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Author
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Topic: Which Eastern Catholic Church is most traditional
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Spidey75
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posted 10-01-2000 01:16 PM
  
Hello,I have a question as to which Eastern Catholic Church is the most eastern and traditional as in following the Orthodox traditions. I have just started going to the Ruthenian Church and they seem very eastern, but I've never been to a Melkite, Russian, Ukrainian, Maronite, Coptic, Armenian, etc.. Catholic Church so I don't know to compare. I have been to an OCA Church once and they seem almost identical to the Ruthenians. I want to visit the Melkites since they are only an hour from me. If anyone can tell me which is the closest to the eastern ways I would be grateful. Thank you. God Bless, Joseph IP: Logged |
Rusnak
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posted 10-01-2000 03:04 PM
Glory to Jesus Christ!Dear Joseph, I have a question as to which Eastern Catholic Church is the most eastern and traditional as in following the Orthodox traditions. Among Byzantine Catholics I’d say it’s a tossup between the Melkites and the Russian Catholics.  They certainly are the most scrupulous about keeping liturgical practice Orthodox. The Melkites have an edge in that they have some married priests in North America. (All three Russian Catholic churches in the US are run by Jesuits.) Some Ukrainian Catholic churches (some in North America and all of them in Ukraine) get credit not only for married priests but for keeping the Orthodox date for Easter and the Julian calendar! Old World Rus’ IP: Logged |
Spidey75
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posted 10-01-2000 03:26 PM
Thank you for your reply Rusnak. I never knew the Ukrainians followed the Julian Calendar.God Bless, Joseph IP: Logged |
FrDeaconEd
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posted 10-01-2000 09:54 PM
Actually, the Russian Catholic Church in El Segundo, California is run by a Melkite priest. Fr. Alexei would be very surprised to find he was a Jesuit!Edward, deacon and sinner IP: Logged |
Rusnak
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posted 10-01-2000 10:57 PM
Fr Deacon Ed,Actually, the Russian Catholic Church in El Segundo, California is run by a Melkite priest. Fr. Alexei would be very surprised to find he was a Jesuit! I stand corrected. Thanks! I knew the Melkites episcopally supervise (kind of fits the meaning of episkopos!) the El Segundo church (while it remains nominally under Cardinal Mahony?) but didn’t know the priest is Melkite as well. OK, that leaves San Fran and NYC as Jesuit. I wonder who runs the Byelorussian Catholic church in Chicago? Old World Rus’ IP: Logged |
Sharon Mech
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posted 10-02-2000 10:48 AM
I think it's also true that YMMV at the local level. There are very traditional parishes amongst the not-so-traditional, and also the reverse.
Sharon
Sharon Mech, SFO
Cantor & sinner
sharon@cmhc.com
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Rusnak
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posted 10-02-2000 11:15 AM
Dear Sharon,I think it's also true that YMMV at the local level. There are very traditional parishes amongst the not-so-traditional, and also the reverse. True. What does ‘YMMV’ mean? ‘Your ? may vary?’ What does the second ‘M’ mean? ‘Measurements’ (scientific jargon)? Inquiring (nay, obsessive) minds want to know.  Seriously, in my experience the strongly Orthophile Ruthenians and Ukrainians (usually non-ethnics and converts) are most active online while the ethnic rank-and-file don’t post a lot or at all and just want to left in peace, not identifying with the Orthodox one whit. So there’s one example of a ‘traditional Eastern’ subgroup in a less traditional group. Conversely, every now and then one may be surprised by a latinized Melkite or an unbyzantinized refugee Roman at a Russian Catholic church. I don’t know any Melkites in person but have been told the latinized kind exist here and there. I have met only three Melkites face to face. One was Bishop John Elya, the second was Bishop Nicholas Samra and the third was a young man who for all intents had turned into a charismatic Roman. Old World Rus’ IP: Logged |
Sharon Mech
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posted 10-02-2000 12:43 PM
Rusnak, so Solly!YMMV is Your Mileage May Vary. It's derived from the hyper-inflated gas mileage claims of various automakers during the "fuel crisis" of the 1970's. (75 mpg freeway!!! Your Mileage May Vary - given that our 10 lb driver coasted a slightly modified vehicle downhill on a teflon road with a 50mph tailwind...) Hokay? Sharon
Sharon Mech, SFO
Cantor & sinner
sharon@cmhc.com
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Rusnak
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posted 10-02-2000 01:20 PM
Hokay. Hey, I was pretty close!IP: Logged |
FrDeaconEd
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posted 10-02-2000 01:32 PM
Rusnak,Christ the Redeemer parish in Chicago is supported by Cardinal George, the Latin Archbishop of Chicago and served by a bi-ritual Latin priest. He is not a Jesuit but is, rather, a secular (diocesan) priest. Edward, deacon and sinner IP: Logged |
Doulos of Fatima
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posted 10-02-2000 07:26 PM
Glory to Jesus Christ ! Glory forever !
Joseph, I am taking " eastern and traditonal to refer not only to church services but also including outlook and theology of the priests and the laity. I have visited churches of the several jurisdictions: Ethiopian; Ukrainian; Armenian; Melkite; Ruthenian; Ukrainian; and Russian. I was a member of a Ruthenian parish for two years. I now attend the Russian Catholic parish in the Los Angeles Archdiocese. I would have to say the Russian Eastern Catholic parishes , St. Michael in New York and St. Andrew in Los Angeles are the most eastern and traditional even more than the Melkite parishes.
Serge, the Jeusits presently serve only Our Lady of Fatima in San Francisco. At one time Jesuits served five of the six Russian parishes in North America: Los Angeles; San Francisco; Boston; New York; and Montreal. They also served a chapel at Fordham University in New York. The parishes met the needs of a total of 1100 Russian Byzantine Catholics in the United States and Canada.[This message has been edited by Doulos of Fatima (edited 10-02-2000).] IP: Logged |
Rusnak
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posted 10-02-2000 08:43 PM
Thanks for the update, Doulos. I should have asked Fr John at St Michael’s; then I would have known better. I take it then he’s diocesan Roman but biritual? Or is he attached to the Melkites like Fr Alexei?Old World Rus’ IP: Logged |
Doulos of Fatima
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posted 10-02-2000 09:04 PM
The former. Fr. John is a Spaniard from the Russicum. He is a biritual priest. I believe he is New York's Archdiocesan head chaplain at Ryker's Island. Technically our parish is under Cardinal Roger. Bishop John serves as our ritual bishop. He has no control over our property.
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Rusnak
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posted 10-02-2000 09:17 PM
Doulos,I knew Fr John is Spanish and a prison chaplain; thanks for the other info. Old World Rus’ IP: Logged |
Kurt
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posted 10-06-2000 06:31 PM
Spidey75,You ask "which Eastern Catholic Church is the most eastern and traditional as in following the Orthodox traditions." For many of us Ruthenian Catholics, who share a Byzantine tradition with our Orthodox brothers and sisters, we follow our Eastern Traditions because it is OUR Byzantine Catholic tradition, not to imitate the tradition of another communion of Christians, however dear to us they are. Kurt IP: Logged |
wasyl1931
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posted 10-11-2000 07:55 PM
what an odd question? and so many answers? so, an interest. i wonder that the orthodox seem to be the measure, as if the catholic churches may not have kept the tradition as well or better than their orthodox brothers? then, i would have to ask what does "tradition" mean? like last year? last century? constantinople in the 4th century? when i worked with american indians, i found that "converts" (those into theindian business) were more traditional than the people. they insisted tht tradition stopped, sometimes at european contact, other times at some point in the 19th cent. i wonder if that defintion of tradition isnt being applied to our churches? i think tradition grows, so it is continuity not museum freezing that is "real" Tradition. No? IP: Logged |
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