Eastern Christendom

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I voted no. I am still deciding whether I want to be (If I revert) Eastern or Latin Catholic. But I come here for a catholic perspective not a Roman Catholic perspective or Byzantine Catholic perspective. I think it will almost definately create an us vs. them situation. Where Estern Catholics will end up identifying more with the Orthodox than with your other Catholic brothers and sisters because some will treat them as not really catholic. And some Eastern Catholics will find fault with those who don’t think “Eastern” enough. I have seen it happen before.

I am all for Unity. Keep it a Catholic board. Don’t seperate it by rite or church.

My 2 cents.

Mel
 
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diaconate:
Greg
If this forum that you speak of is truly for learning then I would be for it. Both Western and Eastern Catholics must learn from each other. My question is can we keep it just for learning purposes.
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If so, then I would be for having a forum specifically dedicated to learning about the Eastern rites.
 
I would no more want to see a forum dedicated to Eastern Christianity here than a forum for Latin traditionalists, Mariology or converts (given time, I could probably think of others too). I don’t think that these subject groupings should be isolated out of the mainstream discussions.

I think a lot of what is needed can be accomplished with a FAQ section. Especially if it is authored by reputable individuals who carry the respect of the entire church and don’t mind signing their names to their answers.

People like Archimandrite Robert F. Taft, S.J.; George Maloney, S.J. or Archbishop Joseph Raya come to mind.

If we cannot have something of that caliber, I wouldn’t bother because there are other sites that could do the job as well.

Let’s face it, the main purpose of this Catholic Answers website is apologetics. It might be possible for a Catholic to learn to defend both the Eastern and Western viewpoints of our Catholic Faith, and I am all for that. I have tried to do precisely that outside of this place. We are yoked together east-west! We do need to be able to defend each other’s positions against the incursions of atheism, New Age and pagan ideas, materialism and scepticism, but I think we will do that better by being integrated in our discussions.

The number of English speaking Eastern Catholics is relatively small by comparison to Western Catholics, and many like myself have their roots in the west and are very knowledgeable about Western Catholic issues. Many topics should not be isolated as Eastern or Western issues, and the number of doctrinal divergences can be counted on one hand and are really equivalent or somehow complimentary ideas even if we cannot fully understand yet how!

The fact is that much of our Theology and Spirituality come from the east, and there has been enormous traffic east-west in ideas and practices from the very beginning. If we isolate the eastern topics we lose some of our connectedness and balance.

An Eastern Forum could turn into a place where people go to pick fights, as in Roman vs Greek rumbles, or one everybody just ignores. It would need to be heavily moderated so that any pretext that one Tradition is better than another is strictly forbidden.The reality is that a specifically Eastern Forum isolates the 21 other Sui Iuris churches out as a “separate but equal” sort of thing which makes me uncomfortable.

This could also reinforce a misconception that all Eastern Catholicism is “just alike”, it’s not. There are several major Traditions and not all are represented well here.

Moderators could find a thread in almost any other Forum touches on Eastern themes and move it, lumping them all together into a sort of grease-trap where one might find almost any kind of topic.

Other “Catholic” websites have had Eastern forums, with the best of intentions I am sure, but they languish and become uninteresting through lack of participation.

You really cannot separate the two sides of a coin.
 
I’m not an Eastern Catholic, but I thought for a long time there should be a forum for Eastern Catholics.
 
I voted no as I love the place just as it is - we have non-Catholics, Roman Rite, Easterners, Orthodox and many have been posting cross faith which has been very interesting. I met people here I never would have met had there been “separate” envelopes. We have all been apart long enough - I like the place because it’s one of the few places where we are all in the same “envelope” together.
 
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HagiaSophia:
We have all been apart long enough - I like the place because it’s one of the few places where we are all in the same “envelope” together.
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And **I **want to be in the same envelope with Sophia. I am so fond of her that I follow her around all over the Forum. 🙂
 
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ByzCath:
We are one Church afterall.
I have been on another forum that has a separate topic for Eastern Christianity and the users there get upset when us Eastern Christians bring up stuff outside of that topic and that would be a concern I would have if a spot was created here.
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I agree we Roman Catholics learn more about your Eastern Rite with you being here with us.
The church is made of many and it is interesting to see some of the points that have been posted.
Since I could have told you nothing about the Eastern Rite till I started coming to the forum.
Besides it slows the splitting of hairs on some of the Roman Catholics on all the issues in our church.
It’s all about balance!:crying: Don’t leave I really would miss you.
 
This method works - if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

a pilgrim

I absolutely agree! I voted “no.”

God bless.
 
I voted no, however I must say it is rather distressing to me to find many Catholics coming to this forum to talk about Eastern Catholics in the Non-Catholics Forum. Eastern Catholics are still Catholics. I think areas of difference could be more appropriately addressed in the liturgy and spirituality forums. Just my two cents :twocents:
 
Fr Ambrose:
And **I **want to be in the same envelope with Sophia. I am so fond of her that I follow her around all over the Forum. 🙂
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Bless you for your kind words and for all you do here to help us understand so much better. My reading list is now so large I need another lifetime to cover it all. I love this “envelope” -
👍
 
I disagree that the forums as currently presented makes it easier to integrate Eastern Christianity into the Catholic paradigm. I really don’t like the fact, as someone else has written, that people come to the “Non-Catholic” forum to talk about Eastern Catholicism. When Eastern issues come up, it automically becomes presented as a faith foreign to, instead of compatible with, Catholicism. The fact that there is no separate forum where Eastern Catholics can express their views ONLY SERVES TO REINFORCE the idea that Eastern Catholics are not Catholics, or that Eastern Christianity is incompatible as a genuine “Catholic” perspective.

I still believe a separate section entitled “Apologetics for Eastern Catholicism” would help people learn more about the other “lung.”

EWTN has a great section on Easter Christianity, but it does not allow for much discussion.

Perhaps the administrators will be willing to provide links to Eastern Catholic sites on their main page.

God bless,
Greg
 
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GAssisi:
I disagree that the forums as currently presented makes it easier to integrate Eastern Christianity into the Catholic paradigm. I really don’t like the fact, as someone else has written, that people come to the “Non-Catholic” forum to talk about Eastern Catholicism. When Eastern issues come up, it automically becomes presented as a faith foreign to, instead of compatible with, Catholicism. The fact that there is no separate forum where Eastern Catholics can express their views ONLY SERVES TO REINFORCE the idea that Eastern Catholics are not Catholics, or that Eastern Christianity is incompatible as a genuine “Catholic” perspective.

I still believe a separate section entitled “Apologetics for Eastern Catholicism” would help people learn more about the other “lung.”
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Greg,
I think the consensus of us Eastern Catholics here is that the creation of a new section will not alleviate this condition.

IMHO it will do nothing but worsen it. While it might be true that users may come to the “Eastern Catholic” section, rather than the “Non-Catholics” section, to ask questions I fear that they will start to get upset with Eastern Catholic comment on Eastern Catholic things out side of that section.

This is the experience I have had, as well as others have had, at other “Catholic” forums that have an “Eastern Catholic” section.

In reality those sites are Roman Catholic Fourms with a section for “Eastern Catholic” topics.

And please enlighten me how the creation of a “ghetto” area on a Catholic forum “SERVES TO REINFORCE” that we are Catholic.

Again, IMHO, it does not. It serves to separate us even more.

I will remind everyone that I have changed my vote so to get a correct total on the poll you must subtract one Yes vote and add one No vote.
 
Dear David,

The “Ghetto” perception is not one that I share. I am wondering why having a special section for Eastern Catholics makes it a “Ghetto”? That is a strange mentality, if you don’t mind my saying. I think there is a special need to voice Eastern Catholic concerns as an exercise in itself, and because it reverberates to the much desired unity with Orthodoxy.

God bless,
Greg
 
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GAssisi:
Dear David,

The “Ghetto” perception is not one that I share. I am wondering why having a special section for Eastern Catholics makes it a “Ghetto”? That is a strange mentality, if you don’t mind my saying. I think there is a special need to voice Eastern Catholic concerns as an exercise in itself, and because it reverberates to the much desired unity with Orthodoxy.

God bless,
Greg
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Greg,
How does it make it a “ghetto”. By experience which you do not have.

We are Catholics. I do not see you asking for a “Western Catholic” section or a “Latin Catholic” section. Why do you insist on treating us differently?

I believe that the addition of an “Eastern Catholic” section will create the appearance of a segregated forum. If we are all Catholics then why created a separation?

You and others can raise questions for us in the appropriate section, ask about the Divine Liturgy in the Liturgy section, ask about our theology in the Spirituality section, ask about the Mysteries in the Sacraments section.

I still see no compelling reason to have a special section for us.
 
Dear David,

Why am I not asking for a Western Catholic section? That is a strange question. I am not asking for a Western Catholic section because this IS a WESTERN CATHOLIC website. Catholic Answers caters to a Western Catholic audience whose main purpose is to combat the errors of Protestantism, which is a phenomenon of Western Christendom.

Have you read the Catholic Answers magazine “This Rock”? There is no Eastern representation there. I think I read about an “Eastern” tradition of married priests once, but aside from that there is really no info about/for/by Eastern Catholics.

It is enough to know that this is a CATHOLIC website, and a separate forum for Eastern Catholics will, far from alienating you, do even more to advertise the Eastern Catholic perspectives - nay, to even let people know that Eastern Catholicisim exists - than to just inject yourselves in sections where you might be perceived as Orthodox non-Catholics.

Having a banner of “Eastern Catholicism” will help people know that you are fully Catholic - it won’t ghettoize you. If the administrators start such a forum, there should be an information post with a short intro to Eastern Catholicism that insists that one can be Eastern AND Catholic.

I think you have the perception of being ghettoized because Western Catholics percieve you as Orthodox, shunning internet (and even real) communion with you because of that misconception. I’m telling you right now, that unless every Eastern Catholic signs their posts in this predominantly Western Christian forum as “I am an Eastern Catholic,” you WILL be perceived as Orthodox on many issues. Walls will be formed even before you can demonstrate that just because Eastern Catholics have a different theological perspective and a different theological language, it can still be compatible with the Catholic faith.

An Eastern Catholic forum will advertise proudly and actually, “I am Catholic and I am Eastern,” with no (or at least less) confusion.

God bless,
Greg
 
As Eastern Catholics, there are many good forums we can post on. However, at some point it is up to us to go out and share what we have in common and what we don’t. If we stay to ourselves and in our comfort zone, then understanding will not prevail. That to me is what this whole discussion is about. Many would rather that we weren’t here, that is very sad. We cause people to be uncomfortable, not allowing them to stay in their comfort zone.

I apologize for anyway that I have intruded or offended anyone in my time here. I am very sorry it has come to a discussion as to whether we are wanted to post here or not.

Thank you
Pani Rose
 
Dear Pani,

I do not understand your last sentence, “It has come to a discussion as to whether we are wanted to post here or not.”

Is that how you perceive a forum for Eastern Catholics? I thought my intentions were clear - that is, to have a place that is easily accessible to learn about Eastern Catholics in a forum that is predominantly Western Catholic. This is, after all, a CATHOLIC website. None of the Western Catholics who have expressed their opinions on this thread seem to view such a forum in the manner that you (or perhaps David) has done.

I just thought that this website - for Catholics and for apologetics -would be perfect to advertise Eastern Catholicism since it has such a STAGGERING number of participants. Aside from the advertising value, I am sure there are many who want to hear the Eastern Catholic perspective in an apologetic manner - Eastern, and just as fully Catholic. How would you defend Catholic Truths in the language of Eastern theology? I am interested to know, and I am sure many want to hear it.

I think answering the latter question in the present forums have a likelihood of being misconstrued as non- or anti-Catholic since the language of Eastern theology is different from the Western. The fact is, people are expecting a WESTERN take on things in these forums because it has grown from and is geared towards treating a WESTERN phenomenon - that is, Protestantism. However, being in a forum that is advertised as EASTERN CATHOLICISM should dispel such notions, and promote the understanding that one can be fully Eastern and fully Catholic.

I hope people see the value in this CATHOLIC website for an Eastern Catholic section. To repeat, this is a CATHOLIC website, so there should not be any fear of ostracization. Perhaps this should be stressed in the intro to the section I spoke about in an earlier post.

God bless,
Greg
 
Pani Rose:
…at some point it is up to us to go out and share what we have in common and what we don’t. If we stay to ourselves and in our comfort zone, then understanding will not prevail…

Thank you
Pani Rose
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Once again our wonderful sister, Pani Rose, has used a few words to hit the nail right on the head.

This forum is quite possibly the largest “regular” assembly of Catholics in the entire world (except, maybe, for Wednesday Night Bingo at St. Bernard’s 😃 ). We are, I believe, over 10,000 souls strong, and still growing — 10,000 souls, each living within their own “comfort zones.”

Our Holy Father has recognized that these comfort zones exist within our Church. To this end, he has mandated that all Catholics step outside of their respective zones and actively seek to educate themselves with regard to the rich diversity that** is** the Catholic Church (Orientale Lumen, 1995).

Greg, a few posts back you stated that you believe this site to be a Western Catholic website. On the contrary, I joined and became active here because I found it refreshing to see it billed as a Catholic website, with no distinction between East and West. “Finally!,” I thought, “just the sort of integration of theology and ritual within our Church that the Holy Father is seeking!” After participating in other “segregated” Catholic forums where one or the other side languishes while the other flourishes, I find the ability to “mix ‘n’ match” East and West within the context of individual topics and posts that we currently enjoy here to be a priceless resource toward the mutual understanding that our Church so badly needs.

Greg, I applaud your spirit and intentions. Your desire to learn about the Churches of the East and to see that knowledge shared with your brothers and sisters of the West is truly admirable. It is because of the sincerity of folks like yourself that the reunion that all Catholics seek will someday occur — and it’ll occur from the bottom up, not the top down (watch and see 😉 … that is, if our Creator allows us to live that long!).

I’m convinced that there is no better time nor place to begin the process of stepping out of the “comfort zones” that Pani Rose speaks of than right here and right now! The 10,000 or so of us that regularly gather here represent, I believe, our Church’s best bet at making a real difference with regard to understanding and acceptance. We are all Catholics, and we have much to learn from each other. We should treat this forum as we would treat our beloved Catholic Church herself — with the freedom to interract amongst ourselves just as our Holy Father would have us do. We’ve been “separate” for too long. Let it be us that shows the rest of the world that we’re truly ready to make “tearing down walls” a serious activity!

a pilgrim
 
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GAssisi:
EWTN has a great section on Easter Christianity, but it does not allow for much discussion.
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I see that we have similar problems. In our Church we also have “Easter Christians” - we see them once a year at Easter 🙂
 
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