When a Church has Patriarchal status, the only legitimate reason for Rome to interfere in the internal affairs of that Church is to correct "out of control" aberrational situations which the Patriarch and his Synod of Bishops is unable, or unwilling to do. Pope St. Clement did this in Corinth (while St. John the Theologian was still alive).This assumes that there is a living out of the very "Catholic" principle of subsidiarity. I do like the way that Patriarch Lubomyr handled Cdl. Sodano, who, in my opinion, is indeed "odd". While Sodano was hot to punish married Greek Catholic priests for being....married, he, at that very same time, was hot on regularizing the status of Hans Kung, a heretic if ever there was one. So, the message sent was that it is OK to deny major "De Fide" dogmatic teachings, but don't dare challenge the authorities on disciplinary matters (and, as far as I know, "cum data fuerit" was never intended to be applied to Poland!)!

Dn. Robert

Bless, Father Archimandrite Sergius!

Yes, your post brings back a number of memories!

As for the "what-not," you can be whatever you say! You know I and your international "Father Serge Fan Club" will always endorse and support you!!

While I'm at it, just wanted to make an act of public gratitude to you, Reverend Father Archimandrite, for your crucial assistance to me as my mentor when you were in Toronto.

I've not forgotten what you taught me, I try to live it daily (apart from my tantrums on this forum, but you've seen what one has to put up with here at times ) and I remember you daily and thank God that our paths crossed!

Please accept my deep spiritual bow.

I have the honour to be your devoted servant,

Alex

Father Deacon Robert,

First of all, you know you would always be welcomed with open arms in the UGCC!

You've the stuff of which great priests are made and I think you know yourself about that to which God is truly calling you!

A friend of mine who is thinking about becoming an Eastern Catholic (he is a lapsed Anglican - I'll resist the temptation to say anything further about that . . . ), once joked about how in the Catholic Church one could be a heretic and the like and not be chastised by the authorities for years.

But if the issue of married priests came up . . . then it is a quick, "Now see here - we have RULES you know!"

It is a great blessing to have made your acquaintance, Sir, and the power of the Spirit comes through loud and clear in just your posts on this forum.

I'd probably have to wear tinted glasses if I were privileged to meet you in person!

Seriously, though, I wish you the very best. The BCC is lucky to have you - they should be carrying such a Deacon on their shoulders!

Alex

Dear Alex,

You are too kind. But, I do have a lot of "warts".

BTW, I have a friend who was raised in UGCC who, in turn, is a good friend of Fr. Roman Galadza. For some time, we've been trying to put together a trip to St. Elias, Brompton. If , and when, this occurs, I'll be sure to let you know. Rest assured, there would be a lot to talk about.

Dn. Robert

Dear Alex - I trust we are both devoted servants of the Lord Jesus Christ!

So come visit Ireland sometime.

Fr Serge

Bless, Father Archimandrite!

Well, I don't compare myself to you!

I'll definitely work on coming out to see you in the Emerald Isle, the Isle of Saints, or just plain "Holy Eire!"

Slainte!

Alex

Dear Father Deacon,

Let me know indeed! Fr. Roman is related to me by marriage.

I'd love to meet you in person!

Cheers,

Alex

Your arrival will be a great joy. A couple of cautions:

1. do not come for new-calendar Xmas (we use the old calendar, of course); plane fares are outrageous and everything, but everything, is closed.

2. do not even consider coming for 17 March - Dublin is absolutely frozen that day; nothing can move.

3. after yesterday and today this requires no explanation - do NOT fly via England. There are direct flights to Dublin from Boston and New York, take that route.

Also, of course, don't fly at peak season, when the fares are ridiculously high!

Fr Serge

Well, as usual I have come into this knowledge late. Life exacts a toll from me in that I don't always keep up with what is happening around me.

The original question was "Will parishes embrace the new liturgy?"

Having not actually seen the wording, but having read posts in this area, I get the distressing feeling that the Liturgical rubrics are about to be feminized for the sake of being PC.

If that is the case, I most likely will become a burr under the bishop's saddle as I vocally oppose such nonsense.

WHAT were the leaders of this community thinking to do such a thing? I surely didn't leave the heresies and general nonsense of Protestantism just so I could be confronted with yet more nonsense from people who should know better.

I hope that at St. Ann's we have enough MEN with large enough cajones that we retain the old form and tell the bishop politely to go pound sand.

Perhaps we should ask the bishop if the names Fr. Ireland and Fr. St. Alexis Toth ring a bell with him!!!!

Brother Ed

I'm not certain how one would go about feminizing the rubrics (apart from deleting the rubric which reminds us that women do not enter the Altar and do not function as acolytes). If anyone knows how to feminize the rubrics, please don't tell me; the problem is serious enough already.

That problem consists in the "feminization" - or rather the neutering - of liturgical texts. It is reasonably permissible to do that to an animal, such as a cat, but doing the same to a man OR a woman is not acceptable: the Lord did not create neuter persons, He created mankind, all the member of which are men and women (allowing, of course, for terminology applicable to children; we do not address grown-ups as "boys and girls" when we are speaking formally and politely). This even applies, for example, to castrati - such an unfortunate person is still genetically male, as the physicians will readily assure us.

"If's not nice to fool Mother Nature!"

Fr. Serge