www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Newbie Looking Into Eastern Catholicism

Neil,

Yes, Archbishop Joseph was a strong-willed hierarch, but he lost many issues because they weren't fighting for. In fact, my epimanikia are something he took exception to -- I don't use elastic but, instead, have strings that are wrapped around -- "dat's Russian!" He also did not want to use "patina mit da foot" -- diskos that have a pedestal, we continue to use that today.

Of course, I never actually met the Archbishop, these are memories from my pastor who was ordained by the Archbishop. Since I've only been serving the Melkite Church for five years now most of what happened before is learned only from "war stories."

Edward, deacon and sinner

hey BeenaBobba, it's Lil Red Devil from phatmass!

Hello Jennifer, and welcome to the Forum!

I think I understand a little bit of what you are going through, as I am a babtized and confirmed Roman Catholic who has become actively involved with the Eastern Catholic Church for a number of years now.

Maybe my story will help you to relate to some of the emotions/feelings that you are now experiencing.

You see, I was initially "prodded" by a friend of mine to check out Eastern Catholicism, as my own Roman diocese is one of the worst "liberal" diocese's in the country. You name the spiritual diseases - it had it.

Ultra-radical feminism, New Age ideoligies, Liturgical abuses galore, heterodox ("liberal") theology running rampant, faithless and de-mytholigized Biblical exegesis classes being taught in diocesan run classes, disrespect for the Holy Father and his teachings, anti-Marian/pro-goddess spirituality, women wanting to be priests, priests wanting to be women, etc.

You get the picture.

I was literally becoming ill - physically, emotionally, and spiritually at all these sternly "anti-Catholic" antics. It was at this time that my friend then invited me to his church.

I tell you this, it was very strange for me at first. During the Divine Liturgy (English)I said to myself, "What in the heck are these people doing?".

I admired the solemn and dignified nature of the Liturgy, but the rest of it was very foreign to me - to say the least.

I decided not to return. Then 3 months later (after experiencing more preposterous and de-Catholicized activities/events/masses/homilies) I felt "moved" to give Eastern Catholicism another try. All I wanted was Catholicism. TRUE, REAL, honest to goodness NO EXCUSES Catholicsm. I was hungry and needed to be fed, but I was spiritually starving to death - right in the middle of my own Roman diocese.

When I returned, things were different this time.

Seeing that I had been there once before, I was now able to concentrate more on the actual Liturgy itself, as opposed to what I had seen as being all the "differnces" between the two liturgies.

To "check" on the priest in this church, I spoke to him in the rectory and asked him privately to answer two questions for me. 1)"Did Jesus Christ literally walk on the water, as when He was beckoning Peter to come to Him - as scripture states 2) "Did Jesus Christ really perform actual miracles, i.e. giving sight to those who were blind from birth, exorcising REAL demons from people who were truly posessed, etc."

He looked at me and said "Why do you ask me such questions?". I politefully asked him again to please respond to my inquiry. He said "Why of course Frank, of course He did".

That was enough for me. I said to him "I'm here, what do you want me to do!" (as I was very active in the Roman Church and wanted to help out).

The rest is, as they say - history. I even entered into the diaconate a short time later and went on to complete 2 years of training towards being a deacon when, unfortuneately, some problems had arisen at my job which then forced me out of the program (and out of the church) for about a year and a half.

But with those problems now having been resolved to my satisfaction (but putting the diaconate temporarily "on hold" for a while as I take time to digest all that has been happening to me) ....


I'M BAAAACKKKKKKKKKK!

Jennifer, I sincerely hope that the brief details of my journey into Eastern Catholicism has in some way helped you to understand that sometimes, gaining spiritual discernment on where we should go and what we should do with our lives is not always easy, and could in fact be very difficult at times.

Time and patience, though, is most often the only way we have to discern things of this nature.

Yes, I've experienced a little bit of "the Pope is good, but not THAT good" type of mentality (which to my dying breath I shall never accept, nor should I. Because for Catholicsm itself - that is an unacceptable concept).

But I'm slowly working my way through such issues, little by little.

Also, you might like to know that my experience at the seminary in the diaconate program was EXCELLENT! It was totally and fully CATHOLIC!

No wishy-washy faith depleted instructions here!

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, Icons, Saints, even mention of "sin" and "Hell" every now and then. Wow. What a difference from my previous (ahemmm) "training".

Thanks for listening - and I sincerely hope that this "story" will be of some use to you in your relections and journey into Eastern Catholicism.

Your Christian brother,

Frank

Frank,

If the priest's answers to those two questions were the deciding considerations on your discernment of the East as your spiritual home, I wonder whether you made the right choice. It seems to me that what you were seeking is a very fundamentalist Catholic environment, which IMHO isn't what we are all about. And, I have no doubt you could have gotten the same response from any number of Latin priests. You are, I fear, someone who will find yourself most disenchanted the first time you encounter a priest who gives a less than literalist interpretation of any event described in the Old or New Testament that you have focused upon as a litmus test of "true" Catholicity.

Many years,

Neil

Hello Neil!

I must say my friend, that I find your response more than a bit puzzling?

It seems that you might have misunderstood the meaning of my post.

"If the priest's answers to those two questions were the deciding considerations .."

Yes, those questions for me were in fact that - the "deciding" considerations. But they were not the reasons which had initially brought me to this point in the first place. I hope that clears things up a bit.

As to the question of whether or not I have made "the right choice", only time may ultimately answer that question. After all, time and God's good will could have any one of us (as of a result of the situations in which we find ourselves) to be led into any one of the Catholic Churches that are in existence today.

They are all "valid", and all are "good". It would certainly not be as if I was turning my back on Catholicism, that much is for sure.

And I must say, your remark about my seeking a "fundamentalist Catholic environment" seemed a little off the beaten path. As I had stated in my initial thread, I was simply seeking Catholicism in which there were "no wishy-washy faith depleted instructions". If you call this "fundamentalist", then it appears that there might be a need here of a short review on Catholic Traditions and Teachings. There is truly nothing "fundamentalist" it.

And yes, while I agree with you that there are a certain number of Latin priests that might have given me that same response - I must add that in the Roman Diocese of which I reside - if this did occur, their views as such would have been seriously stifled.

In the Eastern Churches, I have not found this to be the case. And that's a very important observation.

You see, maybe you have never had to worship under such spiritually suppressed conditions (and I sincerely hope that you never have to), but the spiritual oppression from having to exist under such obtrusive ideologies is physically nauseating. And it is not something that was uttered from just one "individual", it is the mindset of almost the entire diocese.

Big difference.

I must also kindly and politefully take odds with your use of the terms "literalist interpretation". Such a thing does not really exist in Catholicism. As I hope you already know, there is a Traditional system of beliefs that has been handed down to us through the millennium - guided to us by the hands of Holy Mother Church.

And those Traditions may not be defined as "literalist interpretations". They are either simply part of our belief structure, or they are not. There's nothing "literalist" about them.

As far as my supposedly being "disenchanted" with the first (Eastern?) priest that I meet which does not embrace True Catholic Teaching, I think that you might have missed the point of my discussion here.

As I had related, from my many years of experiences thus far in the Eastern Catholic Church - I can say that I have not found this to be the common mindset or teaching. Not at all what so ever.

Instead, there has been a demonstrated consistency in theology/philosophy which has not been disturbed, as it already has been in so many a Roman diocese all over the U.S. (and throughout the world).

It appears to me that you may have highly underestimated the important bond between Tradition and Faith that has been strongly and firmly maintained throughout the Eastern Catholic Churches.

I pray that you take this response as being a kind reply to your thoughtful concerns. If it has not come across as such, I apologize to you in advance.

And please pray for me always.

Because I shall forever require the continuing prayers of my good Christian brethren everywhere.

For all the days of my life.

Peace.

Frank