It would seem that the Assyrian Catholic Apostolic Diocese (ACAD -- the group which followed Mar Bawai when he left the Assyrian Church of the East) has now come into full communion with the Catholic Church and has become part of the Chaldean Catholic Church. See http://www.kaldaya.net/2008/DailyNews/05/May12_08_E2_Unity.html .

Peace,
Alex NvV

I really hate to nit-pick, but why are the priests wearing stoles over their suits?

Dave

Dave,
Are you talking about the Knights of Columbus or the clergy?
The priests are in stoles because this wasn't the Divine Liturgy, for Morning/Even prayers, the Eastern Syriac Churches normally wear a stole over the black cassock, if a stole is worn at all.. normally the stole doesn't come on until later, vesting takes place after Morning Prayer before Qurbana (Liturgy) begins.

No worries. It is only nit-picking if you are using the question in a rhetorical way to crticize.

Is that a Dominican Sister present at the celebration?

The pictures are lovely.

Thanks for sharing all the lovely pictures of the day.

Well, I would expect that, but it looks like the priests are just in clerical suits, not in cassocks.

Dave

Dave,

I see one particular cleric - wearing glasses - who looks to be the one about whom you're asking. I agree, he looks to be in a suit, else it's a very close-fitting cassock.

Many years,

Neil

Neil,

There's also this photo, from the church consecration:

http://www.kaldaya.net/2008/images/UnityPrayer_May12/StMathew_Consecration/pages/20_jpg.htm

Regardless, these seem like joyful events for those communities involved.

Dave

Thank you for the good news!!

On this rock I will build my Church Mt 16:18

Christ is Risen!! Indeed He is Risen!!

I looked at the pictures, too, and wondered if the clerics in suits were the Assyrian clerics being received into the Catholic Church. The reason is another matter.

On another note, I wonder what this will do for future relations with the Church of the East.

BOB

While it looks odd, technically they weren't violating any rules.. the "norm" of clerical clothing in the USA are those suits with the collar, not the black cassock, although the latter is usually an rare optional. (not my preference, but no one asked me..)

Shlomo Bob,

Which one, the Church of the East is divided in two. With one Patriarch in Iraq (Mar Addai II Givarghis) and the other in the United States (Mar Dinkha IV Khananya).

Poosh BaShlomo,
Yuhannon

Yuhannon:

Christ is Risen!! Indeed He is Risen!!

If I'm not mistaken, the group being received was part of the Assyrian Church of the East in the United States. But regardless, I wonder how these things help or hinder ecumenical relations. The bishop who was received, if I am not mistaken, was in some kind of trouble with his own synod and Patriarch. That muddies the water a bit.

I don't by any means lament the coming together of separated brethren. But I just wonder how that goes down with the larger group from which these brothers come.

In Christ,

BOB

Some within the AssyrianCoE laity seem to be incensed, the ones that see conspiracy in every corner... something about Jesuit strategy and Vatican backroom dealings.. it reads like something from the fringe One&Only-TrueCalendar groups in Orthodox countries, or Jack Chick here in the States.
Mar Bawai had traveled to Australia and to the Patriarch of the Ancient Church of the East before making this move, but he has not said anything publicly regarding their stance.
I think this will probably end ecumenical dialogue with the AssyrianCoE for a time, since a handful of troublemakers seem to have crossed over from being angry to making violent threats.