Cool forum...just joined.... I'll explain why in a bit. But I'm not an intellectual like most of you folks. However, I am a Truth-seeker so please bear with me...

I consider myself a Roman Catholic revert who bounced around a few Protestant churches only to rediscover what I never fully understood. Since my dear wife is a devout Presbyterian, I attend service with her each Sunday and then attend Mass. Often she joins me but we have a couple little ones which makes this difficult. They have a nursery in her church which makes things great for worship there but we have the ghastly cryroom in mine. I've tried not to use the cryroom but the babies do get fired up, and since we sit up front, I get THE eyeball from Father when mischief begins and we end up moving back into the cryroom.

But to my point... The recent church scandal hasn't tarnished my faith but it has left me very disappointed and furious with the church hierarchy. It has also been an unsettling witness to my wife who is also a Truth-seeker and very receptive to Catholicism.

While I don't think there is a direct link between celibacy-only and the scandal, I do think there is an indirect link to an unhealthy organizational culture that would deal with this kind of criminal behavior so poorly. While I don't think celibacy has to go, I do think the option to marry must come in.

A couple years ago, my wife and I attended a Byzantine Catholic church close by just to check it out. I really had no idea what it was but I guess we concluded it was "ok". The recent scandal has me thinking we should venture back to do more than just check it out. I have always had a profound respect for the Orthodox faith. Is the Byzantine Catholic church a bridge to those Christian brothers and sisters? If so, maybe the scandal is a blessing in disguise, at least for me. My practical question is what is the best way to deal with a one year old and a newborn in a Byzantine Catholic church?

>>>My practical question is what is the best way to deal with a one year old and a newborn in a Byzantine Catholic church?<<<

My advice would be not to sweat it if they cry. I find that Byzantine Catholics have more understanding and tolerance for crying infants. Perhaps it comes from the overall mentality that we are all children at our Father's house when we are in church. I'm sure God doesn't get upset when infants are crying during the paraclesis

However, I believe there are some overly yappy adults who would be better suited for a cryroom

Columcille

Christos Voskrese!
Vostinnu Voskrese!

Alot of times the priest at the Ruthenian church I go to will, when a baby wails during his sermon, say something like, "Well, really?! That's an excellent point!" and then go on to talk about whatever "point" he heard in said child's cry.

Only twice has something like this happened in my many, many years of attending Latin parishes. Father was talking about being joyous and exultant in the Lord when a baby screamed in the back. Father said with a big grin and without missing a beat, "See, that's what I'm talking about!" and concluded his sermon. Another time, a toddler broke free from his parents during a sermon (I think by the same priest) and ran about the church with a big grin on his face. Father smiled and said, "Gee, I wish everyone would get this excited about my homilies!".

God bless,
Mikey.

Congradulations my friend in crossing the Tiber and returning to the fold of Christ Catholic Church. I myself have also experienced what you have went through in changing churches in order to "test the waters" religiously. I was raised a Catholic but converted to the Baptist for a while (Southern Baptist mind you) and then went over to the Episcopalians and then returned to the Catholics, became Orthodox, and now have decided to come home at last!

So, as you can see, Ive had quit a variaty of the religious experience that our pluralistic society has to offer. Yet, throug all of the confusion and doubt, God has lead me back to what Ive had from the very beginning but failed to see.

About the scandals, they have not shaken my faith either. In fact, it was the scandles themselves that caused me to finally realize the truth of the Catholic faith over ever other. I witnessed how the secular media in this country just despised the Church and tried (AS they are still trying) to humiliate and heap up abuse on her. Why? Simply because by calling into question the morals of Catholic priest and bishops themselves, the secular world will hope to be able to create distrust and even dissaproval among the large number of Catholics in this country for her moral doctrines themselves.

When I saw what was going on, I realized that it was the Catholic Church alone that was the most hated by the world because she ws the only force that stands in the way of their world wide anti religious, anti-family, anti-life, secularization program and the powers that be felt that jumping all ovr these unfortunate incidents could be used as a wepon against the Church for their own means.

So Im happy to become Catholic again. Also, Im sure that when they start throwing us to the lions again, Ill be one of the first to go and gladly I will for our dear and immaculate religion.

Peace Robert K.

The various Byzantine Catholic Churches in America (Belarusian, Melkite, Romanian, Russian, Ruthenian, Ukrainian, etc.) are entire Orthodox Churches which, for various reasons, re-established sacramental and ecclesial union with the Roman Catholic Church. Consequently, such a union made us anathema to the Orthodox. We lost our communion with Constantinople and the Orthodox Churches.

We "maintian" the spiritual, theological, liturgical, and canonical disciplines of the Orthodox Churches, while united to the Roman Church. However, we cannot be said to have been 100% successful in our original intent. There are, in fact, many latinizations and departures in our churches and we have fallen short of preserving our religious heritage (MHO). The original intent of the union, to preserve our Orthodox patrimony amidst the sea of Latin and Protestant hurricanes of the early modern era, has fallen short.

I guess you could call us a bridge, some if not many Orthodox, may find such terminology insultive.

ALity

Thanks for the kind responses. I called over to the Byzantine church this AM and they told me that they have a noisy liturgy anyhow and our young ones were welcome. Very kewl!

Dear ED,

We have a 11 month old, and the Cantor has a two year old. If they are too loud, we take them outside, but otherwise the people rather enjoy the noises of babies. The children have a right to attend the services, as our Lord said, "Suffer the children unto me." Our children are full members of the Church, and as such they have the same rights as adults.

Adam

Christ is Risen!

Dear E.D.

You would be very welcome in our parish. I love the sound of babies in Church. When they cry they go out for a while, but I am always very pleased to see them back again. Plenty of babies present and on the way is for me a sign of a healthy parish. No creches or kids hour for us, thank you!

While some of us may be intellectuals, the discussion on this forum is always healthy and stimulating - so your comments I am sure will be welcomed. Don't insult us too much and we will get to like you!

Yours in Christ,
Fr Serafim

parish web: www.pokrov.com :rolleyes:

Hey E.D.,

Welcome to the forum and home to the Church.

It took me until my kids were older to figure out and to understand my husband when he said "God would give us waht we needed during the Liturgy, it is our job to keep after the kids." To go beyond that it is the Church's job to keep after the kids. We join together as the body of Christ, his family, in doing so at our church, it is not so unusual to find the babies and kids several rows back after everyone takes a turn holding them. Sometimes the young ones upto around five will go from one side of the church to the other with different ones they know. Our daughter would escape under the pew, we set up front also, and it took a number of us to keep her from getting to the iconostas. Fr. is right it is truly the sign of a healty Church. when you no longer hear the cry of children in Church, chances are the Church is dying.

I was also Southern Baptist and my husband Polish National Catholic. God gave us a lot of petitions to pray for when searching for a Church home we would be happy in together. He showed us the Ruthenian Byantines, we entered the Church within 6 months and we have been in a Melkite Church for the last 16 years because we had to move. God has such a sence of humor.

I think it makes Jesus happy to see children happy in church, and not so happey too. The important thing is they are there and so are you!

As for the mess in the Church. The Church has got to be purified. The Roman Church will come out stronger and more committed to its calling than ever before. We will all be stonger for it.

Dear Friends,

Our parish priest once said he doesn't mind the sound of children crying, as long as his good will isn't seen as a tendency to "kid around" when it came to Christian commitment . . .

Alex