Yes, you’re correct about that. While I still have an ecumenical streak in me, I find it hard to believe any real union is near at hand for at least two reasons: 1) Saints like Josaphat and Alexis Toth present some challenges to find a way to reconcile their veneration among the faithful and 2) I see no real evidence that Rome really wants to re-write Vatican I on papal authority – and without that no Orthodox would ever sign on to any reunion scenario.
You raise an important and wider point regarding saints in the lives of reunified Churches sir.
Right now, the rule is that if a community unites with Rome, it must expunge from its calendar anyone it venerated who was “anti-Rome” such as St Mark of Ephesus etc. The Ethiopian Catholics had to remove “St Pontius Pilate” from their calendar as well.
EC’s becoming Orthodox would not be expected to continue venerating St Josaphat
. But I’ve spoken to Ukrainian Orthodox priests who have told me that in the event of a reunion, there is no reason why St Josaphat could not be locally honoured by those who have always honoured him. In fact, the Ukrainian Catholic bishops in Ukraine invited the Ukrainian Orthodox of the Kyivan Patriarchate to join them in commemorating an anniversary of St Josaphat - those “noncanonical” Orthodox bishops actually did come and were present in the Church during a prayer service in his honour!
However, the Western Rite Orthodox tend to continue venerating many of the Catholic post-schism saints and, in some cases, Orthodox bishops will allow their liturgical veneration. This is something that is new in Orthodoxy’s experience with Western converts.
With regard to St Josaphat, no one is suggesting that his cult will somehow be cancelled by Rome.
But there has been a lot of negativity associated with it. One way the UGCC is dealing with that is to alter the liturgical services in his honour and expunge the negative phrases aimed at the Orthodox. And the Studite Fathers will publish his service under separate cover. Their rule is that their liturgical books that they issue should be able to be used by Orthodox as well as Eastern Catholics - and in Ukraine, they are.
In fact, I think one could see in the life of St Josaphat that he was quite irenical toward the Orthodox while much of the “anti-Orthodox” sentiment expressed especially in his liturgical cultus was created later by those whose attitude is no longer the one shared by Rome.
Rome can be infallible while at the same time admitting its historical errors in this regard.
Alex
