www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Benefits of union with historic Patriarchs

Dear Friends,

I often hear people discuss the benefits of union with Rome on this forum and elsewhere. Perhaps this should not be a surprise considering that this forum is primarily comprised of Catholics.

But the recent thread about benefits of union with Rome made me think to myself, "but what are the benefits of union with the other historic Patriarchs?"

Recently I myself reunited with the historic Catholicos-Patriarch of All Armenians in Holy Etchmiadzeen which is why the thought probably occured to me. Surely there must be some benefits to this as well? Or perhaps we should do what is not only beneficial or conveinient but also those things which seem to make life harder for us and are inconveinient, in hopes of accomplishing a greater good?

Anyway, I thought I'd post the thread and see if anyone who has ever thought about reuniting with the historic Orthodox Patriarchates or have actually done so, might want to share their reasons for thinking about doing so.

Trusting in Christ's Light,
Ghazar

Dear Brother Ghazar,

I stick to my original answer in the other thread.

THE benefit for being in union with the historic Patriarchs, as for being in union with Rome is only one: To be a better witness to the world who does not know Christ.

But what do I know? WE are ALREADY in communion?

Theotokos pray for our unity.

Blessings,
Marduk

Dear Brother Marduk,

And judging from your writings here on the Byzantine Forum, you are a good witness, indeed! You are a credit to your Church and His Holiness Pope Shenouda III. Thank you for your response. May the full Communion our Churches share, embrace not only the greater Orthodox Churches but also the Catholic Church!

Trusting in the Light of Christ,
Wm. Ghazar

Another benefit the Catholic Church will have is the influence of a greater appreciation for tradition in Liturgy. Many traditional Western Catholics (I'm not speaking about separatist Traditionalists) will definitely appreciate that. In fact, I theorize that a union with the Orthodox would hasten a healing of the SSPX schism in the Catholic Church.

Blessings,
Marduk

The Orthodox have a clarity about understanding tradition to be a gift of the Holy Spirit. A majority did not understand this in Rome in 1962.

Bug nini overthrew God centered worship for human focused worship. The new English translation of Cardinal Pell of Australia fixes the problem after 40 years in the desert. Let us pray the revolutionaries who now oppose change (irony?) do not succeed in killing the new translation before its birth.

Walnut, it is precisely Vatican II which has given us Eastern Catholics the biggest open door to pursue our return to our authentic liturgical traditions.

Even for Romans, the document Sacrosanctum Concilium stands as a beautiful testament to the meaning and place of liturgy in the life of the Christian. Rome has not abandoned tradition, at least as far as I can tell. A few rogue bishops, that is another story.

I agree, a great blessing for Eastern Catholics, but a disaster for a Billion Roman Rite. Not a few rogue bishops, a sizable majority are a problem.

Communion in hand
Removal of altar rails
altar girls
easy annulments
inaction on pro-abortion pols
hiding pedophiles
No seeking conversions policy
altars removed for tables
Polka masses, hip hop masses, clown masses, circus masses, hippie folk guitar masses.
changing the words of Christ
taking versed out of lectionary that may offend
Roman Rite hit the self-destruct button
and did not preserve liturgy with the care of the Orthodox

Please, don't even type that awful name. May God have mercy on his pitiful, pitiful soul.

Logos Teen

Dear Walnut40,

You say that a billion Roman Catholics are in a disastrous situation. Are you saying you know for sure that this is the case in such traditional Catholic lands such as Spain, Portugal, the Philippines, Poland, South America, etc. Have you been there?

Blessings,
Marduk

My restoration of Communion with the historic Catholicos-Patriarch of All Armenians has brought many, many blessings to my life. The greatest of which, for me, could be summed up in one word: continuity.

Continuing to trust in Christ's Light,
Ghazar

Ghazar,

I love your icon! I'll admit I was growing a little weary of that last one; it'd been with you since you were a "Roman Catholic" Eastern Catholic, if you will. That seems like ages ago.

Logos Teen

Amen, amen, and...amin? Wonder if the Roman Rite would return to our own traditions as a result of that influence, or if we'd just tend to pick up the ones still practiced by somebody - i.e., just do as a whole what seems to be happening individually.


Walnut - Will Cardinal Pell's translation be only for Australia, or for all English-speaking dioceses?


Peggy

Um, thank you, I think.

Reading I Corinthians 3:4-9 yesterday stirred my thoughts as follows:
4-" For when one says," I am of Paul(WEST)",and another " I am of Apollos(EAST)", are you not carnal(earthly)?
5- Who then is Paul(WEST),and who is Apollos(EAST),but ministers through whom believed as the Lord gave to each one?
6- I(WEST)planted,Apollos(EAST)watered,but God gave the increase.
7- So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God gives the increase.
8- Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will recieve his own reward according to his own labor.
9- For we are God's fellow workers, you are God's field, you are God's building.

Just a rambling thought from the Mojave desert,

james