Eastern Rite and Orthodox Unity

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I am curious to know if anyone’s Eastern Rite parishes do any collaborative events or meetings with their local Orthodox parishes, and if so what is entailed? I feel very strongly that unity with the Holy See and Orthodoxy will begin in the Eastern Rite, so i’d like to know what is the relationship like in all of your communities! Please share!
 
<< I am curious to know if anyone’s Eastern Rite parishes do any collaborative events or meetings with their local Orthodox parishes, and if so what is entailed? >>

Good question!

I had once suggested something along these lines to my own EC pastor. At the time it did not look promising.

In fact, it was even pretty hard to get two EC parishes in my area to cooperate on anything, I am especially thinking of the Ruthenians and the Ukrainians. Perhaps things have improved lately, but it seems there was a bit of bad blood between them there.

I seriously believe that some things are worth attempting, a rising tide lifts all boats.
 
The Byzantine Church I attend St. Geroges has a Romanian backdrop and we do collaborate from time to time with the St Georges Greek Orthodox parish. Coming from an Orthodox background myself there is so much common ground to stand on with the two Churches. Both use Chrysostum Liturgy and have many similar ideas about Orthodoxy and faith. If we look at what is going on in the Church, Anglicans being welcomed!? Anglicans!? I mean thats GREAT! but HELL-o!!! Look how similar Byzantine and Orthodox are, jeez! heh
 
My parish back home has worked with one of the two local Greek Orthodox Churches (one parish is very ethnic, the other is not, we work with the non-ethnic one) to put together a lecture series on Eastern Spirituality. Also some of the members of the Greek Orthodox Church (the same one we worked with on the lecture series) joins in a Bible study put on at the parish.

The local PNCC (Polish National Catholic Church) also has joined in.

We also have a joint parish picnic with the Methodist (I know it is not an Orthodox Church) Church that is right next to the parish.
 
That’s a good start. 🙂 Now, we just need for those brave priests to rise in the ranks and carry that sense of brotherhood with them. If enough rise to the rank of Bishop then some change can occur. Then talks could be taken seriously towards reunification. The problem is the next move relies on the east. The orthodox are the key to starting it. The west I believe, do allow the orthodox to take communion but its not always vice versa. That is a key thing. Hopefully one day.
 
I think as lay folk our mission is important as well. Let’s get the ball rolling, good things are on the way for Catholicism I can feel it. I am really going to make this a top priority in my Community with my ties to both Faiths, we are going to see a unification with Orthodox and Eastern Catholicism, just wait.
 
No one has anything else to say on this!? I am shocked, and that is testament to how we need more community interaction…
 
Having attended both EC and EO parishes for awhile (Archdiocese of Denver), my experience is, unfortunately, no collaboration.
This may partly be a reflection of the philosophy of the RC Archbishop, Archbishop Chaput, who is a stickler for Western theology and not super committed to reunification efforts. And I can tell you exactly what the Orthodox attitude is: EC parishes, whatever their liturgy, are still bound by the post-schism Roman dogmatic declarations, which the Orthodox still find unacceptable.
Bottom line on the larger question of reunion: progress is indefinitely stalled as long as the post-schism teachings are non-negotiable. At least that is my observation. Joe
 
In my Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Toronto, there is much cooperation between the Ukrainian Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox hierarchies. The Bishops of each respectively invite the other to important Church Festivals, concelebrate services at important dates in Ukrainian history (i.e. requiems for the millions of Ukrainian victims of Stalin’s Terror-Famine - the Holodomor). Both are honorary members of the Board of Directors of our Ukrainian Catholic seniors’ homes as the Catholics accept the Orthodox without hesitation.

Both represent the community when the Provincial, Federal, or Municipal Governments hold events with the Ukrainian community. (The current mayor of Toronto just until not too far back played trombone I believe in the Ukrainian community’s youth marching band - though his popularity is sinking so I may deny this subsequently). The relationship seems closer than, let’s say even 25 years ago where a Ukrainian Orthodox bishop could share a T.V. studio with his Ukrainian Catholic counterpart on T.V. and proclaim the sole truth of Orthodoxy for Ukraine, to which the Ukrainian Catholic bishop responded: “We love our Orthodox brothers.” I still remember this from as a kid.

When our late Ukrainian Catholic Cardinal Slipyj was released from the Soviet Gulag in 1963 I am not sure he was on the best of terms with the biggest name in Ukrainian Orthodoxy Archbishop Ohienko (powerful from the days of Ukrainian independence in 1917-1919 before the Communist deluge after which he immigrated).

In all honesty Cardinal Slipyj struggled with the Curia to have the Ukrainian Catholic Church be granted a Patriarchate to such an extent that he proclaimed it singularly (I have original letters from him to my dad where he starts using the title “Patriarch” around 1972). Slipyj believed the Vatican Secretary of State’s Ostpolitik with the Soviets and Russian Orthodox Church was morally wrong.

The Ukrainian Orthodox meanwhile had problems of their own seeking Constantinople’s recognition of canonicity in the face of Moscow’s objections.

Today, one sees much more cooperation between Ukrainian Orthodox (non-Russian Orthodox) and Ukrainian Catholics in the diaspora and the home country. The complicating factor in the home country is the Russian Orthodox Church which seems to be at loggerheads with the EP over what status and church Ukraine’s Orthodox should have. Last I heard the non-canonical Ukrainian Autocephalous was in talks with the Ecumenical Patriarch.

Ukrainian Catholic desires for a Full Proclamation of a Patriarchate combined with the confusion now over Ukrainian Orthodoxy in Ukraine complicates the situation in Ukraine, at the same time as it draws many closer to the other, if this makes sense.
 
Wonderful! I don’t know I just feel something. I have this “feeling” we are going to witness something miracle in our lifetime as far as Traditionalism and Church unity. And hopefully this will be sooner rather than later. There are so many intelligent and talented Apologists here if only I could live in closer proximity to such people. I am going to initiate in my own community an event for the Byzantine Rite and Orthodox faiths to collaborate once I have a stable job situation.
 
Our Ruthenian parish participates in a “Christmas Around the World” Fundraiser. For 22 years, it has been put on by the Eastern Christian Women’s Association. Participating parishes include Greek Orthodox, Melkite Catholic, Ruthenian Catholic, OCA, Ukrainian Catholic, Ethiopian Orthodox, Antiochian Orthodox, and Coptic Orthodox. All of the priests come together for prayer and blessing at the beginning of the event.

Elizabeth
 
Alethiaphile said:
Having attended both EC and EO parishes for awhile (Archdiocese of Denver), my experience is, unfortunately, no collaboration.
This may partly be a reflection of the philosophy of the RC Archbishop, Archbishop Chaput, who is a stickler for Western theology and not super committed to reunification efforts.
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With the exception of Russian Catholics, Ethiopian Catholics, and maybe a few others, NO Eastern Catholic Church is under the Latin ordinary. Almost all have their own hierarchy in the USA.

Therefore Abp. Chaput would have nothing to do with their activities.

But to answer the original question, in one city, for a while, the local Melkite and Antiochian Orthodox parishes had a joint religious education program that met on Saturdays.
 
bpbasilphx said:
With the exception of Russian Catholics, Ethiopian Catholics, and maybe a few others, NO Eastern Catholic Church is under the Latin ordinary. Almost all have their own hierarchy in the USA.
Therefore Abp. Chaput would have nothing to do with their activities.
Click to expand...
The Ruthenian Catholic Community I have attended in Denver is directly under the authority of Arch. Chaput. I know whereof I speak. Joe
 
Is that Holy Protection? I wonder why it is listed in the directory for the Eparchy of Van Nuys? How did it come to be in such an unusual situation?

Elizabeth
 
babochka said:
Is that Holy Protection?

Elizabeth
Click to expand...
No. Alethiahpile is talking about a small Russian Catholic community served by a bi-ritual priest who is also responsible for a large RC congregation. However, this community has been mistakenly conflated with the Ruthenian parish on a couple of occasions in this forum. The Russian Catholic priest, Fr. Chrysostom Frank, is a convert from Eastern Orthodoxy. My suspicion is that that status has far more impact on his relations with EO parishes than any directives from Archbishop Chaput.
 
Alethiaphile said:
The Ruthenian Catholic Community I have attended in Denver is directly under the authority of Arch. Chaput. I know whereof I speak. Joe
Click to expand...
I suspect you mean Sts. Cyril and Methodius Russian Byzantine Catholic Community at St. Elizabeth’s.
stelizofhungary.org/cm_page.html

They are not Ruthenian (aka Rusyn), they are Russian. Rev. Fr. Frank used to serve at Holy Protection of the Mother of God. (article on Fr. Chrysostom Frank)

The Ruthenian Parish there, Holy Protection of the Mother of God, is under the Omophor of Bishop Gerald of Van Nuys; the Pastor was up here a little over a year ago for the eparchial retreat and our 50 year celebration kickoff. I fact, the Eparchy seems to be everything Ruthenian west of the mississippi…
 
Just a humble opinion, with no links nor quotes, just my opinion…😛

Sometimes, when two groups of people seem similar to outsiders, they seem extremely dissimilar to each other due to the fact that their existence is predicated on these differences precisely.

The fact that these two are similar in customs, culture, rituals, devotions, does not take away from the great differences of accepting the primacy of the Pope, for example.

I think the initial reconciliation will come from the top and from the opposite ends…then go down and inward to those that are already similar.

THEN, those who are similar will 'cement the bond’ because the Eastern Catholics already live what we hope to live as the Orthodox & Catholics unite. They can serve as ‘translators’ and ‘interpreters’ because we -Latin Rite- will probably not quite understand many things, and likewise, they will be able to ‘calm down’ the fears of the Orthodox as they approach us.

I also feel that a reconciliation is possible in our generation, even before one with the Protestants becomes possible I mean the entire church, not just a few congregations].

For this reason, I am trying to educate myself and to find guidance in all things Orthodox, the prayers, devotions, the sacred art, beliefs, etc. I hope to become useful if this were to happen during my lifetime.

I would like to share a story I wrote online on this topic because the videos are quite beautiful and touching. I literally felt ‘a lump in my throat’ when I saw these…

examiner.com/x-9052-Orlando-Roman-Catholic-Examiner~y2009m11d3-The-Nicene-Creed
 
Oh, I forgot to invite everyone, particularly Eastern Catholics and Orthodox, to a group called Iconography and Sacred Art…

I am seeking to learn about the sacred art of the East. And hopefully, we can all learn something. 😉
 
VerumAdInfernos said:
I am curious to know if anyone’s Eastern Rite parishes do any collaborative events or meetings with their local Orthodox parishes, and if so what is entailed? I feel very strongly that unity with the Holy See and Orthodoxy will begin in the Eastern Rite, so i’d like to know what is the relationship like in all of your communities! Please share!
Click to expand...
I have a very good one to share with all of you, this one from Lebanon though,
shweir.com/easter_unification.htm

GOD Bless you all †††
 
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