Why doesn't RCIA teach about Eastern Catholicism?

[Elijahmaria]

Yes, your forgiven-it just didn’t make any sense.

It should make sense to open up the whole Church to those in the Roman rite. It should be something that we take for granted rather then fight over or be defensive about. It should be something that we are eager to do with and for one another. Then, as I say, there would be plenty of time.

 

[fhansen]

It should make sense to open up the whole Church to those in the Roman rite. It should be something that we take for granted rather then fight over or be defensive about. It should be something that we are eager to do with and for one another. Then, as I say, there would be plenty of time.

I would never fight over it-we’re on the same team, aren’t we? I’m of the Roman rite. If I thought it were of benefit to practice the Eastern rite instead I’d be there. As it is, either are fine with me. But people who enter RCIA are already mainly converted and they’re at the RC doorstep to begin with for their own reasons. We *should *teach about the various rites along with a lot of other matters that pertain to the Church (and there’s a bunch)-but it doesn’t need to be an urgent priority of any kind. What is important is that the Eastern Orthodox and the western Church reconcile-and it seems to me the eastern rite Churches play an important role there…

 

[fhansen]

I’m certainly not for marginalizing them. I’ve learned enormously about our faith from a Byzantine priest who’s lectured in a local Roman rite parish. If his Church wasn’t a bit too far, I would’ve made the trek by now. But the basics are the Gospel-that’s what we teach in RCIA. To require that we offer either rite as an alternative to the other is to emphasize division, IMO. To simply teach about the variety within the Church is another matter.

 

[ConstantineTG]

I’m certainly not for marginalizing them. I’ve learned enormously about our faith from a Byzantine priest who’s lectured in a local Roman rite parish. If his Church wasn’t a bit too far, I would’ve made the trek by now. But the basics are the Gospel-that’s what we teach in RCIA. To require that we offer either rite as an alternative to the other is to emphasize division, IMO. To simply teach about the variety within the Church is another matter.

Not division but rather confusion. If one who’s just new to the faith is taught two or more different praxis, the person becomes confused and might not want to become Catholic anymore because of the complication. I mean, its complicated already to learn one praxis, let alone two or more.

 

[irishcolleen45]

Please understand that there are a great many Catholics (perhaps the overwhelming majority, actually) that have no idea that the Eastern Catholic Churches even exist. I sure didn’t until about three years ago, and I’m a cradle Catholic that has been very involved with my church over the years! A lot of it has to do with the fact that many of them are very small, with less than 1 million members worldwide. Also, you’d be hard pressed to find an Eastern Catholic Church outside of the major US cities. In all honesty, if I went to church right now and asked 100 cradle Catholics if they knew what Eastern Catholic Churches were, sadly, I bet at most 15 could give you an answer, if that. I promise this isn’t some big conspiracy, it’s just that the Eastern Catholic Church is a relatively obscure topic to most Latin Catholics. (Now, a discussion on that sad state of affairs could certainly be justified, but it’s reality.)

Back in 1963, my Catholic HS had an Eastern rite Mass said in the school’s chapel. My son did not believe me until I sent him photos from my HS yearbook. This was in the Bronx, NY.

 

[CDB1718]

Can you imagine a person converting to Eastern Catholicism, but Rome or communion never once coming up? Can you imagine if entire Eastern Catholic churches were refusing to tell converts about the pope? “We have too much else to cover” wouldn’t make much sense then, would it?

RCIA is to teach people what it means to be Roman Catholic and how to live a Christian life in accordance with the faith.

To be a Roman Catholic means to be in communion with Eastern Catholics. This is a basic part of the faith they should know about and accept with their conversion. The Roman Catholics who go through RCIA agree and say they should have been taught about Eastern Catholicism in RCIA.

This isn’t the same as saying they should have a smorgasbord of rites and churches explained to them so they can pick and choose or that the eastern liturgy and beliefs need to be explained. Before they convert to the Catholic Church, they should know and understand its basic structure. That means they should know about the existence of the Eastern Catholic churches and where they fit into the universal church. Refusing to do that is like refusing to mention the pope.

 

[Laudate_Dominum]

Refusing to do that is like refusing to mention the pope.

The Pope is the rock upon which the Church is built, he’s the lighthouse that guides you to safe harbour… he is absolutely necessary to the Faith. Without him, you sink. I’m sorry but the Eastern Churches are in no way comparable to that.

 

[CDB1718]

The Pope is the rock upon which the Church is built, he’s the lighthouse that guides you to safe harbour… he is absolutely necessary to the Faith. Without him, you sink. I’m sorry but the Eastern Churches are in no way comparable to that.

The pope says it is comparable.

Since, in fact, we believe that the venerable and ancient tradition of the Eastern Churches is an integral part of the heritage of Christ’s Church, the first need for Catholics is to be familiar with that tradition, so as to be nourished by it and to encourage the process of unity in the best way possible for each. -Pope John Paul II

How can Roman Catholic converts learn about an integral part of the church if they don’t even know it exists? The pope calls this a first need, not a possible tangent if the RCIA instructor is interested and has enough time or if the person knows to ask about it before classes begin. A first need to be familiar with it. Most RCIA fails to meet even the minimal requirement of mentioning existence.

Our Eastern Catholic brothers and sisters are very conscious of being the living bearers of this tradition, together with our Orthodox brothers and sisters. The members of the Catholic Church of the Latin tradition must also be fully acquainted with this treasure and thus feel, with the Pope, a passionate longing that the full manifestation of the Church’s catholicity be restored to the Church and to the world, expressed not by a single tradition, and still less by one community in opposition to the other; and that we too may be granted a full taste of the divinely revealed and undivided heritage of the universal Church which is preserved and grows in the life of the Churches of the East as in those of the West. -Pope John Paul II

It is the undivided heritage of the west to be in communion with the east. To not teach this is to neglect a component of first importance in the faith. Converts should not come into the church believing there’s a single tradition, namely the western tradition. The pope says Roman Catholics must be acquainted with this treasure.

 

[paglione]

12/20/2011
My reply to Speedy Pizza,
Your thoughts about “Is the (Roman) Catholic Church hiding something (e.g., information and knowledge) concerning the Eastern Catholic Churches?” --------
My opinion is YES. At least that is so in my own experiences and in my own Roman Catholic church in Westchester County, New York.
The parishioners in my church do not know anything about their sister Catholic churches
in the East, e.g., Byzantine Catholic, Maronite Catholic, Melkite Catholic, etc.
It is simply not discussed. I have written letters to my pastor to talk about our sister churches, talk about unity with the Orthodox Church, talk about who THE THEOTOKOS is
But there is no interest. My pastor has not even anwered my letters. For that reason I am seriously considering leaving the R.C. parish and attending the Byzantine Catholic church down the road. I am welcomed there. The parishioners speak to me. The pastor speaks to me. They are warm and friendly.
Speedy Pizza, I wonder how the Catholic Church will ever become reconciled in unity with the Orthodox Churches if the Latin Rite Church are not even interested in their sister CATHOLIC CHURCHES OF THE EASTERN RITE. I have even written my thoughts to my own Archbishop of New York, to people on the Pontifical Council in the Vatican, etc. They tell me to be patient and pray and WAIT. I will continue to do so.
Peter D. Aglione
Petradom737@aol.com

 

[Elijahmaria]

I would never fight over it-we’re on the same team, aren’t we? I’m of the Roman rite. If I thought it were of benefit to practice the Eastern rite instead I’d be there. As it is, either are fine with me. But people who enter RCIA are already mainly converted and they’re at the RC doorstep to begin with for their own reasons. We *should *teach about the various rites along with a lot of other matters that pertain to the Church (and there’s a bunch)-but it doesn’t need to be an urgent priority of any kind. What is important is that the Eastern Orthodox and the western Church reconcile-and it seems to me the eastern rite Churches play an important role there…

My years of experience coordinating and catechizing for the RCIA tell me that this is something of an exaggeration.

Besides “conversion” is not a one shot proposition.

Besides, when I taught about the eastern Churches, I also incorporated teachings of the Holy Fathers [patristic and desert fathers] into the regular lessons and it was good that the folks could imagine something other than the Novus Ordo as the liturgical and spiritual foundations for these teachings.

Many said that it deepened their spiritual lives. From what I’ve seen of those folks since, many of them, it did.

 

[ByzCathCantor]

What is important is that the Eastern Orthodox and the western Church reconcile-and it seems to me the eastern rite Churches play an important role there…

Indeed - let us pray!

 

[fhansen]

My years of experience coordinating and catechizing for the RCIA tell me that this is something of an exaggeration.

Besides “conversion” is not a one shot proposition.

Besides, when I taught about the eastern Churches, I also incorporated teachings of the Holy Fathers [patristic and desert fathers] into the regular lessons and it was good that the folks could imagine something other than the Novus Ordo as the liturgical and spiritual foundations for these teachings.

Many said that it deepened their spiritual lives. From what I’ve seen of those folks since, many of them, it did.

Conversion is life-long. But, OK, maybe I’ll start including more about the Eastern Rite in RCIA! As it is, I speak some about Ancestral Sin and also about the differences in understanding of personal sin in general, just so people will have a more comprehensive viewpoint from the whole Church. I will not, however, single either rite out as possibly being superior in it’s teachings, which is what it seems to me the OP implies. I don’t think the Roman Church is hiding anything about the Eastern Churches. There simply hasn’t been a great deal of contact or even the opportunity to interact depending on geographical area.

 

[CDB1718]

But, OK, maybe I’ll start including more about the Eastern Rite in RCIA!

:extrahappy:

When Patriarch Sviatoslav was in the US, Our Sunday Visitor asked him “What would you want a Roman Catholic here in the United States to know about the Ukrainian Catholic Church?”

He responded, “Three points. First, that the Catholic Church does not mean Latin-rite Church. The Catholic Church is a community of different churches. In the Catholic Church, there are 22 different Eastern churches of the different traditions. Second, it’s very important to have mutual respect and the interchange of our treasures. Maybe we can ask Roman Catholics how to help our faithful be present in a territory where there are no Ukrainian Catholic parishes, to help them to preserve their identity. Third, I will promise that we will be more and more open to helping Roman Catholics learn more about us who are present in this country.”

I now say to you, fhansen, how can we help you to teach RCIA in a way which shows this mutual respect? Would it help for you to have one lesson plan on Eastern Catholicism? Five short lesson plans that you can include on other days? 25 lesson plans which could be done in under 1 minute each? How can we make it easiest on you?

 

[fhansen]

:extrahappy:

When Patriarch Sviatoslav was in the US, Our Sunday Visitor asked him “What would you want a Roman Catholic here in the United States to know about the Ukrainian Catholic Church?”

He responded, “Three points. First, that the Catholic Church does not mean Latin-rite Church. The Catholic Church is a community of different churches. In the Catholic Church, there are 22 different Eastern churches of the different traditions. Second, it’s very important to have mutual respect and the interchange of our treasures. Maybe we can ask Roman Catholics how to help our faithful be present in a territory where there are no Ukrainian Catholic parishes, to help them to preserve their identity. Third, I will promise that we will be more and more open to helping Roman Catholics learn more about us who are present in this country.”

I now say to you, fhansen, how can we help you to teach RCIA in a way which shows this mutual respect? Would it help for you to have one lesson plan on Eastern Catholicism? Five short lesson plans that you can include on other days? 25 lesson plans which could be done in under 1 minute each? How can we make it easiest on you?

I’ll have to run it past our team leader but there won’t be any objections to the content-like I said we touch on it some already. Point me in a good direction to learn more or offer a short lesson plan. I can shoot for a full class on it but wouldn’t promise they’ll want that at this point-the year’s class schedule’s already filled up. I’ll get it in either way.

 

[Tradycja]

The title of this thread should be why does RCIA not teach Catholicism PERIOD. LOL.

 

[CDB1718]

I’ll have to run it past our team leader but there won’t be any objections to the content-like I said we touch on it some already. Point me in a good direction to learn more or offer a short lesson plan. I can shoot for a full class on it but wouldn’t promise they’ll want that at this point-the year’s class schedule’s already filled up. I’ll get it in either way.

I’ll do that after Christmas.

 

[paglione]

I’ll do that after Christmas.

I suspect that it is not in the culture and/or the tradition of the Latin Rite to speak about the Eastern Catholic Churches or the Orthodox Churches. In my early Catholic education I was taught that the Roman Catholic Church was the only TRUE church. Therefore “Roman Catholic” became synonymous with the Catholic Church. Many adult Roman Catholics today still believe that.
I have been trying to get my Latin Rite pastor (a Dominican priest) to speak about the Eastern Catholic Church and about the Orthodox Churches but he is not interested in doing any teaching or instruction on the subject. I suspect that there are many like him.
And that is so unfortunate.
HOW ARE CATHOLICS AND ORTHODOX CHURCHES EVER GOING TO COME TOGETHER IN UNITY IF LATIN RITE PASTORS DO NOT EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR OWN SISTER EASTERN CATHOLIC CHURCHES SUCH AS THE BYZANTINE CATHOLIC RITE, THE MARONITE CATHOLIC RITE, THE MELKITE AND SYRIAN RITES, ETC.?
Let us pray during the New Year of 2012 that there may be more awareness within the Catholic Churches of the UNIVERSALITY of the Catholic Church and all its sister churches in the East. That might help lay the basis for reuniting the Orthodox Churches with the Catholic Churches.
A happy and joyous Christmas to all! Peace in the New Year!
Peter D. Aglione
December 24, 2011
Petradom737@aol.com

 

[ByzCathCantor]

HOW ARE CATHOLICS AND ORTHODOX CHURCHES EVER GOING TO COME TOGETHER IN UNITY IF LATIN RITE PASTORS DO NOT EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR OWN SISTER EASTERN CATHOLIC CHURCHES SUCH AS THE BYZANTINE CATHOLIC RITE, THE MARONITE CATHOLIC RITE, THE MELKITE AND SYRIAN RITES, ETC.?
Let us pray during the New Year of 2012 that there may be more awareness within the Catholic Churches of the UNIVERSALITY of the Catholic Church and all its sister churches in the East. That might help lay the basis for reuniting the Orthodox Churches with the Catholic Churches.

Amen!

Christos Razdajetsja! Slavite Jeho!
Christ is born! Glorify Him!

 

[fhansen]

I’ll do that after Christmas.

Thanks-I’ll be waiting. I thought you forgot about me for awhile there-after all the hoopla!

 

[Elijahmaria]

I suspect that it is not in the culture and/or the tradition of the Latin Rite to speak about the Eastern Catholic Churches or the Orthodox Churches. In my early Catholic education I was taught that the Roman Catholic Church was the only TRUE church. Therefore “Roman Catholic” became synonymous with the Catholic Church. Many adult Roman Catholics today still believe that.
I have been trying to get my Latin Rite pastor (a Dominican priest) to speak about the Eastern Catholic Church and about the Orthodox Churches but he is not interested in doing any teaching or instruction on the subject. I suspect that there are many like him.
And that is so unfortunate.
HOW ARE CATHOLICS AND ORTHODOX CHURCHES EVER GOING TO COME TOGETHER IN UNITY IF LATIN RITE PASTORS DO NOT EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR OWN SISTER EASTERN CATHOLIC CHURCHES SUCH AS THE BYZANTINE CATHOLIC RITE, THE MARONITE CATHOLIC RITE, THE MELKITE AND SYRIAN RITES, ETC.?
Let us pray during the New Year of 2012 that there may be more awareness within the Catholic Churches of the UNIVERSALITY of the Catholic Church and all its sister churches in the East. That might help lay the basis for reuniting the Orthodox Churches with the Catholic Churches.
A happy and joyous Christmas to all! Peace in the New Year!
Peter D. Aglione
December 24, 2011
Petradom737@aol.com

Well done!!

Blessed and Holy Nativity!

Christ is Born!