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susanbherald
Guest
Can I simultaneously be Roman Catholic and Melkite Greek Catholic?
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edward_george1
Guest
No. You may only belong to one particular ritual Church. But you may attend liturgy at whichever one you’d like.
-Fr ACEGC
-Fr ACEGC
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poche
Guest
Go to whichever mass you feel most comfortable. “Eat what tastes good.” - St Teresa of Avila
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Vico
Guest
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dochawk
Guest
“Divine Liturgy”, thank you. “Mass” is explicitly western, and comes from the Latin in that liturgy.
hawk
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Margaret_Ann
Guest
It’s Psalm 33 in the Douay-Rheims Bible.
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poche
Guest
Either way go where you feel it helps you to feel closer to God.
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Vico
Guest
Ah yes, the numbering in the NRSVCE is different.poche:
Psalm 34:8
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ziapueblo
Guest
You can visit one or the other but I advise you don’t mix two traditions. It may lead to spiritual schizophrenia!
A rite is more than a liturgical patrimony. Liturgy must reflect the fullness of a Tradition, and if a person scrupulously follows the Tradition of one Church, while adhering to the doctrines of another Church, is betraying both.
ZP
A rite is more than a liturgical patrimony. Liturgy must reflect the fullness of a Tradition, and if a person scrupulously follows the Tradition of one Church, while adhering to the doctrines of another Church, is betraying both.
ZP
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Angel_Gabriel
Guest
ditto…(I thought I was the only one who had experienced that lol!)
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ziapueblo
Guest
When I first went east I tried lol! Found out I had to go all in the hard way.
ZP
ZP
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Angel_Gabriel
Guest
same here 
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dochawk
Guest
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poche
Guest
Because the Melkite Church is in full communion with the Catholic Church wouldn’t that mean that the doctrines are essentially the same?
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Wandile
Guest
Yup that would be the case. Although in practice some Melkites more than often push the boundaries of this.
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ziapueblo
Guest
Well, kind of. There are two levels of theology, theologia prima (first level theology) and theologia secunda (second level theology). In Greek the two are called theologia and theoria. The former, theologia prima, is the essential, dogmatic level of theology as contained in the Church’s rule of prayer, which is to say, in the liturgy of the Church.
Theologia secunda, on the other hand, is the result of contemplation and reflection upon the theologia prima, and it’s elaboration into doctrine. Doctrine, however, is culturally, historically and linguistically conditioned. The experience of each particular Church shapes how it understands the theologia prima. So, as Pope Saint John Paul II noted, doctrine is variable, but the underlying dogmatic faith is transcendent; we simply have to be careful not to conflate the two.
Unfortunately, for a number of centuries, the Church of Rome thought itself in exclusionary terms as the only Church; therefore, the doctrinal pronouncements of the Church of Rome were often labeled as “dogmatic,” when, if fact, they were particular only to the Church of Rome. Therefore, not everything Roman Catholics consider “dogmatic” really is. It is now understood that, as long as there is agreement on the level of the theologia prima, variety in the theologia secunda is both acceptable and desirable, for a Church that is uniformly Roman (or for that matter, uniformly Byzantine) can make no pretension to ecumenicity or catholicity.
For example, at the first level theology, theologia prima, we all believe in purification after death. Rome decided to define this as Purgatory. The East is completely fine in not defining this purification process and what it entails.
ZP
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on_the_hill
Guest
Interesting. I wasn’t aware that we could do that without a really good excuse, like if I were Ukrainian Catholic and there weren’t any Ukrainian Catholic churches nearby.
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Margaret_Ann
Guest
I didn’t know there were different levels of theology. Thank you for posting.
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ziapueblo
Guest
No prob. I pretty sure I got that from Father Taft of blessed memory. I’ll double check if you want the resource.
ZP
ZP
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Margaret_Ann
Guest
You knew Fr. Taft?!? WOW…
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