Post-schism recognition of saints in Eastern Catholicism

[followingtheway]

I know that both Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians both share saints that are Pre-Schism, but all after the schism after are either accepted by one or the other.

But what about Eastern Catholics? Do they accept the same Post-Schism Roman/Latin’/Western Catholic saints or Post Schism Eastern Orthodox saints? Or both? Or neither?

 

[ConstantineTG]

I know that both Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians both share saints that are Pre-Schism, but all after the schism after are either accepted by one or the other.

But what about Eastern Catholics? Do they accept the same Post-Schism Roman/Latin’/Western Catholic saints or Post Schism Eastern Orthodox saints? Or both? Or neither?

Saints have always been local, to each particular Church. Sometimes another place hears of the life or the saint, or someone moves there, and the devotion grows. Of course for the Roman Catholic Church, because Spain, France, etc colonized many parts of the world and spread Roman Catholicism, “local” is now loosely used because of the large membership of the Church in all corners of the earth

It would depend on the saint if he or she would be revered by Catholics only or Orthodox only of the same Church. Some saints were martyred by Orthodox who oppose union with Rome in a violent way. Some saints were martyred by Catholics who persecuted non-Catholics. Those kinds of saints will definitely not be honored by “the other side”.

 

[ByzCathCantor]

The Eastern Catholic Churches do not have a body of venerated saints separate and apart from the Universal Catholic Church, per se. Given our varied traditions and ethnic roots, however, we may have unique causes for sainthood that we would promote and emphasize, but the process would be identical to that of a cause for sainthood brought from the Latin rites. For example, several hierarchs, priests, monastics and religious from our mother churches in Eastern Europe were martyred or endured severe imprisonments during the Communist era, some of saintly character. While the Eastern Catholic Churches in America with ethnic roots in those areas have acted to promote the causes of sainthood for some of these individuals (e.g. the recently denoted Blessed Theodore Romzha), we could not and do not do so independently. The rules and procedures of the Universal Catholic Church are followed.

If our Orthodox brethren were to take up a cause of sainthood for an individual for whom we shared a common view of the worthiness of the cause, perhaps as a consequence of our connected liturgical heritage, we would have to do so separately adhering to the rules and procedures of the Universal Catholic Church.

So it could be said that your premise is correct. We share with the Orthodox a common definition of the body of saints before the unfortunate split, but have separately appointed different saints afterward based on our own causes and in accordance with our own procedures.

Irrespective, Eastern Catholics and Orthodox do share to this day a common liturgical emphasis on the notable saints as proclaimed from the earlier days of the Church, and venerate them on a common schedule which differs at times from the Latin tradition (e.g. as an example in the current season of the Nativity, the Feast of St. Stephen the First Martyr is celebrated on 12/27 in the Eastern tradition, and on 12/26 in the Western tradition). This sometimes causes confusion in understanding between Catholics of varying rites, and may have (at least in part) prompted your question. However, this should not be construed as meaning that we have a separate (from other Catholics) or common (shared with Orthodox) definition and / or process for canonization of saints.

Hope this helps!

 

[Ghosty]

I know that both Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians both share saints that are Pre-Schism, but all after the schism after are either accepted by one or the other.

But what about Eastern Catholics? Do they accept the same Post-Schism Roman/Latin’/Western Catholic saints or Post Schism Eastern Orthodox saints? Or both? Or neither?

I can’t speak for all Eastern Churches, but some do have post-Schism Orthodox Saints on our calendars. One notable example is St. Gregory Palamas, a post-Schism Orthodox monk who spoke against the Papacy and the filioque, who is celebrated on the Melkite Calendar during the second Sunday of Lent.

Peace and God bless!

 

[ByzCathCantor]

Ghosty - that is a very interesting observation, now worthy of a research project. The Byzantine Catholic Ruthenian Churches also commemorate St. Gregory Palamas on the second Sunday of Great Lent. I’m now immeasurably curious as to the background.

My first guess is that veneration of saints cannonized in Orthodoxy from the time of the East-West Schism until the time the Eastern Catholic Churches were later reunified with Rome may have been part of the “tradition” as would have been considered in those reunification agreements, and thus those saints continued to be venerated.

I do not believe the same is true post re-unification.

Peace be with you, as well!

 

[Ghosty]

I’m not aware of any post-reunification Orthodox Saints on our calendars, but I have not done any research into the matter.

Peace and God bless!

 

[Symeon]

My first guess is that veneration of saints cannonized in Orthodoxy from the time of the East-West Schism until the time the Eastern Catholic Churches were later reunified with Rome may have been part of the “tradition” as would have been considered in those reunification agreements, and thus those saints continued to be venerated.

I do not believe the same is true post re-unification.

Peace be with you, as well!

Interesting point. Our Russian Greek-Catholic parish commemorates even more recent Russian Orthodox saints, such as St. Seraphim of Sarov and even St. Herman of Alaska.

 

[Ghosty]

Interesting point. Our Russian Greek-Catholic parish commemorates even more recent Russian Orthodox saints, such as St. Seraphim of Sarov and even St. Herman of Alaska.

I could be wrong, but I believe that both were honored as Saints on the Russian calendar before the creation of the Russian Catholic Church.

Peace and God bless!

 

[ByzCathCantor]

… and all of that seems to be consistent with the working theory, that is, that the saints cannonized in Orthodoxy prior to re-unification continue to be venerated within each of the individual, re-unified Eastern Catholic Churches.

Further, it appears that they are only recognized within their respective Eastern Catholic Churches (i.e. not adopted by the other Catholic Churches, Eastern or Western, unless there was some overlap in the traditions prior to re-unification). Thus, the saints mentioned by our brother Symeon would continue to be venerated by the Russian Catholics, but perhaps not by other Eastern Catholic Churches (my Byzantine Ruthenian Catholic Church, for example). It makes sense that there were others as mentioned, given the later timeframe for re-unification of the Russian Catholics.

FYI - I put in a call to a priest with whom I am close, who is recognized for his scholarly knowledge of Eastern Christianity. I hope he can give us some insight (I don’t know if internet sources would be 100% reliable or “on point”, and I need to get back to some “earthly cares”).

God’s blessings to all!

 

[Formosus]

I could be wrong, but I believe that both were honored as Saints on the Russian calendar before the creation of the Russian Catholic Church.

Peace and God bless!

True but Seraphim of Sarov is on the UGCC calendar as well, and that’d definetly a saint post UGCC union at least. I guess the question is are there any orthodox saints from the last 100ish years on any EC calendar?

 

[Stephentlig]

I pray to St.Seraphim of Sarov and have his writings ( Little Russian Philokalia ). Perhaps I dont pray to him enough as I should but he is a Saint in my eyes and was mentioned by Pope John Paul II in his threshold of hope.

I remember also Fr.Kallistos Ware saying he often wondered how St.Symeon the Theologian retained his Sainthood because he had so many bad ideas like Origen. I would pray to St.Symeon too. Because I think that a Saint for me is someone who exercised love and practiced the Gospel in his Life. These Saints may of fell short intellectually when it came to the Papacy and filioque but I dont think in their ignorance God would refuse them heaven.

So pray away, they are with God now and undoubtly have the truth.

 

[Ghosty]

St. Symeon the New Theologion is definitely on par with Origen. Good comparison there for sure. At least he led a holy life and his errors didn’t gain a big following.

Peace and God bless!

 

[5Loaves]

Our parish is not really representative. Our Russian Greek Catholic Church parishes seem to function pretty much autonomously at this point. My parish uses the calendar put out by SVS Press of St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary. I’ve never known us to not commemorate the saint of the day listed on it, including as has been mentioned here before, Righteous Father Alexis whose feast fell on a Saturday this year when we were having DL.

On the Sunday of All Saints of America and Russia our priest reminded us that we have an American saint whose relics are just up the street from us in the Holy Virgin Cathedral (ROCOR), St John of Shanghai and San Francisco, and we were all encouraged to go and venerate his relics. The feast day of St John of Shanghai and San Francisco he was commemorated in our DL and many of our parish including clergy went and venerated his relics during the two or three profound days when many events were taking place in Holy Virgin Cathedral in his honor. (These relics were recently re-vested.)

I’ve never known us to commemorate a strictly post-Schism western saint in liturgy, but certainly they have been mentioned in homilies. I have heard Western saints mentioned in homilies in an Orthodox Church, St. Francis comes to mind.

We do have Saint Thérèse of Lisieux on our Iconostasis which is quite unusual. She is there due to her presence on the iconostasis of Russicum seminarian’s chapel. Several parishioners have a devotion to St. Thérèse of Lisieux .

A number of us, if not all of us, have devotions to some Western saints. I have a devotion to St. Damien of Molokai (It appears now that Blessed Mother Marianne Cope who cared for St. Damien as he was dying will be canonized by the Latin Church soon.)

 

[theidler]

St. Symeon the New Theologion is definitely on par with Origen. Good comparison there for sure. At least he led a holy life and his errors didn’t gain a big following.

Peace and God bless!

Heh, I always cringe a little when someone knocks one of my favorite theologians (Origen). He has gotten such a horrific reputation over the centuries, and yet I think his life and works are steeped in the love of Christ. St. Symeon I don’t know as much about, but the writings I have read of his are quite profound to me.