www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Parish Life & Evangelization The Future of the BCC

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Brethren,

All this talk about liturgical change has me thinking about the future of our Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Church in general and what it will look like in the next few decades.

Our strongest parishes are typically full of converts and "rite switchers." These folks want to be immersed in Byzantium. Nothing less than the full program will do. Our 1.5 hour liturgy doesn't phase these folks in the least. It also doesn't seem to disturb the native Rusyns, or our dozens of youngsters helping to fill our temple to capacity each Sunday. Yes, there are Byzantine Catholics who have vespers and matins in their full parishes, clutch their chotkis during the week, find the full fast essential and avoid pews as they would the plague.

The folks filling our churches want to be Byzantine Christians in communion with Rome to the nth degree. Or they would not be there. Let�s face it, our parishes are not in villages like in the old country. We can�t walk to church. Many of us travel great distances, tackling tundra and time for the True Faith and Sunday Divine Liturgy. We search out the far-flung books and devotional items unique to the practice of our faith.

There is a bright future for our parish and the Metropolia. We will have priests and monastic vocations streaming like water from a well. We'll have converts crossing the threshold to take in the light of the Truth. There will be reading and discussion of the Church Fathers. We will have fewer pews and more chotkis.

We will reach deeper into the font of Tradition as we embrace the mysteries Pope John Paul the Great exhorted us to recover. One thing is certain the hip echo-boomer generation -- the baby boomers kids, our Byzanteens -- demand nothing less than authenticity and the fullness of Tradition. The Church will be theirs soon and we will be gone. They will look back and wonder how on earth did the generation before worship with pews? Why would they miss Vespers? Why would they miss Divine Liturgy? Yes, our church will change. We might have to shrink still more before we grow again. But, grow again we will.

As always in Christ,

John

The changes that Bishop Pataki made to our liturgy have caused many people to leave. We are barely hanging on. If this reformed liturgy goes through our only hope will be to petition Rome for some sort of indult for the old liturgy. Some of the Roman Catholics have that for the Tridentine Mass. We should be able to get it too.

Friends,

With these two posts are we reading the future of our Church. I fully concur with John and I suspect like him don't have a clue what the second post is about.

Dan L

I'll second (or third) the vision presented by John and Dan. Let's not hide our treasure under a bushel but let it shine for all to see!

One of the great (but often overlooked) assets of the Byzantine-Ruthenian church is the Prostopinije chant.

It supercharges the liturgy, after a few visits any newcomer can participate!

Those churches who have gone to choirs entirely have an entirely different feel to the liturgy. It is amazing how mute the congregation can become, and boring for the children.

Cantors are a huge asset to the parish. The cantor program will prove to be critical to the growth success of the church in the future. I am in favor of restoring it as a minor order.

Also, and I mean this sincerely, Eastern Catholics should should aggressivly promote in every public place, preaching their own theology and spirituality as the Catholic teaching! Not as a form or version of Catholicism. With no excuses given it should make it's case heard among non-Catholics and the unchurched, and teach it's own theology boldly.

I think all efforts should be placed on bringing new people in from outside of Catholicism. For instance if a Byzantine Catholic radio show is heard on EWTN or Relevant Radio that is fine as far as it goes, but it's audience will primarily be baptised Roman Catholics. The efforts need to be directed outside of that audience in order to bring true and lasting growth to the church.

Also, every parish should place a heavy emphasis on catechesis for all. With year round reading groups and study groups. Bible study is great too of course, and those efforts should continue!

Orthodox parishes have classes in "Orthodoxy", and Roman Catholic inquirers will need to take them or they will not become full members. Byzantine Catholic parishes should also have "Eastern Christian Formation" classes for adults to benefit the Protestant, Roman Catholic and unbaptised visitors and inquirers. It is time for the church to enequivocably state: this is what we believe! This is what we teach!

Being a Ruthenian is more than incense, icons and different vestments. A lot of people are under the assumption that underneath all Catholics are alike. Not so! The Ruthenians have a special charism of their own. The prayers of the liturgy define them. The desert Fathers inform them. The Holy Trinity inspires them.

+T+
Michael

Amen Michael!

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Here are a few thoughts on what our holy father John Paul the Great of blessed memory, a true martyr and saint, expected from Eastern Catholics.


Orientale Lumen
Apostolic Letter on the Eastern Churches
Promulgated on May 2, 1995

21. The Eastern Churches which entered into full communion with Rome wished to be an expression of this concern, according to the degree of maturity of the ecclesial awareness of the time. [57] In entering into catholic communion, they did not at all intend to deny their fidelity to their own tradition, to which they have borne witness down the centuries with heroism and often by shedding their blood. And if sometimes, in their relations with the Orthodox Churches, misunderstandings and open opposition have arisen, we all know that we must ceaselessly implore divine mercy and a new heart capable of reconciliation over and above any wrong suffered or inflicted.

It has been stressed several times that the full union of the Catholic Eastern Churches with the Church of Rome which has already been achieved must not imply a diminished awareness of their own authenticity and originality. [58] Wherever this occurred, the Second Vatican Council has urged them to rediscover their full identity, because they have "the right and the duty to govern themselves according to their own special disciplines. For these are guaranteed by ancient tradition, and seem to be better suited to the customs of their faithful and to the good of their souls." [59] These Churches carry a tragic wound, for they are still kept from full communion with the Eastern Orthodox Churches despite sharing in the heritage of their fathers. A constant, shared conversion is indispensable for them to advance resolutely and energetically towards mutual understanding. And conversion is also required of the Latin Church, that she may respect and fully appreciate the dignity of Eastern Christians and accept gratefully the spiritual treasures of which the Eastern Catholic Churches are the bearers, to the benefit of the entire catholic communion; [60] that she may show concretely, far more than in the past, how much she esteems and admires the Christian East and how essential she considers its contribution to the full realization of the Church's universality.

Hmm � so the Church of Rome has spoken. I will attempt to distill down to points from our Holy Father of blessed memory:

1.) The BCC must maintain fidelity to its �tradition�
2.) The BCC has "the right and the duty to govern [ourselves] according to [our] own special disciplines.�
3.) All of this is for the �good of our souls.�

So, let�s turn to the "spiritual treasures" of the BCC. What are these "spiritual treasures?" What is this Light of the East?
Here�s my poor take on it in no particular order:

1.) The Trinity
2.) The Theotokos
3.) Holy Scripture
4.) The Holy Mysteries
5.) Monasticism
6.) One Sunday 1.5 hour Divine Liturgy a week
7.) Prostopinije
8.) Feasts and Fasts
9.) All Souls Saturdays
10.) The Holy Shroud
11.) Mirovanije
12.) Great Lent
13.) Iconography
14.) St. Nicholas
15.) Easter Baskets
16.) The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed sans the filioque
17.) Prostrations
18.) St. Cyril and Methodius
19.) Vespers & Matins
20.) Our Orthodoxy (Even if we don�t know it yet.)
21.) The Akathistos

I�m sure there are others. How are wo doing on bringing these "spiritual treasures" of our Church to the universal Church and the world?

In Christ,

John

John very good post, your vision for the Byzantine Church illustrates one that will grow and thrive. I think what you see coming is a good possibility and for that to continue evangelization must happen. We whose parents/grandparents came from the old country will not be around forever.

Just curious Kapusta, you say people ae leaving your parish, where are they going?

A Sister In Christ

Thanks Byzantina.

It seems that often since our return to Rome as a Church we have been crippled by our own fear of being Byzantine. For example, in the 1890s and 1930s it was the married priesthood. Today, it seems to be our fear of a Divine Liturgy that exceeds the 45 minute Mass or Protestant service. Our fear of being Byzantine is what will destroy our Church. It certainly can't be a fear of Rome that keeps us from being truly Byzantine. The Holy Father was very clear again and again that he expected us to be fully Byzantine. There is no indication our new Pope Benedict XVI will be any different. He might even expect more from us.

Brothers and sisters, let's embrace our collective call to be Byzantines in communion with Rome. The Holy Father exhorted us to press forward with our awesome vocation. The Universal Church needs us more than ever. We must press further along the path and tread past the ways of the world and the heresies of our age.

Pope John Paul the Great pray for us! Alas! how I miss our beloved pope of blessed memory.

In Christ,

John, a sinner


"Christ cries out, but man finds it hard to hear his voice, because we fail to speak with one accord. We listen together to the cry of those who want to hear God's entire Word. The words of the West need the words of the East, so that God's word may ever more clearly reveal its unfathomable riches. " -- John Paul the Great

John,

Your points are well made. I was meeting with a local Byzantine confraternity today and we were discussing (a point made by a cradle BC) how converts and transfers seem to bring such zeal for Byzantine traditions to our parishes because it was an inheritance they claimed later in life, usually with some aspect of study or hardship. This is not to disparage in any way "cradle Byzantines", but only to point out that many of us are Byzantine by choice and desire to be truly "Orthodox in communion with Rome". (No - I am not trying to start that argument again!)

My thoughts?

Throw out the pews! Bring back the Great Fast! Dispense with the Rosaries (I know I made you cringe, Alex) and take up the prayer ropes! Swing those censors! Restore the sub-diaconate and the married priesthood! Bring back Matins! Start new missions! Evangelize North America!

There - now I've said it...I just love being a Byzantine Catholic.

Peace,

Gordo

Gordo,

From an Orthodox that has been following some of the developments in the last years of the BCC, some of the things that your opinion has expressed are becoming realities, at least on paper. The married priesthood has been approved at least on paper by Rome, and the implimentation awaits the Metropolitan and bishops' discretion on when and when to start training the candidates. From what I can remember this was approved at least five years ago, and was published in the Eastern Churches Journal. You may want to seek it in the archives. As for rosaries, this can be a touchy subject among some, but switching to prayer ropes wouls only take some cathechis to have it start. The only problem would be probably the association with Orthodox practices, but that could be quickly overcome if they demonstrate the historical connection. The subdeaconate again is matter from the bishop to restore and redefine the ministry. In a parish, it looks nice, but the role for a subdeacon has been traditionally as the bishop's liturgically assistant and porter.

As for the evangelization and starting new missions, the possibilities are there for the BCC and the Orthodox if they would stop thinking of thier identity in old world terms. It is time to to think we are living here and most likely never moving back to wherever, so let us start bringing the gospel to the millions of spiritually starved souls here.

Your opinions or dreams are not far from reality. It just has to be pushed, and maybe that push has to start at the bottom up and get the hierarchy on board with the gospel of bringing the light of Christ to all nations, including our own.

In IC XC,
Father Anthony+

The Bishop Pataki liturgy is nothing like the Byzantine Liturgy. It is more like a Roman Catholic Mass. Why bother being Byzantine at all? What's next? Are we going to have the priest face the people, too?

Kapusta,
What church do you attend in NJ?

Sam

Please tell us more about this, It sounds
like you're stuck with a Byzantine
"Novus Ordo"..............

Antonius,

I keep scratching my head over this. Kapusta has made a serious charge. I wish he would elaborate.

Dan L