Eastern catholic pre Vatican 2

[tealblue]

I hear of the pre Vatican 2 latin mass but I can’t seem to find info on what the pre Vatican 2 eastern liturgy changes were. The reason I’m asking is traditional Catholics don’t like the new mass so if thats true then so do they view eastern Catholics as not Catholic? this is from my asumption that the eastern rite was never in latin.

 

[JuanCarlos]

There were a lot of “Latinizations” pre VII- Rosary, stations of the cross, and even Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament-in Latin. A more informative forum for this might be Eastern Catholicism

 

[Aramis]

It varied by which of the 22 churches just how latinized.

a few Ruthenian Bishops were photographed in Roman Chasubles and Miters instead of Sakkos and crown, for example.

Under Bishop Elko, the statement was that “the people must be able to see the altar”… so the icon screens were ripped out. (A few brave parishes, however, put in very open filigree ones, instead.) For doing so much to latinize, Bishop Elko was relieved, and later assigned as an auxiliary Roman bishop… where he excelled, and was named a titular archbishop, tho never an ordinary again.

Rome gave all kinds of mixed messages… encouraging latinization, yet punishing Bp. Elko for going too far.

But, throughout, the DL of St. John was used, in Slavonic, and occasionally English.

As to the Trads… they brought a few in, who couldn’t handle ad populem. Most of them left, too.

 

[Hesychios]

I hear of the pre Vatican 2 latin mass but I can’t seem to find info on what the pre Vatican 2 eastern liturgy changes were. The reason I’m asking is traditional Catholics don’t like the new mass so if thats true then so do they view eastern Catholics as not Catholic? this is from my asumption that the eastern rite was never in latin.

The Vatican Council II was generally a positive event for the Eastern Catholics. They did get more attention and sympathy than ever before, and some of the changes in the Latin church that followed the Council were due to the inspiration of Eastern prelates.

The Eastern Churches began (albeit ever so slowly) to shed many of the Tridentine accretions and restore their native traditions and ritual practices. Although in fact that is a continuing process.

It is difficult to generalize, and probably unwise, but I have found that Traditional Catholics (note the capital “T”) are generally of two minds on the Eastern Churches. It holds a fascination for many who visit, but then I have seen a great many who also become suspicious that these parishes are not being entirely true to Catholicism.

I remember my pastor getting his “interrogations” on occasion when traditionalist Roman Catholics would visit (not everyone did this, of course). Sometimes it appeared to me like a grueling ordeal on him. The visitors want to know just what he is teaching his people. I specifically remember one person accuse him of faking his Catholicism in order to trap unsuspecting Catholics. Some visitors couldn’t believe we had our own bishop 300 miles away.

Sometimes issues/problems within the Latin church get projected on the Eastern churches where they do not properly belong. For instance Byzantine Catholics stand for communion and do not kneel on most Sundays. Well witnessing that can be very alarming to a Latin who has been battling these things as problems in their own church. The married priesthood is sometimes a difficulty as well, although there are less married Eastern priests in North America than there are married Latin priests! The problem is the Eastern church formally allows it according to tradition, and traditionalist Latins oppose the practice in their own church with vigor (in fact they usually oppose it everywhere). When some Latins learn of optional celibacy in the East they put the game face on.

So from my perspective it seems like Traditionalist Latin Catholics usually admire the reverent and even glorious liturgy (up to the point where they realize the filioque has been deleted from the Creed) but don’t always share an appreciation for the different expressions of theology and praxis.

 

[bpbasilphx]

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again:

Those coming to Eastern Catholic (or Orthodox) Churches looking for the last holdouts of pre-Vatican 2 1950’s American Latin piety are terribly disappointed and sometimes become bitter and always eventually leave.

Those who accept the Eastern Churches on their own terms find them a great blessing.