George Maloney, SJ

  • Thread starter Thread starter FickleFreckled
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
F

FickleFreckled

Guest
Back in the 80’s, I read some books by Fr. Maloney who I believe is a Byzantine Catholic priest. The one that comes to mind is “Alone with the Alone”, although there were others. (I still have the books, but they’re in storage at the moment.)
His writings were beautiful and what first piqued my interest in Eastern Catholicism. I purchased the first one at a Catholic shrine but now, when I see mention of his books, they’re often lumped in with stuff that’s only marginally Christian, if at all.

Can anyone tell me, are his writings authentically representative of Eastern Catholicism?
 
I also read several of Fr. George’s works many years ago that were formative. I think Archbishop Raya and Fr. George were ahead of their time, so to speak.

Much of what he writes about, reclaiming the patristic and spiritual patrimony of our tradition, is only now starting to sink in. I think my favorite book of his was “Bright Darkness”.

Unfortunately he was not well understood especially by some of his Jesuit confreres, whom some saw as an intrasigent traditionalist stuck in a Byzantine world of the first millenium,and others saw as an integralist that dared to amalgamate Eastern Christian thinking into their own determinations of “Jesuit spirituality”.

Towards the end of his life he was received into the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Church and was buried in North Carolina. One of his spiritual children, Fr. John Zboyovski, cared for Fr. George in his last days. Fr. John was also a former Catholic (as I recall his brother is still an RC deacon).
FDRLB
 
I also read several of Fr. George’s works many years ago that were formative. I think Archbishop Raya and Fr. George were both ahead of their time, so to speak, in those days.

Much of what he writes about, reclaiming the patristic and spiritual patrimony of our tradition, is only now starting to sink in. I think my favorite book of his was “Bright Darkness”.

Unfortunately he was not well understood especially by some of his Jesuit confreres, whom some saw as an intrasigent traditionalist stuck in a Byzantine world of the first millenium,and others saw as an integralist that dared to amalgamate Eastern Christian thinking into their own determinations of “Jesuit spirituality”.

Towards the end of his life he was received into the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Church and was buried in North Carolina. One of his spiritual children, Fr. John Zboyovski, cared for Fr. George in his last days. Fr. John was also a former Catholic (as I recall his brother is still an RC deacon).
FDRLB
 
So was he originally Roman Catholic, then Byzantine, then Orthodox? Why did he become Orthodox? I didn’t know he had died and I’m sorry to hear that. I didn’t know very much about him. In the book photos, he appeared to be in his 40’s.

I don’t believe I read Bright Darkness; at least I don’t think it’s one I have. It’s interesting that he was considered a traditionalist and now his writings seem to end up with the new age books, but sooner or later the new agers cabbage on to everything.

So in general, how are his writings viewed by the Byzantine Catholic Church? And who is Archbishop Raya?
 
**
So was he originally Roman Catholic, then Byzantine, then Orthodox? Why did he become Orthodox? I**

**I’ve seen this happen more than once before–a Latin Catholic gets interested in Byzantine spirituality, and the momentum propels him on into Orthodoxy.

Archbishop Joseph Raya was, among other things, a priest in Birmingham, Alabama and Melkite Bishop of Nazareth. He translated two major liturgical works: Byzantine Missal for Sundays and Feast Days, and then 10 years later the much revised, expanded, and improved Byzantine Daily Worship He also wrote many other books in other languages.

He died in retirement at Madonna House in Combermere, Canada.

He was one of the so-called Cairo Circle, a group of Melkite clergy (most of whom became bishops) who sought to reclaim the true Orthodox spirituality of the Melkite Church.**
 
Thanks to both of you; sorry to be like a puppy with a bone, but I’d like to know where Fr. Maloney’s writings stood doctrinally; are they representative of Eastern Catholic spirituality or did he go his own way? (Or maybe that’s not as valid a question in Eastern Catholicism as it is in Roman Catholicism? Is there more freedom to explore and interpret in the Eastern Churches than there is in the Western Church?)
 
Thanks to both of you; sorry to be like a puppy with a bone, but I’d like to know where Fr. Maloney’s writings stood doctrinally; are they representative of Eastern Catholic spirituality or did he go his own way? (Or maybe that’s not as valid a question in Eastern Catholicism as it is in Roman Catholicism? Is there more freedom to explore and interpret in the Eastern Churches than there is in the Western Church?)
Click to expand...
Every theologian “goes his own way” to a certain extent; I suppose that is how new insights on spiritual or theological concepts get revealed. There is plenty of variety in any theological discourse, whether that be Western or Eastern.

Fr. George certainly was never censured or forbidden to be read by any Catholics, if that is what you mean in a strictly canonical sense. He was still a Jesuit when he decided to become Orthodox, and was never formally expelled from the S.J.

“Representative” when speaking of over twenty particular Churches with their own unique cultural and spiritual traditions is a pretty broad brush. I would say that his writing is important in that he, along with Archbishop Raya, was one of the leading voices in the 1960s and 1970s who advocated a return to the patristic spiritual basis of the Eastern Catholic Churches and get away from 'latinization", along with such Eastern Catholic luminary hierarchs as Patriarchs Josyp and Maximos.

He, along with Fr. Taft, was one of the last remaining “Russian Jesuits” formed at the Russicum and the Orientalium in the late 50s/early 60s.
 
Thank you, Diak. That was just what I wanted to know. I know that’s how theology is developed; my concern was mainly because his books now seem to be easiest to find in new age venues, rather than in Christian ones where I first found them in the 1980’s. Just being careful…
 
You can’t always judge by the printers - Shambhala, one of the most “New Age” printers around, actually produced a good version of the * Way of the Pilgrim*.

Shambhala also printed a newer edition of *Prayer of the Heart: Writings from the Philokalia * which is essentially a newer English translation of the old Dobrotolubiye of St. Paissy Velychkovsky.
FDRLB
 
That’s true. I seem to recall they published some Carmelite and Trappist authors.
 
I love anything that the Fr. Maloney wrote, especially ***Invaded By God. ***That particular book has been an excellent resource to deal with mom’s who have lost their husbands. He writed in there about God’s love and how sometimes by the father being missing, our Heavenly Father is able to communicate with the son’s in ways that he would not otherwise be able to do. I think, if I am remembering right, that the ‘errors’ of the human father are not present allowing God to communicate. Anyway, it is a really good book. His book on the Jesus Prayer was also good.

It seems to me, that in his going to Orthodoxy it was not that he was that disastised with Rome, but rather it was a place where he desired to grow old. I have read that several times, and don’t remember where.

I found a short review:
I like it! Fr George seems to ‘get’ the life, the dynamism, behind this ancient tradition. Even though I’m not an academic theologian, the Trinitarian stuff seems very familiar territory from using prayers from that tradition. He sounds hip (at least when he wrote it 24 years ago), fresh, yet at the same time entirely Catholic, probably because this message is timeless, for all men in all places and times. sergesblog.blogspot.com/2004/01/what-im-reading-invaded-by-god-by-fr.html
 
Pani Rose,
I had several of his books; now that you mention Invaded by God, I recall that was one of them (my books are all in storage right now.) I also had Alone with the Alone and one, maybe two others. I loved his books; he made a big impression on me. I read him shortly after returning to the Church. What he wrote excited me about Christianity and Catholicism, which I had left for many years, and was part of my introduction to contemplative spirituality. Glad to know someone else who
enjoyed him so much! I’ve been wanting to read him again lately and trying to decide if it’s worth emptying an entire storage unit to get to my books way in the back…
 
OH yeah, a lot of his stuff is out of print now, that maybe why you are seeing it under that other company.

Sayedna Raya was just awesome too. We were blessed to get to sit under his teaching a lot during the late 80s and ealry 90s here at St. George.
 
Passage to Heaven
An Appreciation of the Divine Liturgy
excerpted from Archbishop Joseph M. Raya, Eyes of the Gospel
melkite.org/Passage.html

Exerpts from The Byzantine Church and Culture
byzantineramblings.blogspot.com/2007/11/archbishop-raya-of-blessed-memory-on.html

The Byzantine Tradition celebrates the Fest of the Immaculate Conception as “the Maternity of St Anna,” the mother of the Theotokos. The feast is held on 9 December. Below is Archbishop Raya’s comment from Byzantine Daily Prayer
byzantineramblings.blogspot.com/2007/11/archbishop-raya-of-blessed-memory-on.html
 
I agree with you. I’ve read and reread many of his books. I never can exhaust his books on one read. Whenever I read a passage from one of his books, I always leave thinking I need to go deeper into my prayer life. I really like what he wrote in his book Inward stillness about vigil prayer, how getting up about 2 am to pray every day is one of the powerful ways to go in deeper prayer. I’ve met fr. george several times and listened to his retreat talks. Now that he is no longer limited to his physical body, I feel that he can assist me more now as he would say about his loved ones who have died.
Diak said:
I also read several of Fr. George’s works many years ago that were formative. I think Archbishop Raya and Fr. George were both ahead of their time, so to speak, in those days.

Much of what he writes about, reclaiming the patristic and spiritual patrimony of our tradition, is only now starting to sink in. I think my favorite book of his was “Bright Darkness”.

Unfortunately he was not well understood especially by some of his Jesuit confreres, whom some saw as an intrasigent traditionalist stuck in a Byzantine world of the first millenium,and others saw as an integralist that dared to amalgamate Eastern Christian thinking into their own determinations of “Jesuit spirituality”.

Towards the end of his life he was received into the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Church and was buried in North Carolina. One of his spiritual children, Fr. John Zboyovski, cared for Fr. George in his last days. Fr. John was also a former Catholic (as I recall his brother is still an RC deacon).
FDRLB
Click to expand...
 
I have enjoyed a number of Fr. Maloney’s works, especially The Mystery of Christ in You: The Mystical Vision of Saint Paul. I have heard his Uncreated Energy book is also good.
Diak said:
You can’t always judge by the printers - Shambhala, one of the most “New Age” printers around, actually produced a good version of the * Way of the Pilgrim*.
Click to expand...
Agreed.
Diak said:
Shambhala also printed a newer edition of Prayer of the Heart: Writings from the Philokalia which is essentially a newer English translation of the old Dobrotolubiye of St. Paissy Velychkovsky.
Click to expand...
Really? I’m going to have to look into this! Thanks. 🙂
 
bpbasilphx said:
**
So was he originally Roman Catholic, then Byzantine, then Orthodox? Why did he become Orthodox? I**

**I’ve seen this happen more than once before–a Latin Catholic gets interested in Byzantine spirituality, and the momentum propels him on into Orthodoxy.

Archbishop Joseph Raya was, among other things, a priest in Birmingham, Alabama and Melkite Bishop of Nazareth. He translated two major liturgical works: Byzantine Missal for Sundays and Feast Days**, and then 10 years later the much revised, expanded, and improved Byzantine Daily Worship He also wrote many other books in other languages.

He died in retirement at Madonna House in Combermere, Canada.

He was one of the so-called Cairo Circle, a group of Melkite clergy (most of whom became bishops) who sought to reclaim the true Orthodox spirituality of the Melkite Church.
Click to expand...
I think I like this Cairo Circle better than the Cairo Gang.
 
I didn’t know Fr. George Maloney, SJ entered Orthodoxy through ACROD. That’s the same way I came through. Very interesting.

I want to read his books at some time.
 
Madaglan said:
I didn’t know Fr. George Maloney, SJ entered Orthodoxy through ACROD.
Click to expand...
Interestingly, it seems that he chose to do so subsequent to learning he had cancer and was ailing.

Had he remained with the Jesuits he could have had hospice care with them, he passed from this life in the home of Father Zboyovski as a distinct dying wish.

I wish I could find some of those old write ups on the subject.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top