"Our faith can be found in the _Catechism of the Catholic Church_. "


DTBrown,

Not so. The CCC was only meant to be a resource for the bishops in making their own catechism.

I guess many have given up quoting the 1913 Catholic "Encyclopedia" or "Trent" as their proof-texts that now they have found the CCC to be a fine replacement.

Why do Eastern Catholics IGNORE the catechisms published by their own bishops? This really kills me to no end. When their bishops DO publish something, they are simply ignored. Period.

Can anyone esplain these mysteries?

Alex,

The Roman Church professes the Resurrection too. Your perception is your own and not a criterion in determining the nature of the Church.

Dear Edwin,

My perception is both my own and that of the spirituality of my Rite that goes back many more years than I have been on earth.

The Roman Church does indeed profess the Resurrection, although, practically, it emphasizes the death of our Lord in its spirituality.

For example, in Kallistos Ware's "Orthodox Church" he talks about the Passion devotions of the West.

The Stations of the Cross ends not with the Resurrection, but with the Tomb of Christ.

That is simply more than my perception, Friend.

But we've gone through this before.

Why are you so intent on downplaying this legitimate diversity in Rites?

What's eating you?

Alex

Alex,

Nothing is eating me. It is the arbitrary way we categorize things and people to make it easier to fit reality in our paradigms that is interesting.

The Eastern Christians actually had the advantage of being able to visit the places of the Passion; the West did not. That's all.

Somewhere in the energy spent in accenting particular traditions in the Gospels (Passion? Resurrection? Teachings?) we failed to appreciate the Gospel message.

What do Eastern Christians have to say about Jesus Christ? Traditions, theologies, rituals and such are all expressions of something. What is that something? What makes up a rite is not bad in itself.

Two issues always pop up on this board: the first is the issue of the role of the Pope and the second is the issue about the legitimacy of the Eastern Catholic Churches. Will Eastern Catholicism go beyond these two impasses? Will Eastern Christianity have anything new or different to say once they are finally resolved?

I'm not impressed that grown Christians prefer either silk or lace. Neither preference will make it to the Creed.

Name one thing that separates the belief systems between Catholics and Orthodox outside of the authority of the Pope. Several Orthodox Churches and Catholic Churches are beginning to solve their theological differences with re-instating intercommunion. Hey! The Armenians are no longer heretics! Amen!

We shoot each other over our precious paradigms and speculative polemics.

[ 12-03-2001: Message edited by: Edwin ]

I can see Edwin's point, and I am always the first one to be suggesting that we not only visit each others' churches but to get cooperative ventures going that will serve God's people; not only with our Orthodox brethren, but also with the Methodists, the AMEs and even the evangelicals who will talk with us.

However, there is one thing that seems to miss the point:

Two issues always pop up on this board: the first is the issue of the role of the Pope and the second is the issue about the legitimacy of the Eastern Catholic Churches. Will Eastern Catholicism go beyond these two impasses? Will Eastern Christianity have anything NEW OR DIFFERENT TO SAY once they are finally resolved?"

It's not a question of "say", it's a question of living. I'm very fond of using the term "pathway" to describe our Eastern Christian lifestyle. For Easterns, the "faith" is not primarily prayer, liturgy or statements of belief, it's rather a whole mindset that spreads out into everyday life. Like the 'seasonal greetings', it's the abstaining from meat on Fridays, the 'strict fast and abstinence' of Lent, the (mandatory) icons in the main room of the house, feast days/name days, blessings of grapes, of flowers, of medicinal herbs, the parastas at funerals, the psitari/kolyva, the crowns preserved above the marriage bed, and not using a hammer or even push-pins on Good Friday, of lamb at Pascha, giving the bishop keys and salt when he visits, -- there's ALWAYS something that we are doing that relates to reinforcing the many facets of an adult faith. And the older we get, the more we begin to appreciate the value of all these little practices that constitute our "pathway".

Sure, there are some who look at all this and think: "peasants, with their little peccadillos". And who may think that this is just some ecclesiastical show-and-tell. But in reality, it is real-world underpinning -- an 'aide memoire' -- that serve as recurring reminders that we are part of a believing and practicing community that does stuff together.

To be Eastern is, by definition, a prohibition against being a spiritual Lone Ranger. Clannish? You bet. But it is this sense of 'belonging' (customs and liturgies; benefits and responsibilities!!) that have kept us intact for long ages.

When the reunion comes, we won't be redundant. We'll just "keep on keepin' on", working out our salvation as we always have done.

Blessings!