www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Disappointed with EWTN's Journey Home last night

That wouldn't, by any chance, be a priest named Leonard Koliekewicz would it?

Dn. Robert

Dear Domilsean,

Actually, Pope John Paul II was once photographed on a ski slope in his papal finery . . .

It generated many cartoons in the press . . .

Alex

Dear Alex,

In response to your questions:


I hesitate to compile a list of acceptable religious accessories, because inevitably I would forget something, or some manufacturer would come up with something. So forgive me for dodging that one!

The prayer rope? Well, properly speaking it belongs to the monks, but I don't recall anything to forbid others to wear it, on the assumption that they will use it from time to time. The same applies to the Lestovka.

One's neck Cross on top of one's clothing? Well, it won't disturb me, so long as it is clearly not a Priest's Cross. By the same token, you or I might wear a medal of the Theotokos, but that does not mean that you or I might wear a Panagia.

Lapel pins? Since pidriasnyks and riassa don't have lapels, I find such pins inconvenient, but if you care to wear a suitable suit jacket or sport coat, there's nothing wrong with wearing a lapel pin (unless, of course, the lapel pin carries a large and scandalous slogan of some sort, but that's not your usual style!).

It's not uncommon, at least in North America, to prepare nice "lapel ribbons", as we might term them, for special Church festivities; the faithful will wear these on the day of the festivity and then keep them as a memento of that celebration.

Enjoy!

Fr. Serge

A Dhomilsean, a chara,

I do hope the kilt in question is a clergy-kilt! (Don't laugh; the clergy-kilt actually exists, though I've never worn one and never seen anyone else wearing one either.)

le gach beannacht,

Fr. Serge

An t-athair, a chara,

I never heard of a clergy kilt, and anyway I'm a layman -- I never got too far at St. Charles. It's just a generic nouveau-tartan kilt. I don't want any crazed Scots who trace their tartan back 7000 years berating me for wearing it with a "pog mo thoin" t-shirt or something if I'm playing a concert.

Alex, the priest is not the guy you mentioned. He's a youngster (30 years old) stationed near Allentown, PA. I can remember more than a few occasions sitting in my formation advisor's office and getting the talk about not being too "eccentric". I just thought I was being a normal Catholic kid. So much for wearing a cassock, smoking a pipe, and debating genuflecting on one knee or two during Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. You know, normal 18 year old Latin seminarian conversation. It's not like we could talk about GIRLS.

Bless, Father Archimandrite!

Thank you!

Alex

Dear Domilsean,

Please DO talk about girls!

Alex

Gotcha. I probably should have known.

I do it quite a lot these days it seems, but of course I didn't much at all while in Latin rite seminary. I just hung out with them at St. Joseph's on my Saturday afternoons off. Glad that news never made it to my formation advisor!

Whose point?

Dear Father Serge:
I am sorry, when first I wrote to you, I missed the fact that you were a priest. I am not sure if you are a Catholic Priest of the Eastern Churches in communion with the See of Rome, or and Eastern Orthodox Priest.
I have not noticed at all the fact that you say:"EWTN's treatment of the Eastern Churches (both Catholic and Orthodox) is sometimes problematic" There have been very few former Orthodox at all on the Journey Home Show, or any other as a matter of Fact.
You say you don't thing my bishop would mandate for me to wear a "Priests" Cross. You are correct. What I remember saying is that he mandates that deacons in the Diocese of Buffalo must not wear Clergy Clothing. When he asked all the Clergy to come to have pictures taken for the Diocesan Picture Directory of Clergy, he instructed priests to wear Black Suits with Clergy Shirts, and deacon to wear Suits with Shirts and Ties.
The Cross I was wearing was given to me as a gift and I believed that it would be a blessing and witness to of my faith( which it was to me and Might I add others), and not meant as to offend anyone, especially my Eastern Catholic brothers.
The Part about the blessing: You may believe me or not, I didn't desire to give the views the notion that I was trying to Bless the People in the Manor of an Orthodox or Eastern Priest. If you remember, I suffer from Chronic Residual Effects from Lymes Disease; part of that causes the joints throughout my body to have inflammation and swelling. If my fingers were bent, it was because of that and not other reason.
For any that I might have offended here on this forum, especially you, Fr. Serge, I ask your pardon.
I do think you jumped the gun and went overboard and making haste judgements without knowing all the facts. And as a Priest and brother in Christ, I should think you would be sorry for offending another Christian, whether they be Catholic or Orthodox; whether they be Lay People, Deacons, Priests, Or Bishops. I apologize to you for reacting with a knee jerk reaction, and with anger, Please forgive me.

I am well acquainted with what a Deacon in the Eastern Church is supposed to be, act , dress and do. And when I am blessed by the Lord to serve in an Eastern Parish during the Divine Liturgy, I do a great job, so I have been told.

However, the things you disagree with most are things that were decided by the Holy Second Vatican Council, the new Directory for the Formation, life and Ministry of the Permanent Deacon. The Eastern Catholic Bishops were present at this Council too.You may find them the Theology of the Diaconate Strange in the Latin West, I did too at first. But as I was incardinated into the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, I had to change my mind and accept them. There are many books on the Theology of the diaconate, along with what the Vat.II Council said.

It seems that the Orthodox are very sensitive about their traditions etc, as you have mentioned. However, in the Latin Church perhaps they too are very sensitive about their traditions. So maybe it is better that we not bad mouth one another tractions and accept that they are going to be different.

Sometimes, people look at things with preconceived Ideas and read into things they see or hear.

I would like to be part of this forum, I think there are a are number of good people here. However, I have no stomach to listen to either the Eastern Catholic or Latin Catholic Churches being tore apart. This is not Christian.

God Bless you and please know you are in my prayers.

Yours truly in the Risen Christ,
Deacon Joseph Pasquella

Dear Father Deacon Joseph,

Well, I for one think it is great that you would wear a Cross in witness to Christ.

I think ALL Christians should wear an appropriate Cross, whether lapel pin or otherwise, to witness to their faith.

I see people of all kinds of faiths wearing various symbols of their respective religions - but Christians somehow cannot?

More power to you.

Father Archimandrite Sergius is an "Orthodox in communion with Rome" Priest.

When he was here in Toronto, he was definitely considered to be "more Orthodox than our own Orthodox" - and good for him!!

Cheers,

Alex

Dear Father Deacon Joseph,

A joyous feast of the Ascension to you - and please accept my thanks for your post.

Your humble servant is indeed in full communion with Rome, serving the Greek-Catholics in Dublin, Ireland.

If the Priest's Cross you were wearing was a gift, it is a blessing and I would suggest that you keep it with your Icons as precisely that. Who knows; it may also be prophetic! But you truly should not wear it until and unless you are ordained to the Priesthood.

You didn't pick up that I am a Greek-Catholic Priest - and I didn't pick up that you have Chronic Residual Effects from Lymes Disease. Please accept the sympathy of an arthritic Priest!

The Second Vatican Council did not produce the new Directory for the Formation, life and Ministry of the Permanent Deacon, so that text does not have the same authority as would a document of Vatican II. The contradiction between the clear teaching of the Church that a Deacon is a Cleric in Major Orders, and the practice of forbidding him to dress accordingly, is a serious problem. But it is not in any way your personal fault.

You are, of course, correct that the Orthodox (including the Greek-Catholics) are very sensitive where our traditions are concerned. On the specific complex of issues surrounding the Diaconate, we can be particularly sensitive. In principle, you are also correct in pointing out that the Latins may be equally sensitive, and deserve to have their traditions respected.

But there's the rub. The Latins have had no tradition of a functioning diaconate for centuries, until they began to ordain Deacons in some places for actual functioning, instead of just the "last step before the priesthood". They have undeniably developed some habits in certain countries over the past three decades. But that is not a sufficient length of time to enable us to speak of a "tradition" in the same sense. It is, however, enough time to make it reasonable to review what has happened and reconsider certain matters which those Churches who maintain a functioning Diaconate might think it proper to raise.

In addition - and many will object to this - since the Latin Church tends to be overwhelming, particularly in the English-speaking world, there is a need for special care to take the Christian East into account. The Latin Church is not threatened with disappearance; some Eastern Churches fear just such a threat, particularly in the Middle East.

You are of course welcome to the Forum, insofar as it lies in me to say that (and no has suggested to me that you should not be welcome). You are also welcome to come sometime and serve with us in Dublin (as anyone who knows me will assure you, I have high standards where deacons are concerned!). Please bring the cassock; no one will call you a fundamentalist, I promise.

As for Churches being torn apart, here's an anecdote regarding an experience I had in the summer of 1967 - when I was a Deacon myself. I was studying in the Notre Dame Summer School of Liturgy (and very worth-while it was, with friends who are still friends all these years later). If you have attended that sort of summer school, you know that more-or-less the same crowd usually gathers year after year. Well, as the 1967 summer session was beginning, there was a party of many of the old friends at the house I and some other students shared in South Bend. It turned into one of those "let's knock my community" nights - particularly among those who in fact belonged to monastic or paramonastic communities. We were all having a grand time, until a young monk from - well, never mind what monastery - piped up and said, in some distress "But . . . I think my abbey's just great! That's why I belong to it!". We all rushed to reassure him that we all likewise loved our respective communities, dioceses and whatever else, and had no desire to jump ship!

So it goes. We are likeliest to criticize those whom we love, because they are important to us. I've never bothered to criticize the Bahai's, because I frankly don't care what they do as long as they don't do it around me (and so far they haven't).

So forgive me likewise, for the sake of Christ - and if you are able to come to Dublin, please do.

Fr. Serge

Dear Fr. Serge:

Christ is Risen!


Thanks for taking the time to explain the things that you did and in the kind manor in which you did. You have brought some understanding and healing to my heart.

Fr. Serge, are you a Ukrainian Greek Catholic? I ask for a reason, because I am looking for some information on the proper way to serve in the Ukrainian Catholic Church as it seems some of the Customs are different for from what I learned in the Antiochian Orthodox Church, and also in the OCA in Kingston, MA.
Also, Which Gospel books in English are permitted to be used? Which English Copy of the Bible do you recomend? I don't particularly like the New American Bible that we use in the Western Catholic Church in the USA.I rather like and use the RSV-Catholic Version.
I never understood why the Antiochian Orthodox Insisted to use the KJV when using English. Perhaps is goes back to the Service book by Hapgood (not sure if that is correct spelling).
From Parish to Parish there seems to be differences between how things are done in the UCC. I visited a Church is Canada, that was an UCC; I was told that they priest was a school teacher and started and built the Church parish...it was like being in a Russian ORthodox Church.
Well thanks again, I look forward to hearing from you again, until then, I ask for your God-pleasing prayers and blessing.
Yours servant in Christ,
Dcn. Joseph Pasquella

They have a strong preference for sacral English. Other Orthodox hierarchs have also recommended use of the AV for its faithfulness to the Byzantine Text of the New Testament.