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Slava Isusu Christu!

I would like to here your opinions on Catholics,
Byzantines or Romans, serving in our Armed Forces. I my self im a Byzantine Ruthenian Catholic, in the Eparchy of Van Nuys, and im enlisted in the United States Marine Corps,and shipping to boot camp june 28,04. My Priest doest seem happy with my desision, he is kind of Anti-Military. He always tells me to, see if i can void my enlistment contract, which is Absolutly not what i want to do. Its pretty disrepectfull to even ask that, im my opinon. Whats your guy/gals opinons on the subject.

Through The Theotokos in Christ+

Our Byzantine Catholic bishops have sent and do send priests to serve as military chaplains in the U.S. Armed Forces. So they acknowledge that there may actually be Byzantine Catholic men and women serving in the military. (As there have always been - go to some of our older churches and witness the wall-filling memorial plaques to the parishioners killed in action in World War I, II, Korea, etc.)

The American Orthodox bishops likewise send their priests as chaplains. The OCA has at least half a dozen priests right now serving on active duty as chaplains.

I think your priest is over stepping his authority. He has no right to ask you not to join the military. He needs to seperate his personal opinion from what the Church teaches. Military service is an honorable one which the Church has always sanctioned. The Pope himself maintains the Swiss Guard, which is a military force no matter how small, and are trained in the deadly use of force with their weapons, the halberd and 9mm pistol, and are prepared to lay down their life in defense of the Holy Father. Each nation is also entitled to maintain an Armed Force for its defense. The renunciation of arms or self-defense is a special call given to Monastics and Passion Bearers, not all. Fortunately St. Constantine the Great and countless other saints did not receive this call.

In Christ,
Subdeacon Lance

Benedict, maybe your priest has in mind the Romanian Catholic bishop's official condemnation of the war in Iraq (I know you are not Romanian, but it may have some weight in the priest's mind).

Perhaps he is afraid of your becoming embroiled in an unjust war, and killing innocents.

LatinTrad

As a Former Marine I shall tell you to stick to your guns and long live the Marines.Just remember the line from Full Metal Jacket "God loves Marines because we keep Heaven packed with fresh souls".

I agree with Lance. He states the case for Christians serving in the military very well.

That is the Catholic teaching I have come to know.

Paul

Here is a photograph of the Blessed Pope Pius IX inspecting the Papal Army in 1868:

[Linked Image]

Mike

Hoorah!!

"Give me that old Marine Corps spirit...cause it's good enough for me!"

Just remember, it's all mental. Not too long from now if you persevere, you'll be an NCO too, and you'll be throwing back beers and telling sea stories with your DIs. Semper Fi.

On a religious note, remember that we have a long tradition of praying for our armed forces, in fact even have special blessings for service men and women in the trebnyk:

"O Holy Master, Almighty Father and Pre-Eternal God, Who alone made and directs all things; Who rise up quickly against the evil of the impious ones; Who, by Providence, teach Thy people preservation of Justice and the obliteration of the sword on earth; Who condescend to raise up military columns to help the people: O God, Who commanded the Forerunner John to say to the soldiers coming to him in the desert, 'Do not intimidate anyone... and be content with your wages':

We entreat Thee with compunction, that Thou gavest Thy child David the power to defeat Goliath, and as Thou didst condescend, through Judas Maccabeus, to seize victory from the arrogant pagans who would not call on Thy Name; so too, grant protection in righteousness and truth to these Thy servants against the enemies rising against them, and by Thy heavenly loving-kindness, strength and might for the preservation of faith and truth.

Condescend, out of Thy mercy, O Master, to grant them the fear of Thee, together with humility, obedience and good endurance; that they kill no one unrighteously, but rather preserve all righteousness and truth; that they may fear Thee and honor Justice; that they run in friendship to those who are scattered, extending thy love to those near them, serving the elderly with justice; and that their ranks fulfill all things righteously;

For thou art our God, and to Thee do we ascribe glory; to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen."

Check out this link at my parish website for a decent exposition of Byzantine teaching:
http://www.byzantinecatholic.org/home/PrayersForMilitary.htm

Justin

That is an AWESOME picture of the papal army!!

Like I said, BenRule, your priest's concerns may have less to do with military service as such, and more to do with the issue of unjust wars, or even with the idea of an oath to the Constitution maybe. Has he explained himself?

LatinTrad

I should qualify that: it'll still be a few years before you're an NCO, but stick with it.

By C4C's logic God must really love serial killers, abortionists, and Nazi death camp commandants. I was under the impression that a Christian warrior was to approach killing in a war he deems just with gravity and regret and regard the bloodlust that can tempt one in the heat of battle as just that: a temptation.
One need not be a pacifist to recognize that modern warfare is morally problematic, to say the least. And one need not be a cynic to recognize that the American government routinely lies to its people [ I should note that this is
hardly unique to America].
As for the military chaplaincy, certainly soldiers need pastoral care and moral guidance but the current structure of this ministry- chaplains are military officers and dress as such - seems a recipe for compromise. It often seems they function more as spiritual cheerleaders than prophetic voices. At least that is the conclusion of a disillusioned friend of mine who entered the chaplaincy after seminary.

Daniel:

I served 11 years on active duty in the Army and had the opportunity to meet many chaplains. There seemed to be two types - those that worried about their military careers first and those who served God first and would not compromise. And I think that struggle is something that we all face on a daily basis.

You are right - there is a great need for Catholic chaplains in particular, as the military is filled with temptations and spiritual potholes that are unique to it.

St Benedict:

I never served in the Marines (nor would I care to.... Airborne All The Way!), but may God bless you and keep you safe. You will be a light to others in what sometimes is a dark and passion-filled world.

Slava Isusu Christu!
Glenn

While I don't consider military service to be intrinsically evil, I think the question any Christian considering joining the armed forces should be asking themselves is, "Will my Faith be in anyway compromised ?". Only you can answer that question.

Does the US military provide a spiritually positive atmosphere ? I certainly can't speak for everyone, but I would say that in many (but not all) instances it does not. C4C made reference to the movie Full Metal Jacket, which according to several former marines I've known, is a very accurate portrayal of what life in boot camp is really like. If this is so (and from all the books, articles and ex-marines I've spoken with, it appears to be) then this is a very frightening prospect indeed. A boot camp curriculum revolving around killing and sex until it becomes mantra, is perhaps the reason that US Servicemen in Vietnam in 1972 had a venereal disease rate that approached 70 pct, or why today, a woman in the armed forces is far more likely to be a victim of sexual assault, than her civilian counterpart.

No doubt I'll draw heavy flak (pun intended) for disparaging the military, but I challenge anyone to refute my claims about it's general lack of moral fiber. And NO, I'am not condemning every member of the armed forces.

How nice. Shall we declare Saint Boris and Gleb patrons of Byzantine Catholics in the military? Incognitus

Alas I have drawn fire,But you have drawn your own conclusions about my logic. I never presumed that I could guess what God likes or is thinking.But you go right ahead.Second after fighting in the first Gulf war and then in Somalia I think that I have earned the right to say what ever I want and will not be judged by any poster on the web. If you want to analize the psycology of what it takes to survive on the battlefield then ask your questions.Third I dont think that anyone can presume that their Policy is better than that of our Government. Have you ever been to the middle east?Have you ever seen the tortured Christains?Have you watched your friends bleed to death?Have you had an introduction to the 3 Rivers of hate?

chad