Latins asking questions about Eastern practices

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Tis_Bearself

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Is it somehow not OK for Latin Catholics to ask questions about Eastern Catholic practice?

Is this a bad thing to do? Does it reflect a lack of etiquette?

I am genuinely mystified by the fact that on two occasions now when I ask things, someone has taken offense when I didn’t think I had said anything offensive.

What am I missing here? I thought “Catholic Answers” was about asking reasonable questions about Catholic faith and practice (including Eastern Catholic faith and practice) and getting answers. Yet I keep getting lectured for asking? It makes me confused and a little sad. Surely if an EC asked me something about my Latin practice I would try to answer nicely if the question were asked nicely. We are all fellow Catholics after all.
 
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I have no issue with folks asking questions. In fact, I think it’s great to see interest in Eastern practices!

At the same time, I think there is a suspicion on the part of some Eastern Catholics that questions are really veiled statements that “we’re right and you’re wrong” from those in the Latin Rite. Undoubtedly, there have been Latinizations that have occured in the Eastern Rite. I"m in the Archeparchy of Pittsburgh, and it’s evident in a lot of our parishes. As a result, I think there’s an instinct to be fiercely protective of our traditions. But, I don’t think ill-intent should be automatically assumed when a question is asked. Does that make sense?
 
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Hello Tis,

I’m sorry some Easterners gave you a hard time for asking questions that, knowing you, I’m sure were phrased in such a way so as to avoid offence in the slightest and were not meant to be offensive anyways. However, you must admit that some on CAF have a less than respectful attitude to the East and its practices, which is why some of us might be a bit touchy. I don’t let it get to me, however. The teachings of the Church matter more to me than the opinion of some self-righteous Latin online.
 
I don’t think it is wrong at all to try to understand both sides. I don’t know what your inquiries involved. Sometimes people take a position on either side- of this side is wrong, this side is right, rather than acknowledging the two have a different liturgy but ultimately the path to the same conclusions. I would think most Eastern Catholics or Orthodox would welcome inquiries,
 
When I have met Eastern Catholics in person, for example when I met a Byzantine Catholic at a parish function because he was in the K of C and came over to be part of a Bishop’s Mass, they seem very happy to tell me about their church and how things are done over there, like for instance not genuflecting but bowing instead. Of course I don’t tell the man “that’s wrong, you should be genuflecting” and I don’t think he is wrong as the Byzantine simply show their respect in a different way.

In this case part of my asking the question was whether there was some other practice that provides a similar benefit in a different way. Someone mentioned icons, that’s interesting to know. I know on past threads there has been discussion of getting closer to God via contemplation using the Jesus Prayer which is a nice idea too.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
Is it somehow not OK for Latin Catholics to ask questions about Eastern Catholic practice?
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Asking questions is perfectly fine. I’m sorry you have had some bad experiences.
DeniseNY said:
At the same time, I think there is a suspicion on the part of some Eastern Catholics that questions are really veiled statements that “we’re right and you’re wrong” from those in the Latin Rite.
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Good point.

ZP
 
@Tis_Bearself - Ask away. Honest questions are always good.

I think the problem that a lot of Eastern Catholics have is when folks ask about Eastern Catholic theology and spirituality, and then label us as somehow being “less Catholic” because we don’t follow Thomistic (or neo-Thomistic) theology, or the Carmelite spirituality of John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila.

Admittedly, it can be a little jarring for many Roman Catholics to discover that there is an entire tradition within Catholicism that not only isn’t Roman Catholic, but doesn’t even think like Roman Catholics, and, in fact, expresses the Faith in a totally different way.

One of the biggest examples is when a Roman Catholic asks an Eastern Catholic, “Do you believe in the Immaculate Conception?” To which any Eastern Catholic totally imbued in the Eastern “phronema” would reply, “Huh?” 😆
 
Personally I think that the Eastern Church is so interesting and I would love to learn more. Both are completely valid and true and I can see how so.eone could be offended if you made it seem like you thought the Latin Rite was somehow better… Because it isnt. Just because that is what you are used to doesn’t make it better
 
It goes both ways. A lot of people react negatively to simple questions in here regardless of eastern or western. It’s pretty fascinating actually how easily people get offended over a sincere question…
 
Phillip_Rolfes said:
One of the biggest examples is when a Roman Catholic asks an Eastern Catholic, “Do you believe in the Immaculate Conception?” To which any Eastern Catholic totally imbued in the Eastern “phronema” would reply, “Huh?”
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I just avoid Mary questions wherever possible given that there are plenty of Latin Catholics who seem to have extreme problems with Mariology even when it’s a dogma 😃 Eastern Catholics who love the Theotokos are the least of my worries, really.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
Is this a bad thing to do? Does it reflect a lack of etiquette?
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No–but realize that the well has been poisoned, badly, by years of abusive behavior here. It is much better the last couple of years, but before that I left in disgust multiple times.

There is, for example, a huge difference between, “Why don’t Eastern Catholics have the Rosary before Divine Liturgy,” and “Why do Eastern Catholics reject the Rosary.” We’ve become used to the latter around here . . .

Or any number of times that we get lectured on why we misunderstand our own teachings and practice, with an explanation in purely western terms (which in the process more often than not ignores direct RCC teaching on the subject!).

There is certainly a certain amount of caution (sometimes reaching chip-on-shoulder level) of Eastern Catholics in the US towards our Latin brethren–which came historically variously from direct abuse from RC bishops (the proximate cause of the very existence of OCA and ACROD), indirect abuse ( cum data fuerit), and even ourselves while trying to fit in.
 
I see. I’m not sure what more I can do to indicate that I’m not that kind of Latin Catholic. If you’re in communion with the Church and the Pope is okay with whatever you’re doing, I’m certainly not going to have a problem with it, and I try not to be critical of Orthodox either because they have apostolic succession and the Real Presence etc, even if they do not wish to follow the Pope. I’ll admit sometimes I am a bit short with Protestants especially when they barge into threads and start making statements about Christ’s teachings or following Christ that conflict with Catholic teaching, without making clear in some way that they are not Catholics. But Eastern Catholics never do this.

Anyway, hopefully it is just one person reacting in this most recent case, so perhaps we can all go forward together. While I will not be converting to EC, I find some of the spirituality to be fascinating and the churches and liturgies are lovely although I would not be going to them all the time. I like my good old serviceable OF Mass most days. But once in a while a Divine LIturgy is a nice change.
 
Christ is risen!
Exegete said:
Eastern Catholics and Orthodox can be extremely sensitive and “edgy” – a fair number are looking for reasons to be offended.
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This is an interesting statement, which I must respectfully disagree with.
Exegete said:
Much of this derives from feelings of material envy and the fact that few know/care who they are.
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?

ZP
 
DeniseNY said:
In fact, I think it’s great to see interest in Eastern practices!
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The most intriguing and fascinating experience I’ve come across on CAF is actually interacting with Orthodox/Eastern Catholics.

And I have to say: The Byzantine Catholics on this forum have garnered my greatest respect and esteem. Every single one of them has been BRILLIANT !!

That being said, I had this curious experience when I first joined CAF: I was quite surprised when someone linked a document written by a cleric behind the iron curtain that was against the Fátima apparitions and expressed a considerable degree of “animosity” against Fátima… I just couldn’t understand it, but after some reflection I began to realize the longstanding historical divisions, perhaps more geographic/political/cultural than religious, that are still present to some degree.

I guess a significant body of literature might still reflect those divisions (and thus potentially feed and predispose to a certain “animosity”), but I have to say all the catholic books I had read were completely devoid of even a single reference to division among Catholics…So let me assure you, the average latin rite western European perceives no division at all between Catholics.

As I too, perceive no division, or animosity, at all, between us. To the contrary, the Byzantine Catholics gave me much, and I owe them a considerable debt of gratitude…
 
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dochawk said:
which came historically variously (…) from RC bishops
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For a guy who grew up in a country with exclusive latin rite jurisdiction over the last 2000 years, reading about those issues in the US with the Eastern European immigrants in the 20th century is really interesting, you could almost say “impossible to imagine”.

Here things are really smooth, the other Catholic communities are generally small and are given churches or share the space with the latin rite brethren. Any conflict at all is simply unthinkable…
 
It’s my understanding that the issue in USA came because Latin bishops were pushing the then-popular Melting Pot concept of immigration for incoreporting new arrivals into the Church. The idea was that new immigrants would leave behind their old ways and adopt the American way of doing things so we could all be one. The American way was typically based on the Irish way because the Irish were the first big group of Catholics to get to USA, plus they spoke English, so they had the advantage. If you were some other Latin Catholic, like Mexican or German, you could probably fit in fairly easily. If you were an Eastern Catholic, your liturgy and a lot of other practices would be different, so these bishops, who weren’t always that knowledgeable esp in the 1800s about Eastern churches, would give you the fisheye.

To my knowledge, we haven’t had a big problem with this in recent decades. Melting Pot ideas nowadays are considered politically incorrect in USA.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
It’s my understanding that the issue in USA came because Latin bishops were pushing the then-popular Melting Pot concept of immigration for incoreporting new arrivals into the Church.
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Yes, this is true.

ZP
 
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