Eastern Catholic Identity

[Diak]

To finish, obviously a term that is understood to be perjorative should not be used, such as “uniate” as a general identifier. Neither “catholic” nor “orthodox” has that sort of connotation.

 

[Phillip_Rolfes]

Thanks to everyone for their responses. It’s been most illuminating.

 

[dvdjs]

dvdjs;6323818:

I identify as “Byzantine Catholic”; or as “Greek Catholic” when speaking to Eastern Europeans /quote]

Ditto this!

And I have identified as myself as “Greek Catholic” in Slovak and Hungarian languages.
But I simply cannot manage it in Czech. How about you?

 

[Mariamkutty]

This thread is meant for Eastern Catholics. I’ve heard several people say that Eastern Catholics are “Roman Catholics who celebrate Mass funny” (Roman Catholics of an Eastern Rite). I’ve also heard people say that Eastern Catholics are Orthodox Christians in Communion with the Bishop of Rome (to which the Melkites add “as was lived in the first millenium before the Schism”). I know this second is the stance that the monks of Holy Resurrection take. I also know that it is the stance of Bishop John Michael Botean as well as Patriarch Gregory III who said, “I’m Orthodox with a plus…”

So here’s my question. How do Eastern Catholics self-identify? Are you Orthodox in Communion with Rome? Are you Roman Catholics of a different rite? Are you something else?

I ask this in all sincerity and am certainly not looking to pick any fights. In talking and listening to many Eastern Catholics I’ve come across a wide spectrum of opinions on the matter. I’m not looking for anything definitive here, but I thought it’d be interesting to see the general opinion of my Eastern Catholic brothers and sisters here on the forums.

ICXC + NIKA,
Phillip

The authentic, native community of Christians of St Thomas in Kerala, who were under a Babylonian Patriarch until 1597 and came in communion with Roman Catholic Church in 1599, and are all in the **Syro Malabar Catholic Church **since 1887 when See of Cranganore was suppressed…

**neither identify themselves as Roman Catholics who celebrate Mass funny **(they have never celebrated the Roman Catholic Mass at any time), nor as Orthodox.

The Mass in Syro Malabar Catholic Church is called Qurbana and until Second Vatican Council was in Syriac.

 

[ninan]

I AM PROUD TO BE A SYRIAN CATHOLIC.

WE St.THOMAS CHRISTIANS FOLLOW SYRIAN TRADITIONS OF St.THOMAS,THE DISCIPLE OF OUR LORD AND HOLD THE UNIVERSAL CATHOLIC FAITH.

My parents are Syrian Catholics,one Syro Malabar and the other Syro Malankara.

In fact the term Syro is short form of Syrian (as we follow Syriac in our liturgy,translated to Malayalam)

Malabar is the other name for Malabar Coast or Kerala in India.Syro Malabar denotes St.Thomas christians of Malabar (Kerala)

Again Syro Malankara-Syro as described above.
Malankara-Mala & Kara -means Land of mountains and plains (Kerala)
Another view is that St.Thomas first landed at Malyankara,near Kodungallur (Cranganore).
Malyankara later lead to the usage Malankara.

IN SHORT,BOTH SYRO MALABAR AND SYRO MALANKARA DENOTES St.THOMAS CATHOLICS OF KERALA.
Syro Malabar rite follows Chaldean (Eastern Syriac) liturgy and
Syro Malankara rite follows Antiochean (West Syrian ) liturgy.

 

[flyfisher]

Well said.

I know that there are some Byzantines out there who have issues with my being in a Latin Order but for me, I view myself as being Catholic first and foremost.

I do not experience any issues with this the only thing is learning more about my Byzantine rite and heritage, which again, is not an issue as along as I can find those out there who are willing to be guides.

Again well said
The Byzantine rite is very rich in tradition, something i feel was lost among other things when the Roman church changed from the Latin to the New. Many of us traditional Romans felt lost when these changes took place. As a result of the hard to take changes many Roman rite Catholics turned to the Byzantine rite. the liturgy is beautiful, now the Byzantine Liturgy has changed using different Liturgical Tones for each day, and once again causing anxiety among many Catholics.