Question about Eastern Catholic Churches

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

I have seen a trend here at CA Forum. That is asking if Eastern Catholics follow the Teachings of the Catholic Church.

It is important to note that we Eastern Catholics are Catholics. We adhere to what the Catholic Church Teaches. We may have a different way of expressing the Teaching but when it comes down to it we believe what the Catholic Church Teaches.

I am sorry for this posting but I am getting tired of posts that start with “Does the Eastern Catholic Church follow [insert Catholic Teaching here]”.

Again, we are Catholics.

It is not necessary for use to express the Teaching in the same language that the Latin Church uses for us to believe the same basic underlying Teaching.

 

[ConstantineTG]

The other issue I see is some Latin Catholics can’t seem to accept that we hold a different understanding of certain truths in the Church. Like purgatory or the Immaculate Conception. It seems they can’t beyond the fact that we hold to a different understanding, and being different means we’re not Catholic. That is why such discussions go over and over for pages.

 

[ByzCathCantor]

I’m relatively new to this forum, but do agree in principle with both of you.

I’ve also noticed that we often end up covering the same ground, so to speak, when OPs appear asking essentially the same question as had been covered in a previous thread, just perhaps with a slight twist. In these instances, we could perhaps start more routinely referring to those prior threads instead of propagating a new one. This seems to be a practice well applied in other sub-forums, as well.

That said, I would not want to discourage those who are truly interested in Eastern Catholicism to ask questions. I’m encouraged that a prominent Eastern Catholicism sub-forum even exists here! But, all should be mindful of the stated purpose: to promote discussion and greater understanding of “its practices, heritage, and role within the universal Church”. Harmony of theology and doctrine within the Catholic Church should be fairly assumed, as ByzCath has stated.

In that regard, asking if we believe in the Immaculate Conception is extreme. Asking how our views on the Immaculate Conception (Conception of St. Anna) are unique, from an Eastern perspective, would be a preferable variant.

 

[Loved_Disciple]

The other issue I see is some Latin Catholics can’t seem to accept that we hold a different understanding of certain truths in the Church. Like purgatory or the Immaculate Conception.

Only if it doesn’t make it an off topic, can you please explain to me what the difference in understanding of these two doctrines is? Nothing big, just the essentials, if you will.

 

[Swiss_Guy]

The one trend I see when on the Eastern Catholic area on CAF is that there is a tendency to consider the Orthodox Churches part of the Catholic Church. Or at least make it seem like they are. This kind of bugs me. But I generally don’t worry about it, but for the most part I just come here to understand the way the Eastern Catholic Churches interpret the faith.

 

[ByzCathCantor]

The one trend I see when on the Eastern Catholic area on CAF is that there is a tendency to consider the Orthodox Churches part of the Catholic Church. Or at least make it seem like they are. This kind of bugs me. But I generally don’t worry about it, but for the most part I just come here to understand the way the Eastern Catholic Churches interpret the faith.

Thanks for the feedback, SwissGuy! We do have many Orthodox contributors as well, which sometimes adds an additional dimension to the dialogue. We do hope and pray that we can restore unity with the Orthodox Churches some day. What you may be sensing is an emphasis on the commonality of the Orthodox Churches to the Eastern Catholic Churches with regard to tradition and liturgical expression, and to the entire Catholic Church with respect to Apostolic lineage and validity of Sacraments. It distinguishes the relationship between Catholics and Orthodox in a way that is unique from, say, the Anglican tradition, where the similarities in expression as compared to the Latin Catholic Church are pronounced, yet we do not hold the validity of their sacraments and Apostolic succession.

There was also a period of time where many of the Eastern Catholic Churches evolved to be more like the Latin Church (Roman Rite, if you will) and either (i) adapted practices that were unique to the West and / or (ii) abandoned practices that were unique to the East in order to seem more like the West. We have thankfully grown beyond that as a Church, and are now actively encouraged to return to our Orthodox roots with respect to tradition and discipline. Again, you may be picking up on this as well.

Please do participate actively in this sub-forum! We’ll look for you in future threads!

 

[ConstantineTG]

The one trend I see when on the Eastern Catholic area on CAF is that there is a tendency to consider the Orthodox Churches part of the Catholic Church. Or at least make it seem like they are. This kind of bugs me. But I generally don’t worry about it, but for the most part I just come here to understand the way the Eastern Catholic Churches interpret the faith.

In what way? Many Popes affirm that the Orthodox are true Churches and we share 99% of the faith. Blessed Pope John Paul II said the true catholicity of the Church is expressed by traditions of both East and West, and the traditions of the East are bore by the Eastern Catholics and the Orthodox.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

The one trend I see when on the Eastern Catholic area on CAF is that there is a tendency to consider the Orthodox Churches part of the Catholic Church. Or at least make it seem like they are. This kind of bugs me. But I generally don’t worry about it, but for the most part I just come here to understand the way the Eastern Catholic Churches interpret the faith.

That was part of the problem back when this sub-forum was titled the “Eastern Christian” forum. Some Orthodox users would jump on these sort of questions and answer them from the Orthodox perspective which did not always match up with Catholic understandings.

Also there are some in the Eastern Catholic Churches that will default to the Orthodox to answer things or who hold to a non-Catholic understanding themself. But there are not many of those present here these days.

In what way? Many Popes affirm that the Orthodox are true Churches and we share 99% of the faith. Blessed Pope John Paul II said the true catholicity of the Church is expressed by traditions of both East and West, and the traditions of the East are bore by the Eastern Catholics and the Orthodox.

Yet you must admit that there is a difference between the Teachings and beliefs of the Orthodox and the Eastern Catholic Churches or how do you explain how one is in communion with the Catholic Church and the other is not.

 

[Catherine_Grant]

In what way? Many Popes affirm that the Orthodox are true Churches and we share 99% of the faith. Blessed Pope John Paul II said the true catholicity of the Church is expressed by traditions of both East and West, and the traditions of the East are bore by the Eastern Catholics and the Orthodox.
ByzCath;8796491:

Yet you must admit that there is a difference between the Teachings and beliefs of the Orthodox and the Eastern Catholic Churches or how do you explain how one is in communion with the Catholic Church and the other is not.

Note from Moderator:

This discussion on the difference between Orthodoxy and Eastern Catholicism is sufficiently off-topic to create a new thread from it.

May God Bless You Abundantly,
Catherine Grant

 

[ConstantineTG]

Yet you must admit that there is a difference between the Teachings and beliefs of the Orthodox and the Eastern Catholic Churches or how do you explain how one is in communion with the Catholic Church and the other is not.

The CCC itself teaches that there is little left to attain full communion with the Orthodox (from the Catholic perspective, at least) and given what the Eastern Catholics are allowed to keep from their Orthodox equivalents, its just the issue of the role of the Pope in the universal Church.

The view may vary from each particular Church. My Church, the Ukrainian Church, never was a part of what brought the Great Schism anyway.