H
Hesychios
Guest
From the church’s point of view, it matters not one bit whether or not a church has been in continuous communion with Rome.
What matters is that they ARE in communion with Rome and are otherwise precisely equal in dignity.
If we were expected to review the pedigree of each church to assess the antiquity or longevity of each church’s connection with Rome for a preference the whole communion would fall apart.
Each has valid apostolic succession and each has valid sacraments. Qualities they share with the Roman church and their sister churches not yet in communion.
The fact is that (as DomV has pointed out already) the Byzantines in Italy have always been in communion with Rome, as have some Byzantine churches in Eastern Europe (they weren’t all lost after the great schism and a few of those parishes did not become Roman, although they generally lost their cathedrals to the Roman Rite).
I agree also that the Maronites have suffered with a great deal of latinization, of the pre-Vatican II variety mostly. So while a Roman Catholic might find a lot that is familiar to them and even very appealing from a Latin Traditionalist viewpoint, it might be inauthentic and due for revision.
The only way to approach an eastern Catholic church is on it’s own merits. Read up on it’s theology and appreciate the liturgical practices for their own sake, study their history and appreciate it.
If one is not able to understand or appreciate the theology expressed by the church it would be definately better to stay put, and forget about transferring into a new Sui Iuris church. Limit oneself to occasional visits instead, and regard them as pilgrimages.
What matters is that they ARE in communion with Rome and are otherwise precisely equal in dignity.
If we were expected to review the pedigree of each church to assess the antiquity or longevity of each church’s connection with Rome for a preference the whole communion would fall apart.
Each has valid apostolic succession and each has valid sacraments. Qualities they share with the Roman church and their sister churches not yet in communion.
The fact is that (as DomV has pointed out already) the Byzantines in Italy have always been in communion with Rome, as have some Byzantine churches in Eastern Europe (they weren’t all lost after the great schism and a few of those parishes did not become Roman, although they generally lost their cathedrals to the Roman Rite).
I agree also that the Maronites have suffered with a great deal of latinization, of the pre-Vatican II variety mostly. So while a Roman Catholic might find a lot that is familiar to them and even very appealing from a Latin Traditionalist viewpoint, it might be inauthentic and due for revision.
The only way to approach an eastern Catholic church is on it’s own merits. Read up on it’s theology and appreciate the liturgical practices for their own sake, study their history and appreciate it.
If one is not able to understand or appreciate the theology expressed by the church it would be definately better to stay put, and forget about transferring into a new Sui Iuris church. Limit oneself to occasional visits instead, and regard them as pilgrimages.
