What do Roman Catholics think about Eastern Catholics?

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Back on topic with the thread, in theory there is no difference in belief between an Eastern Catholic and a Roman Catholic. Some people get hung up on formulaic expression. Now what do Roman Catholics think about Eastern Catholics [those who know them that is]? My experience has been that we have some kind of entertaining “alternative” to mass - which in itself is extremely problematic because it ignores the dignity of the Church itself, her hierarchs and the fact that the Divine Liturgy or Qurbono Qadisho are not some kind of exotic “form” of the Latin mass that one can attend to “mix things up” but that they are all the fullness of truth in themselves.

I’m sure most Latins, if properly catechized, would not take a superiority mentality towards the Eastern Churches - however, from my experience of 14 years of Catholic school, the Catholic Center at my university and dealing with Latin seminarians/priests we’re generally perceived as inferior, liturgically, theologically, “pastorally” or a combination of the three. It honestly amazes me how some Latins can be so staunchly “Catholic” yet completely ignore their own Popes [See *Orientalium Dignitas].
 
7_Sorrows said:
That is how I read his post - that he is not familiar with EC and the Orthodox.

No I didn’t read Darbie’s post as stating that. I was clarifying that those 2 orthodox churches are not in communion with the Pope like theEastern Catholics are. 🙂
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I can relate. I’m pretty concerned myself about people confusing being Eastern with being Orthodox … hence why I bought in the Western Rite Orthodox. :cool:
 
I really think that in areas where most are Latin Catholics and are Irish, German, or Latino. Many are completely unaware that Eastern Catholics even exist.

It is that way here in West Texas, the closest EC parish is over 300 miles away in Albuquerque.
 
My preference is to use the term “Latin Rite” Catholics rather than “Roman Catholics”, since members of the Eastern Catholic Churches are also in union with Rome. I believe the term “Roman Catholics” was developed by Anglicans in the late 1800s, to differentiate themselves - the “English Catholics” in union with their home town church and queen - from that suspicious chapel down the road, with Catholics in union with that foreign monarch, in Rome.

In the 1970s there was a fad to use the term “Roman Catholic” Church in a similar, negative way; for instance, “we American Catholics accept contraception, divorce, women priests, etc” as opposed to those bureaucrats in the Vatican - the Roman Church, being out of touch, as compared to the hometown “American Church”, which is relevant, compassionate, etc.

Latin Rite Catholics are definitely unfamiliar with Eastern Rites, or we now say, Eastern Churches. There needs to be catechesis about all the Rites in the Church, there is a genuine lack of understanding of even their own (Latin, Roman, Western) Rite. Visiting services at Eastern Rite churches was valuable for me.
 
andrewstx said:
I really think that in areas where most are Latin Catholics and are Irish, German, or Latino. Many are completely unaware that Eastern Catholics even exist.
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I think so, the Latin Churchs really don’t interact, a little here and there but not much. You won’t see Italians going to the Polish Church for example. Same with the Irish and so forth.

Its not a factor related to distance here though. There’s no social interaction.
 
commenter said:
My preference is to use the term “Latin Rite” Catholics rather than “Roman Catholics”, since members of the Eastern Catholic Churches are also in union with Rome. I believe the term “Roman Catholics” was developed by Anglicans in the late 1800s, to differentiate themselves - the “English Catholics” in union with their home town church and queen - from that suspicious chapel down the road, with Catholics in union with that foreign monarch, in Rome.

In the 1970s there was a fad to use the term “Roman Catholic” Church in a similar, negative way; for instance, “we American Catholics accept contraception, divorce, women priests, etc” as opposed to those bureaucrats in the Vatican - the Roman Church, being out of touch, as compared to the hometown “American Church”, which is relevant, compassionate, etc.

Latin Rite Catholics are definitely unfamiliar with Eastern Rites, or we now say, Eastern Churches. There needs to be catechesis about all the Rites in the Church, there is a genuine lack of understanding of even their own (Latin, Roman, Western) Rite. Visiting services at Eastern Rite churches was valuable for me.
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Well, I think the term “Roman Catholics” is fine to use, provided that it is understood to be short for “Roman-Rite Catholics”.
 
We have a Byzantine Rite church two block from one of our Western Roman Rite churches.

I didn’t like their stuffed cabbage. I had to put a lot of tomato soup on it to make it familiar, but then it was very good. I used the occasion to visit their church basement for the first time and their modest social room had Eastern icons.

And, what do you know? I met some people I knew there.
 
MorEphrem said:
Back on topic with the thread, in theory there is no difference in belief between an Eastern Catholic and a Roman Catholic. Some people get hung up on formulaic expression. Now what do Roman Catholics think about Eastern Catholics [those who know them that is]? My experience has been that we have some kind of entertaining “alternative” to mass - which in itself is extremely problematic because it ignores the dignity of the Church itself, her hierarchs and the fact that the Divine Liturgy or Qurbono Qadisho are not some kind of exotic “form” of the Latin mass that one can attend to “mix things up” but that they are all the fullness of truth in themselves.

I’m sure most Latins, if properly catechized, would not take a superiority mentality towards the Eastern Churches - however, from my experience of 14 years of Catholic school, the Catholic Center at my university and dealing with Latin seminarians/priests we’re generally perceived as inferior, liturgically, theologically, “pastorally” or a combination of the three. It honestly amazes me how some Latins can be so staunchly “Catholic” yet completely ignore their own Popes [See *Orientalium Dignitas
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].

I’m inclined to agree with you. 🙂 I do feel that way as well.
 
Peter_J said:
If you don’t mind my saying, runningdude, this ^^ is not something that I would expect you to say. 🤷 What then would we say about those married men who are priests?
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I was responding to another poster’s flippant attitude to celibacy in the Latin Church. I did not address the Eastern Church’s practice, or limited exceptions in the Latin Church.
 
Beautiful liturgies.

Not long ago I was stranded and I didn’t want to miss mass so I attended a Byzantine Divine Liturgy.
I was transported back to the first centuries of our faith.
Very beautiful.
 
Peter_J said:
Well, I think the term “Roman Catholics” is fine to use, provided that it is understood to be short for “Roman-Rite Catholics”.
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But the fact is, the term Roman Catholics, by the majority of people in the world, is understood to mean the entire Catholic Church - not just Latin Rite Catholics. So therefore, the term really is misleading.
 
I notice in this thread that there has been talk of Eastern Orthodox and even Western Orthodox, but no mention of the Oriental Orthodox Churches.
 
eamonnroma said:
But the fact is, the term Roman Catholics, by the majority of people in the world, is understood to mean the entire Catholic Church - not just Latin Rite Catholics. So therefore, the term really is misleading.
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Hence why we often use “Latin Catholics”. (Many people speak of “the Latin Rite”, but that’s not really accurate: the Latin Church contains several other rites besides the Roman Rite, e.g. the Ambrosian Rite, the Bragan Rite, the Mozarabic Rite, etc.)
 
Wildgraywolf said:
I’m just curious… why would you think they’d be lucky?
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Considering that matrimony is a divine institution and a most beautiful and sacred sacrament, and a sign of dedication to the Christian vocation.

The sacrament of ordination is too a great sign of love and devotion to the Lord.

Imagine how fortunate for a person who is able to receive both sacraments. This is so far reserved to Deacons in the Latin rite.
 
Peter_J said:
Hence why we often use “Latin Catholics”. (Many people speak of “the Latin Rite”, but that’s not really accurate: the Latin Church contains several other rites besides the Roman Rite, e.g. the Ambrosian Rite, the Bragan Rite, the Mozarabic Rite, etc.)
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I have changed my profile to ‘Latin Catholic’ 🙂
 
By the way, did any one else see Metropolitan Kallistos Ware on EWTN (Nightly News at 9) being interviewed and speaking of ecumenism, unity and primacy? It was a short interview but one filled with possibilities.
 
eamonnroma said:
I notice in this thread that there has been talk of Eastern Orthodox and even Western Orthodox, but no mention of the Oriental Orthodox Churches.
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Are there Oriental Catholics just as there are Eastern Catholics and Western Orthodox? I’ve never thought about it.
 
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