If you could please pray for my parents and I we're in disagreement with each other. My parents are very traditionalist Roman Rite Catholics who attend the Tridentine Rite Mass and raised me in it. They see my queries East to be a rejection of tradition and something that is to be avoided. We've gotten in numerous conversations about this, and it continues to be a bone of contention so to speak with them. It is not something that governs the whole of our relationship, we love each other and are a very close family and find other things to talk about and mutually agree on, we do not dwell on our differences of opinion etc. However when it does come up I feel frustrated. I want them to support my interests, and be happy with the fact that I still do go to church, and have not left religion at home when going to college.

Dear christos anesti,

Have you contacted Melkite Archimandrite Father James Babcock? He might be able to alleviate the fears your parents feel about tradition. His descriptions of following the ancient faith and his knowledge of history might make your parents feel like their own Tridentine Mass is not as ancient as they would want.

The 1962 Latin Mass is not exactly that ancient and pristine, because it has undergone many changes throughout the ages. That is why it was once again standardized shortly after the Council of Trent.

I heard that the Trisagion Hymn was present in the original Latin Mass of Pope Saint Gregory the Great when he standardized that Mass way back in the 6th century. The only vestige of the Trisagion Hymn in Greek and in Latin is found in the Good Friday 1962 Holy Friday Service, which is only a skeleton of Pope Saint Gregory's PreSanctified Liturgy which we Byzantines use during Great Lent.

I know several former Traditionalists who now attend the Melkite Church or Ruthenian Church thanks to Father Babcock's excellent sermons and retreats. They were staunch Traditionalists too. Who would have thought that they would change? Given the choice between joining the various sedevacantist traditional movements (including the SSPX) or the Eastern Catholic Church, they decided to head East and stay in communion with Rome.

Prayers for Christos and his parents, that they might come to better understand his commitment to the East and the sameness of faith that it embraces.

my heartfelt prayers that they will be given helping graces to accept and understand your decision and embrace it with love. In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Prayers indeed. When we became Melkite, my dear husband's parents' were grieved that we had lost our faith. It caused a rift between my husband and his parents that was never healed.

May the love of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ heal the wounds between you, may the compassionate heart of the Theotokos draw you together, may a Spirit of understanding and graciousness fill you.

Thank you all for your prayers, I'm terrified that this will cause a rift, so to speak, between my parents and I. I am planning on sitting down to talk to them right before they leave for their new home out of state, coincidentally this conversation will most likely occur on my birthday, so heres hoping that they receive it well, not only for my sake but for everyones.

Prayers for 'Christos Anesti' and his parents.

Practical Suggestion - Having a Melkite or other Greek Catholic priest speak with your parents will probably not accomplish much as they will be suspicious of him. If your parents are friendly with a Roman Catholic priest ask him to speak with them, and to explain about Eastern Catholicism. Further, there are several publications by Catholic sources that you might find useful. I recommend "Eastern Catholics in the United States of America" published by the USCCB. It is short and concise (and under $5) and your parents might respect an official Roman Catholic source. There are others (like the apostolic letters and etc. by Pope John Paul the Great) but this one document will not overload them.

That sounds like a good idea, my parents would take it well coming from one of the local priests they trust, in respect to publications they are suspicious of anything that is related to Pope John Paul II, making it even harder to try and discuss things. I'm not only feeling the heat from them in regards to attending and affiliating myself with the Eastern Rite, but also because I volunteer at and occasionally attend Novus Ordo parishes.

My prayers, Christos, that you will be firm in the faith.

Fr Hugh of the Norbertines is friendly to the East and very traditional. He might be someone they could talk to about it. He is from ST Michael's Abbey.

You might want to share stories of saints that were Eastern and fully Catholic. Trads always like saints who stood up to communists etc. Get them the history of the Eastern Catholics.

If all of this doesn't work than just make the choice not to speak of the matter. Pray to the Holy Spirt to change them. If my children grew up and were faithful Catholics but wanted to go Western I would just be thrilled they stayed Catholic.

I pray that this is resolved, and that you can have a happy birthday. Prahaps bringing up the Ambrosian Rite or Gallican Rite may help as they don't seem so foreign . Don't beat yourself up. you are still catholic and honoring your parents.

David

I had further discussion with my Dad, and his verdict was...he does not care about where I go to church with a few exceptions, (Cardinal Mahoney anyone?). However he has advised me to attend the Tridentine with him and my mother for the next few weeks as she is emotional because they're moving, and once moved I can return to my parish. He said she will always be touchy on this subject but that where I go is where I go, and that's part of life. He advised me not to deny my attendance at the Eastern Rite parish I belong to, but to also attend a Tridentine at least once a month so as to pacify the family. Thank you all for your prayers and please keep praying.

Lord of the Powers be with us, for in times of distress we have no other help but You.
Lord of the Powers, have mercy on the family as they walk the same path in different ways - keep them always present to you Jesus in your Sacraments.