Wednesday, the Kiss of Peace was exchanged not only among the clergy, but among the people as well. As has become tradition at Orientale Lumen, Kyr Kallistos recited on bended knee the Prayer for Unity of Father Sergeius Bulgakov, which brought home to all the pain and scandal of the separation that prevents all those who share the same faith in Jesus Christ from partaking of His Holy Eucharist with their Orthodox bretheren.

After Liturgy, the Conference returned to Hannan Hall for refreshments before listening to the presentation of Archbishop Vsevolod, who spoke at some length about the practical steps that can be taken on both sides to advance the cause of unity, particularly in regard to the definition and exercise of primacy. Recognizing that major obstacles still remain, His Grace was confident that there were many interim actions that Catholics and Orthodox could take together to reduce suspicions, facilitate closer ties and pastoral cooperation, and build the foundation for the next step in the dialogue. As always, Archbishop Vsevolod�s attitude was characterized by great charity and sympathy especially for those Eastern Churches that are already in communion with Rome.

Lunch was somewhat abbreviated this day, due to the length of the Divine Liturgy and the scheduled National Business Meeting of the Society of St. John Chrysostom, which began at 1 PM in Hertzfeld Auditorium. As always, the first order of business was a vote on whether to proceed with Orientale Lumen VI next year�a motion that passed unanimously. The members then open up discussion regarding possible keynote topics for that conference, of which about a dozen were taken under advisement by the Executive Committee. At that point, Society President Mr. Jack Figel announced that there would be two Orientale Lumen Conferences in Europe over the next two years�Orientale Lumen Western Europe, in Birmingham, England in December 2001; and Orientale Lumen Eastern Europe in Spring 2002 on the island of Cyprus. This announcement generated great excitement and interest, as coming on the heals of Orientale Lumen Australasia-Oceania, it demonstrated the growing grass roots influence of what Edward Cardinal Cassidy now calls the "Orientale Lumen movement". In the interests of making future conferences even more successful, Society evaluated Orientale Lumen V, and provided much constructive criticism and suggestions for improvement. One significant positive development was the number of people volunteering in advance to assist at next year�s conference.

At 3 PM, the business meeting adjourned so that the Conference could participate in a panel discussion with a number of our keynote speakers, including Archbishop Vsevolod, Bishop Kallistos, Hegumen Nicholas, and Father Raymond Collins. Most of the questions asked by the delegates were quite stimulating, and the responses by the panel were well considered and thought provoking. One recurring thread among the questions, perhaps inspired by the contrast between the approaches to Eucharistic sharing held by the Assyrian Church on the one hand and the Orthodox Church on the other, was just what constitutes "unity of faith", and whether, as a matter of historical fact, the Church had ever demonstrated the kind of unity which is now held to be a prerequisite for the restoration of ecclesial communion. One hour was certainly not long enough to penetrate such issues, but all the delegates left with much to ponder and pray upon in the coming months.

At 4PM, the Conference attended Roman Catholic evening prayer services at the Shrine. This gave the members of the Eastern Churches the opportunity to experience the current form of Latin Vespers and witness the recovery of the Liturgy of the Hours as a liturgical service of the Latin Church.

Dinner that evening was in the form of a farewell banquet. Archimandrite Eugene (Pappas) of the Greek Orthodox Church gave a moving tribute to President Jack Figel for his tireless efforts on behalf of the Conference and for Christian unity. Our keynote speakers added their thoughts as well, and the feeling of spiritual unity was utterly tangible for all present. Yet, at the same time, this joy was tinged with sadness, for we realized that this brief moment was coming to an end, and that for many of us, there would be few opportunities to see our friends�old and new alike�until the next Orientale Lumen Conference.

To close the evening, the Conference was treated to a concert of liturgical music in the Greek Orthodox tradition by the Choir the Annuciation Cathedral, Baltimore, MD. Their repertoire included contemporary composed pieces as well as traditional chant, and it created a peaceful and contemplative atmosphere in which we ended our last formal day of presentations. After the concert, the delegates returned to Hannan Hall for a last social reception, one punctuated by many good-byes, which all hoped would mean, "until we meet again".

Day Five

Friday began with our last daily Orthros in the Ruthenian Chapel of Memorial Hall. Though many delegates had already left for home, the die-hards were still on hand to greet the Lord with morning prayers. After Orthros, everyone went upstairs for the Byzantine Catholic Divine Liturgy, celebrated in pontifical fashion by our co-patron, Bishop John Michael (Botean) of Canton. He was assisted by Hegumen Nicholas and numerous other presbyters (and deacons) of different Byzantine Catholic jurisdictions. The responses were sung congregationally using Ruthenian plainchant. His Grace opened the liturgy wearing the mandyas that had been presented to him earlier in the year as a gift from the Society of St. John Chrysostom, and he vested in sakkos and omophorion in the midst of the congregation prior to the Little Entrance. Despite a lack of rehearsal time, and the unfamiliarity of the various presbyters with each other, the Liturgy was well executed and a moving, reverent experience. In addition to the Byzantine Catholics, many Roman Catholic and Orthodox clergy and laity were also in attendance. Once again, the inability of all to partake of the one Chalice was highlighted at this, the last service at our conference on Church unity. All who were there, it is clear, left praying for the day when all might indeed be one.

[This message has been edited by StuartK (edited 08-06-2001).]

Stuart,

Thanks so much for a wonderful report.

One of these years I'm gonna make it to OL....

Sharon

Sharon Mech, SFO
Cantor & sinner
sharon@cmhc.com

Dear Stuart,

Thank you for taking the time to make it possible for those of us not present to share in the experiences of the Orientale Lumen Conferences. You make clear the sense of unity among participants of all Chuches and yet the report also help us to feel the participant's sorrow at their inability to share the Eucharist fully.

Perhaps the rest of us could learn from Assyrian Church of the East, which seems to stress the liturgical and sacramental likenesses of the Apostolic Churches as a basis for dealing with each other. The rest of us might be able to work our way from the focus on our differences as the center of our discussions to our commonalities as a basis for action.

The Society of St. John Chrysostom deserves recognition and a round of applause in thanksgiving for moving the cause of unity between and among the Churches of the East and the West forward in such an innovative way!

Again, thank you!

JOY!

Thank you Stuart for the second part of your report. Perhaps the readers here will be inspired to form their own local chapters of the Society of Saint John Chrysostom. Here in the Youngstown-Warren Ohio chapter we are over 40 strong. With a local chapter the fruits of Orientale Lumen can be gathered throughout the year. Let's all join the "Orientale Lumen Movement"!

Dear Vito,

Don't forget to E-mail me about any doings of the Youngstown Chapter, so that I can share them with other members of the Society via our quarterly newsletter.

Thanks,

Stuart

Stuart,
Thank you for a very interesting and informative summary of the conference. Among other things, I was quite taken by the following:

"One recurring thread among the questions, perhaps inspired by the contrast between the approaches to Eucharistic sharing held by the Assyrian Church on the one hand and the Orthodox Church on the other, was just what constitutes "unity of faith", and whether, as a matter of historical fact, the Church had ever demonstrated the kind of unity which is now held to be a prerequisite for the restoration of ecclesial communion."

This is an excellent question well worth discussing. One only has to look at the history of the church to see that at least some of the issues that divide east and west today were present in the first millennium. Why then are these issues so divisive today?

Ed

"Why then are these issues so divisive today?"

A fair question. ISTM that over the years positions have hardened and things have become less flexible -- on both sides.

For Orthodox, we sometimes forget that "Orthodoxy" in the pre-schism context was not a narrow concept but a broad one, delineating the boundaries within which a certain and legitimate diversity of theological thought was permitted, and outside of which was damned heresy. Due to the batterings that the Orthodox Church has received historically, we have become very good at holding on to the core of what we have -- sometimes at the expense of a broader perspective.

For Catholics, the issue is somewhat different, because many of the distinct perspectives of Latin theology have now been universally dogmatically defined by Catholicism, leaving little if any room for discussion.

Brendan

>>>For Catholics, the issue is somewhat different, because many of the distinct perspectives of Latin theology have
now been universally dogmatically defined by Catholicism, leaving little if any room for discussion.<<<

In both Catholicism and Orthodoxy, this is mainly true only of the laity and the lower clergy, but not of the hierarchy or scholars, who in the first instance, have to take a broader perspective as a matter of course; and in the second, understand much better the processes of historical development that have brought us to an apparent impasse. What is "dogmatic" to a layman in either the Orthodox or the Catholic Church, and what is "dogmatic" to their hierarchs and theologians, tend very much to be two different things.

Stuart,
Can anyone attend this conference or does one have to be invited? What are the dates for the next one? How can one get more information ? Thank you very much for your response
Ted Perkoski

>>> Stuart,
Can anyone attend this conference or does one have to be invited? What are the dates for the next one? How can one
get more information ? Thank you very much for your response
Ted Perkoski<<<

Dear Ted,

Anyone can attend the Orientale Lumen Conferences. Memberships to the Conference can be purchased either for the whole conference, for a particular day, or even for a particular lecture. All liturgical services are open to the general public free of charge. Fees vary from year to year, depending upon the venue and the deals we cut for room, board and transportation. We try to break even charging about $250 for the entire conference.

Next year's conference will be held the week of 5 June 2002, at Catholic University. Normally we try to shoot for the third week in June, but next year Pascha comes late for the Orthodox, so we moved it forward in order to avoid Ascension and Pentacost. Being in the Paschal season, will be nice, as we'll all get to sing Christos Voskrese or Khristos Anesti at the liturgies.

For more information, just drop me an e-mail with your snail mail address, and I'll send you a package on Orientale Lumen and the Society of St. John Chrysostom. I'll also have you put on the list for conference mailings, which should begin early next year.

In Christ,

Stuart

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Dear Stuart,

Could you tell me more about OL Western and Eastern Europe? I'll be in Europe around that period and would love to attend!

Many thanks in advance.

Yours in Domino,

Edward

Dear Stuart,

Could I write to some high-ranking Hierarch to recommend you for an equally high-ranking Church post?

What is your preference, Mentor in Christ?

Alex