www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Why BC's and RC's don't always find common ground

Ooops. Krylos, I apologize! In fact I didn't see you were from Chicago and I take back my example :rolleyes: As for the "culture of the sacred", fire away if it serves you. It's just that over the years, I have had a lot of time to think about the roots of our Christian power and I think that we must (in practical ways) teach our people the necessity of standing apart, not in necessary isolation, or in judgement but in the sense of putting our hearts were our treasure really is. Now, if you want to get in a dig about the Astros, please feel free...

Yuhannon,
As for me, I think you read far too much into my language. I have no assumption about the BC being the only EC. I plead guilty to some sloppy language, though. Maybe it would be better if I had said specifically BC or maybe it would be better if I referred specifically to which liturgy I was considering. Please, however, don't reach for the "imperialism" thing just based on my casual language. One other thing I like about "the East" is the fact of many Rites and the sort of confederacy of rites approach. Maronites are brothers and I never intended to communicate anything less.
K

Dear Ken:

I took the corking thing as just good-natured ribbing. Hence the big grin gremlin.

As for the Astros, I will only say that anyone is better than the Cardinals.

Yours,

kl

Shlomo Ken,
My post was not ment for you alone. This type of is throughout not only this board, but many others too that are Byzantine in nature. Further, as I stated both Old and New Rome suffer from the bug. Just as many in my Church suffer from the Lebanon = Maronite bug. Both are harmful. As you insinuate language conveys meaning, and we all need to use correct language in making our points.

Poosh BaShlomo,
Yuhannon

Dear Yuhannon:

If any of your earlier post was directed at me, I humbly beg your forgiveness as well.

Yours,

kl

Shlomo Krylos,
No my post was directed at the general board. I did use quotes from you and Ken as specific examples, but many have done it, and every so often I have to remind both groups mentioned not to be so myopic. Just as I remind those of us Easterners to be part of the world and not selfishly keep our Tradions to ourselves.

Poosh BaShlomo,
Yuhannon

To be honest, I find there to be an awful lot of generalizations on this thread. I know several RC parishes with vibrant communities, where the people are encouraged and nourished in striving for holiness. I know some very minimalistic Byzantine parishes, where "community" means you belong as long as your grandparents came from a particular part of the planet. I also know of parishes of the sort that have been mentioned elsewhare on this thread.

Personally I think the reason we seemingly don't have a lot of "common ground" is that we don't know each other. It's hard to love strangers.


Sharon

Sorry to all for losing it a little. These are sad days, and frustrating ones.

Please pray for me, and pray for the Latin rite.


A friend of mine is suspected dead or wounded in Iraq. Please pray for him too.

Last I checked, the term "obligation" just meant that you had to go to Church on Sunday. Oh well. I guess I just don't see what the problem is.

I offer my apologies to all here.


LatinTrad

Greetings,

Today I often run across Byzantine Catholics that have no clue about the other Eastern Catholic churches and sometimes are quite surprised to learn of them. When Romans do not understand Byzantines it drives me up a wall but then the Byzantines often don't understand the other eastern churches. Terms like “Melkite” “Chaldean” and “Syro-Malankar” sometimes make peoples eyes glaze over. But how would I know the same is not true of ordinary people in those churches? We all need to be open to each other, the Christian family is quite diverse.

Michael

Greetings,

I think one big reason Eastern Catholics might feel more in common with the Orthodox or Oriental Orthodox counterparts (leaving ethnicity aside for the moment) is because the Eastern churches are usually much smaller than the Roman churches. This might not be true for Roman churches in some places in the south or very rural areas but in the urban areas the Roman parishes are like sacrament factories.

The Roman parishes are sometimes huge, if you want to join a parish you call the rectory and often a secretary takes the call and you are done. No interview with the pastor, he might not know what you look like. In a smaller congregation you have more of a chance to participate and be involved, more of a chance to make a difference.

Michael

That's very true. Where I live the 4 closest Roman Catholic parishes have anywhere between 3000-5000 families which probably translates into tens of thousands of people. The Eastern parishes both Catholic and Orthodox have between 50-300 people. There is a lot of anonymity in RC parishes. In Eastern parishes the priest always will know who attended the services and who didn't. :-)

In Christ,
Anthony

When I was a kid growing up in the Back of the Yards area of Chicago, I referred to the local Ukrainian Rite Church as the "Russian Orthodox Church" (bet the Ukies would love that) because I thought any house of worship that had an onion dome or icons was Orthodox. Quite honestly at the time I had never even heard of an Eastern Rite Catholic, and I think most of the adults in the neighborhood were the same way, because I never heard any mention of being in communion with the afore mentioned "Russian Orthodox Church" I guess there's still alot of ignorance concerning the Eastern Rite of the Catholic Church, so be patient when explaining your churches history, and above all be prepared for some confused looks if you tell people there are actually Christian Arabs in Communion with Rome.

Why all the hussy and fussy about the word "OBLIGATION?"

I must admit though, that it's a HUMAN term and rule.

But what about the DIVINE term and rule?

Like the Ten Commandments? That God Himself wrote on the flame of His Finger onto the Tablets?

"Thou shalt keep (observe) the Holy Sabbath Day."

HIS Words, not mine. So it's indeed an "obligation" (I use the term loosely) for us to go to Church on Sundays and on Holy Days.

Yes, it's true that it's better to have enough LOVE for God that we want to go to Church without being told by HIM or by the Church to go.

SPDundas
Deaf Byzantine

Dear Sharon,

You posted:

Thank you for your keen insight and common sense. Overgeneralizations reign!

How do you keep hitting the nail on the head so often? I usually end up with banged thumbs or fingers!

Steve

You might Dan.

All these churches belong to Jesus and I don't think He minds which one you finally settle into. He thinks He does a great job of running them all.
You can die to 'self' in any of them - or not.

-ray