That question would be better answered by someone other than me. I honestly do not know. I can say that if they are not well accepted, Catholics are hardly in a position to criticize, given the shameful history of how Eastern Catholics have often be treated, and in some cases, still are treated, by Latin Catholics.
I’ve been a Catholic for over 20 years, and I have never seen anything negative said about Eastern Catholicism (the ones in communion with us). For all of these 20 years, I’ve heard about the Pope trying to reach out to the Eastern Orthodox, and I see Eastern Catholicism promoted on Catholic radio and on EWTN. On EWTN, we have Fr. Mitch Pacwa who can celebrate Mass in the Eastern and Western form. Fr. Mitch has been on EWTN for longer than I have been a Catholic. I’ve actually seen an Eastern form Mass celebrated on EWTN. I think it was Syro-Malankara. And, at the National Shrine in D.C. they have regular Syro-Malankara Masses that I have seen happening on many occasions when there. And on Catholic radio, there is a radio show promoting Eastern Catholicism called Light of the East.
Just because you’ve not witnessed it doesn’t mean it’s not true.
Since 1965 our Popes have been bending over backwards to reach out to the Eastern Orthodox. And Eastern Catholicism (the ones in communion with us) is and has been promoted by our Popes in the Catholic Church on Catholic TV and on Catholic Radio for decades. And I have never seen anyone complaining about the Eastern Catholics who are in communion with us even though I’ve been a Catholic as an adult for over 20 years. What more evidence do you want?
I think I, as an Eastern Catholic, am in a better position than you to know how Eastern Catholics have been, and in some cases, still are treated. I am aware of how recent popes have treated Eastern Catholics. I am also aware that there is more to history than the last few decades, and that even now, we endure poor treatment. We have had legitimate traditions, such as a married presbyterate, suppressed. There are still pressures within Rome for us not to ordain married men to the presbyterate. On a personal level, we constantly deal with ignorance, and in some cases, outright hostility, from some Latin Catholics. For example, I have been told that our belief in gods divine energies is “New Age” heresy. My wife was once told that our belief in theosis is “blasphemous.” We are not infrequently told that our fasting traditions are “dumb.” All of this not from atheists or even Protestants, but from Latin Catholics. I can add more. I’ve read criticisms of Eastern Catholic because we don’t pray the Rosary, we don’t have Stations of the Cross, we don’t have statues, just those weird-looking icons, we don’t have daily Mass, we have face-to-face confession, use of leavened bread for communion is invalid, etc., etc.
I think I, as an Eastern Catholic, am in a better position than you, who are not an Eastern Catholic, to know how Eastern Catholics have been, and in some cases, still are treated. I am aware of how recent popes have treated Eastern Catholics. I am also aware that there is more to history than the last few decades, and that even now, we endure poor treatment. We have had legitimate traditions, such as a married presbyterate, suppressed. There are still pressures within Rome for us not to ordain married men to the presbyterate. On a personal level, we constantly deal with ignorance, and in some cases, outright hostility, from some Latin Catholics. For example, I have been told that our belief in gods divine energies is “New Age” heresy. My wife was once told that our belief in theosis is “blasphemous.” We are not infrequently told that our fasting traditions are “dumb.” All of this not from atheists or even Protestants, but from Latin Catholics. I can add more. I’ve read criticisms of Eastern Catholic because we don’t pray the Rosary, we don’t have Stations of the Cross, we don’t have statues, just those weird-looking icons, we don’t have daily Mass, we have face-to-face confession, our use of leavened bread for communion is invalid, we dare to chrismate and commune our infants, and so on.
If we are going to compare this to the Western traditions you say are within Eastern Orthodoxy then it isn’t fair to judge us by how we treat our dissident Catholics. Dissident Catholics, whether they be Eastern or Western, are not tolerated well in the Church. But, there are Eastern Catholics who have no problem with being in communion with Rome (example), and those are the ones I am talking about. So, if you are going to go this route, the question I will ask back to you is how are dissident ones within the Eastern Orthodox churches treated? Are they treated well?
My point is that if there are some Eastern Orthodox who are hostile to their own Western Rite Vicariates, we Catholics are in no position to criticize, since we have had, and continue to have problems with hostility on the part of some of our Latin majority towards Eastern Catholics. Just because you are not personally aware of such hostility doesn’t mean it isn’t real. I assure you, from years of personal experience, that it is real. In all honesty, I don’t think that the situation with the Western Rite Vicariate is that different, just that is on a much smaller scale. My guess is that a great may Eastern Orthodox don’t even know of their existence, just as many Latin Catholics don’t even know of the existence of us Eastern Catholics.
Not even the Pope is infallible. The Pope is only infallible when he speaks ex-cathedra and the Magisterium in communion with the Pope. The Fathers of the Church are not infallible. Their writings is not at the level of Sacred Scripture.
I have shown you a mountain of objective evidence that Catholicism is not hostile toward Eastern traditions, and you have responded using only your own anecdotal opinion. Dissidents, regardless of them being from the East or West tradition, are not tolerated in the Catholic Church. Ask these guys:
Exactly, if all one goes by is the writing of their select favorite ancient Christian then what is to stop someone from following a heretic like Arius, for example?
Well, I see no “mountain of objective evidence,” but I’ve not claimed that Catholicism is hostile towards Eastern traditions. My contention is that we are in no position to criticize how some EO might treat their own Western Rite Vicariates based on real history (not just by own anecdotal opinion) of how some of the majority Latin Catholics (in some cases, including the Latin Church hierarchy) have treated, and in some cases, still do treat Eastern Catholics. As to the differentiation that you are attempting to draw between Catholics and the Orthodox based on the differences between what the Vatican teaches and what some individual Catholics do or say, what’s the real point your trying to make? Are you saying that the Catholic Church is entirely benevolent and blameless with respect to how its minority traditions are treated, while the Eastern Orthodox Church is entirely malevolent and blameworthy in how it treats its minority tradition? If so, were is your “mountain of objective evidence?”
So you think international Catholic TV and Radio doesn’t count. Okay then.
Where does the Catholic Church say we can’t believe in divine energies? The divine energies of God are a legitimate Byzantine tradition.
Did you not see the part where I said that I’ve not claimed that Catholicism is hostile towards Eastern traditions?So you think international Catholic TV and Radio doesn’t count. Okay then.
Legitimate according to every Byzantine Catholic?
The doctrine of divine energies is taught by the Byzantine Catholic Churches.