Dear Robert K. and Catholicos,

Very interesting question!

Yes, the Ukrainian and Ruthenian Churches are Particular Churches in their own Rite, no pun intended.

They adhere to the same basic Byzantine Rite, but I think you might find people in the Ukrainian Church who would argue that there are differences in the Rite that have more to do with culture.

Fr. Bohdan Lypsky (+memory eternal) studied the Byzantine-Kyivan Rite in Ukraine and discovered that the Rite of Volyn was actually different from that of Galicia, from that of Kyiv and from that of Eastern Ukraine by way of regional differences.

These regional ritual differences continue to be maintained in Ukrainian Orthodox Churches where one parish that I know of is composed mainly of Volynian Ukrainians following the Volyn traditions, while others are parishes with Galician converts following other traditions, some of them Latinizations to be sure.

Patriarch Slipyj actually considered the Ruthenian Catholic Church as part of his Catholic Kyivan Patriarchate and this is why the full title of his Church as he determined it to be was:

The Particular Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Byzantine-Ukrainian Rite (Greco-Ruthenian).

He did not deny differences of Rite as the Ukrainian Catholic Church comprised regional differences, the Belorussian and Russian Greek Catholics, including the Old Rite.

Alex

So if a person joined the Ruthenian Church in America, they would be considered in the same right as the Ukrainian Catholics? Or would it be considered as different as the Maronites are to the Ruthenians?

Robert K.

I believe that in the "official" Slavonic documents issued through Rome in the early 50s, the Sluzhebnik (priest's book) characterizes the Slavic liturgical ritual as "Rusyn" (or perhaps "Ruthenian" in English and German). The Church recognizes something called "recensions" within the rite. These 'recensions' are unique to different ethnic groups. Thus, there is a Byzantine Rite, with Melkite, Bulgarian, Greek, Slavic, Serbian, Albanian, etc. recensions. In the Northern Slav recension, there are multiple "usages" that work for Russians, Ukrainians, Ruthenians, Hungarians, etc. The official books only talk about the "Ruthenian" (Rusyn) usage -- BUT allow for substyles wherever they are needed. And God knows, we Byzantines are really messy about boundaries.

They don't call us Byzantine for nothing!!! (And we like it because it keeps the barbarians on their toes; but please don't tell 'em I said that.)

Blesings!

Christ is Truly Risen!!!

I have thought about this for several days now and I think this would be neat and educational for all of us.

If they could bring together readers and cantors from the Byzantines for example, and have them sing the eight tones using the same parts of the Liturgy(our whatever would be easiest to use). It would teach us alot about ourselves and the individual cultures. Maybe in some way it would let us see and realize just how much we are like each other.

Rose

Maybe EWTN would consider televising a weekly Divine Liturgy. There is absolutley NO reason why they can't do it. If enough Eastern Catholics spoke up and let EWTN know it, then, maybe after a while, the message would get through.

They show Mass in Spanish and Portugese every Sunday morning. A weekly televised Divine Liturgy is not too much to ask.

Wow, the Byzantine/Ruthenian/Ukrainian deal...
Here's a gross oversimplification of the Ruthenian/Byzantine Catholic/Ukrainian story in the U.S. as I see it with my limited knowledge (this probably deserves its own thread):
"Ruthenia" is an ancient Latin geographic term for the area now including Transcarpathia, Galicia, Volyn, Lemko and Hutsul lands.

It also later became a Roman catch-all canonical term after the Unions of Brest and Uzhorod to describe the Kyivan Church in union with Rome. This describes why the "Ruthenian Recension" of the Ordo Celebrationis published by the Oriental Congregation is normative for both Ukrainian Catholic and Ruthenian/Byzantine Catholics. Blessed Metropolitan Andrey Sheptysky used the term "Ruthenian" when describing his Kyivan Church.

In the U.S., both Ukrainian Catholics and Ruthenian/Byzantine jurisdictions were originally united under Bishop Soter Ortynsky, who was appointed in 1907. Upon his death in 1916, ethnic squabbles between Magyar/Rusyn Transcarpathians and Galician/Volynian Ukrainians prompted Rome to appoint Fr. Petro Poniatishyn for the Galicians and Fr. Havril Martyak for the Transcarpathians.

This subdivision became concretized with the 1924 appointment of Bishop Konstantin Bohachevsky as exarch for the Galicians (which later became the Ukrainian Catholic Metropolia centered in Philadelphia) and Vasyl Takach as exarch for the Magyars/Transcarpathians which evolved into the Byzantine Catholic (Ruthenian) Metropolia centered in Pittsburgh.

It is often forgotten that the Ukrainian and Ruthenian Catholic jurisdictions in the U.S. both originated from the same original jurisdiction. Unfortunately those squabbles of several generations ago have left us with this jurisdictional division that will hopefully be resolved some day. The liturgical differences which evolved between the two will have to wait until another thread...

Subdeacon Randolph Brown, a sinner

The Light from the East is most certainly very informational. Yes, it may have had its limitations and shortcomings. But thank God, finally, the other Lung of the Church has a way to exude her beauty. Thanks to EWTN! We, who cannot otherwise see the beauty of the Eastern Church, can now have a glimpse of it.

I am a Roman Catholic but I cannot deny the rich treasures, the rich deposits of faith held dear by the Eastern churches. In fact, no one can deny that the very Truths held true by the Western Church are likewise held as Truths by the Eastern church despite "its different perspective". That is the beauty of it: "Seeing thesame Truths from a different angle." This simply means both sides didn't invent what was handed down to them by the apostolic tradition. Isn't this a miracle in itself?

We hope to see more of this show. Unfortunately, the show is seen here in the Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore area mostly during UNHOLY hours, i.e. when most people are sound asleep. We hope to see more of the show. Especially in the Philippines where the vast majority are Roman Catholics and are unaware (if not ignorant) of their Eastern brothers and sisters.

Aside from the Light from the East Series, I hope EWTN can broadcast the Divine Liturgy (at least during Sundays and Special Eastern Feasts), the Akathists etc...

Yes, why not include the Churches of the other rites (Coptics, Armenians, Maronites, Syrian etc...) ? After all, it is here where we are able to appreciate the unity in diversity. Yes, why not invite even our Orthodox brethren to the show?

Cheers to everyone!
A sinner in Christ,
Antonio Domenico

As far as I know, the Ukrainians and Ruthenians both follow the Ruthenian Recension as their basic liturgical Rubric. Regional peculiararities aside, they are the same rite and church. The Church now known as the the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church was known, during the time of the Union of Brest, as the Ruthenian Orthodox Church. Ukrainians are Ruthenians too. The Church used to be one Church in this country, but was divided by Rome along an ethnic dispute that could be better understood today as a huge misunderstanding of terms.

I believe it would serve in the beneficial interests of both Churches to reunite into a common hierarchical body and act as one church in America and Ukraine.

Any takers?

Christ is Risen
ALity

One Here!

One vote for the Cyrillic Cathodox Church!

John
Pilgrim and Odd Duck