What can Latins and Eastern Catholic learn from one another and appreciate about one another?

[Claudius]

I notice here that there is a lot of talk about the differences between Latin and Eastern Catholic. I also see people talking about the differences between EC and the self styled “orthodox”. From my point of view, a Catholic is a Catholic is a Catholic. If you aren’t Catholic then you aren’t Catholic.

Pointing this out, and seeing as we all know that the Catholic Church and only the Catholic Church holds the true teachings of Jesus as handed down by the Holy Apostles, I would like to see what we really do think about one another. It is easy to talk about differences and to try to create arguments that fuel conversation but that is not why I am asking this.

We are the Same, One Church that Jesus founded. All Catholics, Latins and Eastern, are constantly being attacked by non Catholics. We should be supporting each other. We should be each other’s best friends. I am a Latin Catholic and I pray the Liturgy of the Hours in Latin but I learned the importance of that from learning about the place the hours had for Eastern Catholics.

And so I want to ask everyone to talk about all the the wonderful and possitive things that we share. I also want to see the things that we don’t share that can encourage and inspire others. We aren’t here to criticise each other. We are here to strenghen each other.

Stories, practices, anything. What have you learned from other Catholics with different traditions? What do you think they get right that could be improved in your own local church?

I can say for myself that, as a Catholic who has only ever gone to the Novus Ordo, learning more about the traditions of Eastern Catholic has given me new eyes for the 1962 Mass and I hope one day to attend Mass in the traditional (now extraordinary) Latin form.

 

[mariyka]

I notice here that there is a lot of talk about the differences between Latin and Eastern Catholic. I also see people talking about the differences between EC and the self styled “orthodox”. From my point of view, a Catholic is a Catholic is a Catholic. If you aren’t Catholic then you aren’t Catholic.

Pointing this out, and seeing as we all know that the Catholic Church and only the Catholic Church holds the true teachings of Jesus as handed down by the Holy Apostles, I would like to see what we really do think about one another. It is easy to talk about differences and to try to create arguments that fuel conversation but that is not why I am asking this.

We are the Same, One Church that Jesus founded. All Catholics, Latins and Eastern, are constantly being attacked by non Catholics. We should be supporting each other. We should be each other’s best friends. I am a Latin Catholic and I pray the Liturgy of the Hours in Latin but I learned the importance of that from learning about the place the hours had for Eastern Catholics.

And so I want to ask everyone to talk about all the the wonderful and possitive things that we share. I also want to see the things that we don’t share that can encourage and inspire others. We aren’t here to criticise each other. We are here to strenghen each other.

Stories, practices, anything. What have you learned from other Catholics with different traditions? What do you think they get right that could be improved in your own local church?

I can say for myself that, as a Catholic who has only ever gone to the Novus Ordo, learning more about the traditions of Eastern Catholic has given me new eyes for the 1962 Mass and I hope one day to attend Mass in the traditional (now extraordinary) Latin form.

Hi Claudius,

Welcome to the forum! I was saddened and surprised when no one replied to your query, so I thought…someone should, why not me?

As an Eastern Catholic with a Latin Rite husband, I have come to appreciate the traditions of both. I attend both the NO/OF with my husband and alternate with accompanying my elderly mother to our Ukrainian Church. I follow my Eastern rite traditions, but overlay them with the Latin ones for my husband. (Lent/Great Fast starts with Clean Monday and also Ash Wednesday).

What I am happy to see in my own church, is the return to its original forms. I realize now (via this forum) that my church had acquired many latinizations. They weren’t wrong, but they weren’t ours. It doesn’t mean that my mother can’t say the rosary, but we now stand rather than kneel during the Liturgy.

Having different traditions ends up in conversations that help clarify and and support us in our Catholic faith.

(I’m off to work now, but hope you and others can reply)

 

[lizzy_bird]

I was raised in Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, but now attend a Latin rite parish with my husband. I miss the reverence shown at the Mass in my old Uk. parish. To me, most Eastern rite Catholics emphasis the sacred more so than the Latin. I do not understand why, it is only my opinion, tho. Anyone else know what I’m talking about?

 

[Ignatius]

I notice here that there is a lot of talk about the differences between Latin and Eastern Catholic. I also see people talking about the differences between EC and the self styled “orthodox”. From my point of view, a Catholic is a Catholic is a Catholic. If you aren’t Catholic then you aren’t Catholic.

Pointing this out, and seeing as we all know that the Catholic Church and only the Catholic Church holds the true teachings of Jesus as handed down by the Holy Apostles, I would like to see what we really do think about one another. It is easy to talk about differences and to try to create arguments that fuel conversation but that is not why I am asking this.

We are the Same, One Church that Jesus founded. All Catholics, Latins and Eastern, are constantly being attacked by non Catholics. We should be supporting each other. We should be each other’s best friends. I am a Latin Catholic and I pray the Liturgy of the Hours in Latin but I learned the importance of that from learning about the place the hours had for Eastern Catholics.

And so I want to ask everyone to talk about all the the wonderful and possitive things that we share. I also want to see the things that we don’t share that can encourage and inspire others. We aren’t here to criticise each other. We are here to strenghen each other.

Stories, practices, anything. What have you learned from other Catholics with different traditions? What do you think they get right that could be improved in your own local church?

I can say for myself that, as a Catholic who has only ever gone to the Novus Ordo, learning more about the traditions of Eastern Catholic has given me new eyes for the 1962 Mass and I hope one day to attend Mass in the traditional (now extraordinary) Latin form.

I think we can, and should, learn everything from one another. The Divine Liturgy of St. James is only said in the non Roman Catholic Churches. I was privileged to attend this DL of St. James and was awe struck to worship just as the very first Christians, going straight back to the Apostles, did. Also, with the opening up of the Tridentine mass, I have gained a new love for the more traditional form of the Latin Mass. I can scarcely contain my joy and pride in Our Wonderful Faith, given by Jesus Christ and passed down by the Apostles and down through the millennia by His Church.

 

[Jon_S]

This is a cool thread.

God bless you all.

-Jon

 

[mariyka]

To me, the Catholic Church is a sum greater than its parts. One of the Eucharistic prayers in the Mass has a sentence that sums it all:

"From age to age you gather a people to yourself, so that from east to west a perfect offering may be made to the glory of your name. "

I am very grateful to be able to partake in both East and West, although my Eastern heritage is still “home” to me.

Glory be to Jesus Christ.

Glory for ever.

 

[Claudius]

The longer I am Catholic it seems that the more I learn and discover about Catholicism. Catholicism is so rich and full. It seems to me that even just in the Latin rite, I could never learn it all. Then when I look over at the Eastern rites I see also the same richness and splendor. My heart just goes out to all of it. As much as I want to know so much about the Latin rite, I also want to discover about the Eastern rites. Language is sometimes a difficulty but sometimes I think that I don’t need to understand exactly what they are saying to understand what they are doing.

I go to Youtube a lot and watch the eastern liturgies pretty often. I see such a thick array of things and I always find myself wondering what this or that little thing on the wall or worn by the priest means. I often find myself wishing the my parrish had that kind of depth. But on the other hand, maybe it does and I am just used to seeing it all the time. This again points to the possitve effects of knowing about the other rites.

I will mention though, for some reason, an all of the videos of Eastern Liturgies, eastern “orthodox” people show up to say that “All Catholics are going to Hell, Shame on you Catholics”. I am not sure what their problem is but I really wish they would leave us Catholics alone. I really can’t understand why they go out of their way to make trouble.

 

[Aramis]

I will mention though, for some reason, an all of the videos of Eastern Liturgies, eastern “orthodox” people show up to say that “All Catholics are going to Hell, Shame on you Catholics”. I am not sure what their problem is but I really wish they would leave us Catholics alone. I really can’t understand why they go out of their way to make trouble.

The problem boils down to the EO being focussed not on Orthodoxis (having the right belief) but on orthopraxis (having the right practice); the EC typically is more focussed upon actual orthodoxis, but tends to (due to Latinization) falter on orthopraxis.

Their churches’ official position is “We don’t know if there is salvation outside the Orthodox Church, but we know there is salvation within it.” But that is not well taught, and often not believed.

This contrast holds a clear object lesson for Catholics: Orthopraxis is no guarantee of Orthodoxis, and vice versa. We need both to be trained into our children.

Likewise, as we come out of a period of laxity in both Roman Praxis and Doxis, we have several groups focussing upon only one to the exclusion of the other… and not all agreeing upon what orthopraxis is. Not unlike the period of the mid 11th century…

 

[Ignatius]

the EC typically is more focussed upon actual orthodoxis, but tends to (due to Latinization) falter on orthopraxis.
…

How is there a fault in the EC praxis? The DL of St. James which I attended is identical to that of the Orthodox.

 

[Aramis]

How is there a fault in the EC praxis? The DL of St. James which I attended is identical to that of the Orthodox.

Go to a some of the older Ruthenian or Ukrainian EC parishes, and you’ll likely see some, possibly many, latinizations.

For example, until about 1996, St Nicholas of Myra in Anchorage had a grillwork iconostas. You could see through it easily. This is a lack of orthopraxis. Many others had a communion rail instead; iconostasi are making a comeback.

Much also is made of the modernization of the translations by the Ruthenian Church (it’s trivial, IMO).

Also, the lack of Molebens, Akathists, Vespers, and Matins, and the allowance for Vesperal Divine Liturgies… all these are considered to be heteropraxic. The lack of requiring confession before each reception is considered heterodox and heteropraxic.