C
ConstantineTG
Guest
Apparently the answer to that is “no”. We do not know the full story.
I know that, for example, since the sex abuse scandal how concelebrations happen has changed at least in the US. With rare exceptions (like our Russian parishes) the Eastern CCs and Latin CCs are in separate Diocese/Eparchies. Being from a different diocese (Latin or EC) a priest who is concelebrating in the Archdiocese of SF with the parish pastor and is known to that pastor need only provide a recent (written in the past week to week and a half) “Letter of Good Standing” from his bishop in order to concelebrate (ECC or Latin Church).
Without that (very) recent LGS and being known to the pastor they cannot concelebrate. Other circumstances will require the letter to first go to the Archdiocese Chancery, again whether the visiting priest is Latin Church or ECC. All of this can take place fairly rapidly, but it does mean that the days when a visiting priest could just be invited to the altar are over. There is no Eastern Church in the Diocese of Oakland where I domicile, but I have talked with the Safe Environment staff and there are similar requirements for visiting clergy there.
Having just in the last six months been deeply rocked myself by the arrest for sexual abuse of minor children (with photo evidence) of a local Orthodox priest with whom I have marched for a number of years in the Walk for Life here, and knowing several of his parishioners from a small class we are in together, I can assure you I have no problem with this minimal amount of inquiry that now takes place in the Catholic Church in the US, and the kind of training we are required to take ourselves if we participate in ministry in a parish. I completed my training, required every 3 years, for the Oakland Diocese and a couple weeks later repeated it as required for the SF Archdiocese. I’ve been told that ECC priests and Latin priests here are familiar with this and generally travel with their LGS.
The story is the priest was visiting an area that has no EC parish and he wanted to use the RC parish altar to do a private Divine Liturgy I forgot if it was for friends or family or both. This was outside of regular Mass times for the RC parish, he just needed to “borrow” the altar. RC parish priest said no, he’s not RC therefore he cannot use the altar.That’s an unbelievably vague reason. There could have been an issue of whether to use the Latin or non-Latin prayers.
As far as denying access to the church, it could have been for the simple reason of resources to accomodate an Eastern or Oriental Liturgy. Maybe the Latin priest suggested “the other LCC down a ways can accomodate your needs better” but the Eastern/Oriental priest felt that was a rebuff.
I don’t know. You could be right that there was prejudice involved, but I wouldn’t automatically assume it.
Blessings,
Marduk
Apparently it is not me who is speculating the story here but both of you.
:byzsoc: