www.byzcath.org Forums Mysteries: The Life of Worship Vespers, Matins & the Divine Liturgy The Revised Divine Liturgy When you write to Rome

I encourage everyone in our Church to write letters writing campaign to Rome. We are a small Church. A mere dozen letters from our clergy alone would be able to overturn the reformed liturgy in favor of the real liturgy. If we all write letters and each find only 2 more people to write letters we can succeed. I especially encourage our clergy to write since letters from clergy are not ignored by Rome.

Start by obtaining a good copy of the promulgation and cover letter from your pastor. The one on this website is not good enough.

Send copies to the following people (as a start):

His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI
The Apostolic Palace
00120 Vatican City, Europe

His Eminence Cardinal Ignace Moussa Daoud, Prefect
Congregation for the Oriental Churches
Palazzo del Bramante
Via della Conciliazione, 34
00193 Roma, Italia, Europe
Telephone: 011.39.06.69.88.42.82
Fax: 011.29.06.69.88.43.00

Send separate letters to the following at the same address:

His Excellency Antonio Maria Veglio, Secretary
Mons. Krzystof Nitkiewicz, Undersecretary

And to the following:

His Eminence Cardinal Francis Arinze, Prefect
Congregatio de Cultu Divino et Disciplina Sacramentorum
Palazzo delle Congregazioni
Piazza Pio XII, 10
00193 Roma, Italia, Europe
Telephone: 011.39.06.69.88.43.16; 011.39.06.69.88.43.18
Fax: 011.39.06.69.88.34.99

His Eminence Cardinal Walter Kasper
Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
Via dell'Erba, 1
00193 Roma, Italia, Europe
Telephone: 011.39.06.69.88.30.72; 011.39.06.69.88.42.71
Fax: 011.39.06.69.88.53.65

When I have a chance I will post the mailing information for all the Greek Catholic patriarchs (especially the Ukrainian Patriarch Lubomyr and the Melkite Patriarch Gregorios III) and for our bishops in Europe.

Keep your letters polite and respectful. Make sure they contain no emotion all.

There is a lot of material on this web board to draw from. Write the letter in your own words and focus on the following points:

1. This Reformed Liturgy violates official books, the Ordo Celebrationis, and the Liturgical Instruction.

2. This Reformed Liturgy makes the Liturgy in our Ruthenian Church different than all other Byzantine / Greek Catholics and thus hurts unity within the Catholic Church.

3. This Reformed Liturgy makes the Liturgy in our Ruthenian Church different than all the other Orthodox Churches and thus hurts Catholic / Orthodox unity.

4. The embracement of inclusive language violates Liturgiam Authenticam.

Make sure your letter is no longer than 2 pages. Have someone not from our Church read it. If they don't understand what you are saying neither will the people in Rome.

Make sure you ask questions. Why did they approve a Byzantine Novus Ordo liturgy that is different than the official Ruthenian books? Why did they direct the use of inclusive language that violates Liturgiam Authenticam? Ask them why the official Ruthenian Divine Liturgy is being prohibited at the same time the Holy Father is considering making the Tridentine Mass an equal standard with the Novus Ordo.

Enclose a copy of Archbishop Basil's promulgation letter and the cover letter sent to your pastor so they know what you are talking about.

Do not threaten to leave or withhold your offerings. Take the position that you are a faithful Byzantine Catholic and that you want the official liturgy of our Church. Take the position that you are willing to do whatever it takes to obtain permission from the Vatican for your parish to continue celebrate the official Ruthenian Divine Liturgy.

Use full names and addresses. Make sure the signatures are clear. If you can sent either U.S. Global mail, UPS or FedEx. The special cardboard envelopes will attract attention.

If you think you can manage it petitions do work. Just make sure that every signature and name and address is captured and legible.

Don't sit back and think someone else will write and you can ignore this. YOU NEED TO WRITE YOUR OWN LETTER! YOU NEED TO WRITE YOUR LETTER TODAY!

Dostojno Jest

I would like to know what the opinion of the Administrator is on writing letters like this to Rome. Since I value his opinion I would appreciate his input.

I have been told by a priest who worked as a secretary in the office for the Roman Rite where they select Bishops, that writing Rome is very, very important.

All the faithful have the right and sometimes the duty to make their concerns known to authorities. This is not disobedience or disrespect. Church canons provide for appeals to higher authorities. We are in full communion with the Holy See, and are within our full rights to appeal to it.

I agree...having other eyes looking at the situation is important...one thing I would caution against...after our letter writing to Rome with the Holy Trinity affair...it needs to be consistent and sustained...once eyes are not looking, bad things seem to happen...it is very easy to have a flood of letters go to the vatican...however, that's a tidal wave they can withstand...it needs to be a continual and sustained stream...

Another address:

His Beatitude, Cardinal Patriarch Lubomyr
The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
pl. Sviatoho Yura 5,
Lviv 79000 Ukraine
Phone: (+380) 322 97-97-63

Additional Letter to:
Dionisio Lachovicz (Liakhovych), O.S.B.M., Auxiliary Bishop

General - info@ugcc.org.ua
Press office - press@ugcc.org.ua
Synod of Bishops - synod@ugcc.org.ua
Secretariate of the Sobor - sobor@ugcc.org.ua

I had a pm. We need to write to Patriarch Bartholomew, Bishop Maximos of Pittsburgh (the head of the Orthodox Catholic Dialog).

His All Holiness BARTHOLOMEW
Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome, and Ecumenical Patriarch
Rum Patrikhanesi, 342 20 Fener- Halic, Istanbul, Turkey
Tel. +90 212 5319670 - 6
Fax. +90 212 5349037
E-mail: Patriarchate@ec-patr.org

Also:
His Eminence, Metropolitan Meliton of Philadelphia.
Tel.: +90 212 6354022
Fax: +90 212 5349037
E-mail: melito@superonline.com

I have been told that the Patriarch is very interested in the activities of the Byzantine Catholics. It does affect the Catholic / Orthodox ecumenical dialog. He will not take kindly to a feminist rewrite of the Divine Liturgy.

I forgot this:
His Eminence, Metropolitan Maximos of Pittsburgh
Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Pittsburgh
5201 Ellsworth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15232
Telephone: (412) 621-5529
Fax: (412) 621-1522
Website: www.pittsburgh.goarch.org [pittsburgh.goarch.org]
E-Mail: info@odpgh.org

Sadly those of us outside the USA really cannot help in the letterwriting campaign but please do get on with it - every single letter that heads there way will help. Don't send them in batches - they need to go individually

I bet he is...A year ago I had heard from an ACROD authority that he truly believed under Metropolitan Judson there was going to be unification between the BCC and ACROD...so I'm sure the Patriarch is interested in the activities of the BCC...since Constatinople would have been involved...

I think we should send a copy to those monks on mount Athos, who wrote the letter (in another thread) about the meeting of the Pope and the Patriarch.

I wonder what the monks of Athos would say, about our abbreviated, reorganized, modernized, up to date, feminized, and gender neutral Liturgy? Think of the time they could save, wasted on all those psalm verses and repetitive litanies!

Perhaps the monks of Athos would like to follow our couragious lead, and change the way they celebrate the Liturgy in order to conform to the latest insights and contemporary scholarship!

They might even like copies of the 'educational materials' being produced in Pittsburgh, to help them understand all the changes.

Nick

p.s. Following our lead, they will see the advantages that come from Union with Rome, and then maybe they won't be so suspicious.

LOL!!! It would be interesting to see...I see one of two things happening when letters arive on Athos...either they read them and their outrage about Orthodox/Catholic dialogue increases...or they get discarded without even looking at it since they are coming from non-Orthodox...

Please do not distract this thread by posting about other topics. We must remain focused if we are to succeed in our appeal to Rome.

In addition to appealing to Rome each priest needs to petition directly to Rome for permission to celebrate the Divine Liturgy according to the official books. News accounts have stated that Pope Benedict XVI is about to issue blanket permission for any Roman Catholic priest anywhere to celebrate according to the 1962 Roman Missal. The Holy Father will not reject petitions from priests asking permission to follow the official Divine Liturgy of the Church. If the clergy send a single petition with 30 or more signatures success is almost guaranteed.

If you are a priest you need to lead. If every priest sits back to let someone else take the lead nothing will happen. The bishops have been convinced that the promulgation is the end of the issue. In truth, it is only the beginning.

For those newly arrived on this forum, what "Reformed Liturgy" is being referred to here? The Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom? What parts of the Liturgy have been changed, and by whom?

Tony

This applies to the Ruthenians [Byzantine Catholic Church ] not the UGCC .

However I would advise reading the threads on this Forum pretty carefully.

My particular fear is that what one group have done today - another will do in the future - and frankly this terrifies me.

I've seen what happened in the RCCwhere many priests seems to have become their own liturgical expert, deciding that they know best for their own Parish.

All I can say is --- read and make up your own mind.

Anhelyna

I am willing to write. But I don't know what to say. I don't want watered down liberal Roman Catholicism. I want the real Byzantine Liturgy. But if I say it that way they will not listen. What should I put in a letter?

Sarcasm is often very effective and sometimes very enjoyable, in a dark sort of way. Thank you, Sir.

My sources say that letters are being received in Rome and Washington.

If you have not written yours write it today.

We need to convince our bishops to do what is correct and finally promulgate the official Ruthenian Divine Liturgy.

Pray for our bishops and for our Church.

I am not clergy, but I am writing my letters today!

Is this really going to work? Do you think that Rome is that 'in the dark' about our Liturgy revision? The last time I checked the Catholic Church was not a democracy but rather a theocracy. If our revised Liturgy is canonically wrong and Rome has let it pass then are they the appropriate channel to go through? Maybe we should be writing letters to the Patriarch of Constantinople instead and asking what we need to do to enter the Orthodox fold.

Tell Partiarch Bartholomew you're tired of watered down, latinized, feminized, Eastern Christianity, and you wish to join the true faith.

P.S. This was deleted from my last post,(why, I have no idea!) Feel free to join me at my parish Monday evening for the "Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete".

Has Metropolitan Basil implemented this service yet in the Pittsburgh Archeparchy? Inquiring minds want to know.

Yes. It will work.

The Congregation for the Eastern Catholic Churches is not an efficient organization.

No one at this Congregation speaks English as a first language.

It was approved in 2001 before Liturgiam Authenticam.

30 letters from clergy and laity can stop the Revision.

Yes. Also write to Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople. Ask him to protect the Liturgy against the Reformers. Ask him to make it a condition of unity talks that Ruthenian Byzantine Catholics in America be allowed to have the full Orthodox Liturgy.

Keep the letter writing going. I've heard many prominent people have been writing such letters. Rome now has to know that this protest is just not a mere few, but from every part of each Eparchy that comprises the Ruthenian Metropolia. I think it would also be good to send a letter to Patriach Lubomyr.

Ungcsertezs

Dear Ungcsertezs,

Would it be in poor taste to mention it to Patriarch Lubomyr this week when I get to meet His Grace in person? If not, what would be the most correct way to approach this?

In Christ,

Michael

To borrow and olde-tyme expression; Write On!

Fr. Serge

Could you, please, clarify for me what all the controversy is about? I only heard about the Revised Divine Liturgy a few weeks ago.

I am not Ruthenian; I am Ukrainian Greek-Catholic under Patriarch Lubomyr. But, I understand that there already exists significant Latinization in the Ruthenian eparchies. Although I have tried to find out what exactly is going on, I'm still a bit puzzled about the particulars:

Is this just a question of translation?

Are there rubrical changes involved?

All I can seem to come up with is that the liturgy has been retranslated and some minor rubrical changes have been suggested (for example, saying the Anaphora aloud).

Is there anything more going on here than just that?

Thanks.

Yes there is more. It's called "Feminized" inclusive language. Tampering with the Creed. "Who for us MEN" in the creed, is now "Who for US" without "MEN" included.

That change alone is causing an uproar. It will be an interesting situation once this is implemented in the next few months.

I'm glad I attend a church where the Creed is said in it's original form.

Dear Matthew,
The easiest way to find out what the controversy is about is to read my book on the subject (look on the "books" section of the forum for details.
Somewhat trickier is to obtain a copy each of the Ruthenian 1965 translation (often referred to as "the red book") and the most recent Ruthenian Liturgy-book and compare the two.

As you probably know, Patriarch Lubomyr and the entire Synod of Hierarchs of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church are to meet in Philadelphia in late September. That should be quite pleasant.

Fr. Serge

Patrriarch Lubomyr stats he has heard of some changes but he has not seen the new book. I do hope someone can get it into his hands soon.

Michael

From a practical standpoint, and the fact that I am just curious, what exactly do you think he could do about it?

Make sure that we do not adopt it ?

I'm told that our Liturgy is by no means perfect [ ] but we do not have this nonsense of inclusive language yet

True, he could influence your own church to not adopt it. I understand that as a major archbishop who is also a cardinal, he has no real jurisdiction outside of his own geographic area. However, I don't think he would have much influence on the Ruthenian bishops in the United States.

Just musing here...

Outside of central Europe in most countries the 'Ruthenians' (from Hungary, Slovakia, Transkarpathia, etc.) are shepherded by the Ukrainian church. The one major exception being the Pittsburgh Metropolia.

There is also a very small Slovak church in Canada, the Slovaks are a major constituent population of the Ruthenian Metropolia of Pittsburgh across the border on the USA side.

I think that there is (or has been) a major paranoia about being swallowed up by the Ukrainian church. And it seems to me that the Pope actually has the authority to make that happen. The bishop of Rome has the right to erect and dissolve eparchies as needed, and that may possibly be seen as a threatening fate for Pittsburgh.

Quite honestly I cannot understand how some of these eparchies can sustain themselves with steadily dropping membership totals. Perhaps it is time to actually look at consolidation of the churches. A good beginning would be adoption of common translation and rubrics.

But then, steering the Ruthenian Metropolia into a distinct set of practices could make it a hard thing for the Ukrainian church to absorb. This could be a way of distancing the two churches from each other.

In any case, I suppose Patriarch Lubomyr's input is not looked for, and would not be welcome by the hierarchs of the BCC. I would expect them to be on friendly personal terms, but unsolicited advice??

Michael

And on top of that, being the gracious gentleman that he appears to be, I don't think he would offer advice to the BCC.

It appears that across the great pond here that the nonsense has found a place.


I've always found it interesting that in the pew book put out by the Eparchy of Parma Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, The Sacrifice of Praise, 1996, that in the Hymn to the Only Begotten Son of God it has the following:

'Without change you became human.'



Equally interesting and appropriate to what is happening here is this part of the Creed of Nicea-Constantinople:


'For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary and became man.'

Anthropos, in my very poor Greek knowledge, seems to be lacking.

* Note - 'he' and 'man' are lower case because the book had it lower case.

The above is not from memory, I have the Sacrifice of Praise in front of me and this copy was given to me by Bishop Robert Moskal himself.

I was at St. Andrew's Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Parma, OH for a commeration of a friend's mother, and when they recited, yes recited, all the above as well with an altar girl to go with it.

I'd love for Patriarch Lubomyr to join us in restroing Tradition and denouncing the upcoming debacle of a liturgy, however he has issues to take care of in his own house. The good news is that a place like St. Elias in Toronto also exists in his house.

What ground would Patriarch Lubomyr have to stand on when there exists the same nonsense in his church. I've met Patriarch Lubomyr and like him, don't get me wrong, but he's got to do some housecleaning of his own.

Monomakh

Monomakh - I think we are all too well aware of that

You mean the majority of Ruthenians in the US come from Slovakia?

Ungcsertezs

I didn't know it!

Some say they came from Hungary, some from Trans-Carpathia, some from Russia, and some say they are from Ukraine. All I know is that when I go to a map, I don't find Ruthenia anywhere.

No, you and I know very well that is not the case.

I stated that it is A major constituent of the church population. Not THE major constituent. I was reluctant to mention this little Canadian Eparchy of Ruthenian Slovaks at all, except that I was sure someone else would bring it up, so I needed to acknowledge them. If they had not organized themselves they would have fallen under the spiritual care of the Ukrainian church, which is very well established in Canada, or dissolved into the Latin church (which they seem to be doing anyway).

I am not aware of any other Byzantine Slavonic churches outside of East-Central Europe. In the diaspora there are the Ukrainians, and these two 'other' Ruthenian Recension churches. One in Canada and one in the USA, these are dwarfed by the widely distributed UGCC.

I have maintained for a while that the division of the Ruthenians in Europe into national churches does them no good, it is an accident of history. The borders artificially separate the hierarchies of the Slovak Byzantines, the Hungarian Byzantines, the Croatian Byzantines, the Czech Byzantines and the Rusyn Byzantines (in Ukraine). Most of these hierarchies were erected by Rome, not inherited from the Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarchate. The combined membership of these separated groups would make a very significant synod, worthy of a Major-Archbishop and a great deal of self determination.

I would suggest that all the Sub-Carpathian Ruthenians be gathered under one Major-Archbishop, including the Pittsburgh Metropolia and the Slovak Eparchy in Canada. I propose that the Major-Archepiscopal See should be in Europe.

I would further suggest that the new Major-Archepiscopal See would benefit by being attached (at least temporarily) to some future Kievan Patriarchate, rather directly under the bishop of Rome.

Naturally, none of this will be possible without the agreement of the Supreme Pontiff.

Michael

Actually, the Slovak parishes in Canada were under the jurisdiction of the local Ukrainian Catholic Bishop until the establishment of the Slovak Eparchy 20 or 25 years ago. For about 20 years Bishop Michael was simply the Apostolic Visitor.

But the more interesting question in that regard is the future, not the past. The Slovak congregations are melting, and the trouble over the big Slovak Cathedral in Unionville is not helping matters any. Sooner or later, that Cathedral will almost certainly go to the Ukrainians, who could do with a good-sized church in that area (Toronto is expanding to the north); at the moment, it's simply a large white elephant costing the heirs of Stephen Roman more than they can afford.

The parish in Lethbridge, Alberta, will have no trouble reintegrating into the Eparchy of Edmonton. That is the only actual parish outside the Eparchy of Toronto. In Toronto, some sort of face-saving arrangement and be elaborated, no doubt, for whatever remains in the other Slovak parishes (Toronto, Windsor, Montreal, Welland, Hamilton).

I'm no prophet, and I could easily be wrong in this matter. But the community is simply not large enough either to warrant or to maintain a diocese.

Fr. Serge

Actually, the majority of those six Canadian Byzantine Catholic
parishes are from Ruthenian (Rusyn) villages.

Ungcsertezs

Hello Father Serge,
I think I can agree with you about this. It seems to me that the Slovaks in Canada could be returned to the UGCC, or possible attached to the BCC Pittsburgh Metropolia as a deanery to one of the other eparchies. The small numbers do not need a bishop of their own.

It may be time to regroup. The Ruthenians in North America are shrinking. They could expand tremendously if they had the resources and the verve, but I don't see it.

In Orthodoxy it is much the same, there are some parishes that will grow, and some on maintenance. Some should consolidate with neighboring parishes and pool their talents. It only makes sense to look at it this way.

I am reversing myself from a longstanding position by stating this, but I really think that the best thing for the Pittsburgh Metropolia to do right now is work closely with the UGCC under some new model of ecclesiology. Possibly consolidating some parishes with them (so that everyone is properly cared for) and get serious about evangelization.

And by evangelization I don't mean "attract more RC". I mean find out what they stand for and believe, then pitch that to the general public aggressively. Actually convert people!

Now if this recent liturgical adjustment is demoralizing the BCC, they are in no condition hit the bricks evangelizing, they would be setting themselves up to fail.

So, what is the backup plan?? What will the Ruthenians of the Slovak Eparchy do, what will the Pittsburgh Metropolia do?

Why didn't they just translate the Greek as: "for us men and women"?

Why tamper with the Creed in the first place?

If it ain't broke, don't fix it!! I slept fine with the original translation, (minus the filioque of course)!

Whilst I would not leave the Church (if I were Ruthenian) due to these changes, I certainly would prefer the older use to be maintained.

Do you suppose a Roman Rite letter would do any good?

Glory to Jesus Christ!

-Uspenije

Do I suppose that a well-written letter from someone who normally follows, or was raised in, or is canonically attached to the Roman Rite would do any good?

Yes, I do - provided that the letter is well written, courteous and reasonably concise. The point can be made that there is no need to replicate the damage that was done in the Western Church in consequence of a hasty liturgical reform.

Fr. Serge

Of course, ANTHROPOS does not mean "man, men" -- but, "humanity." (Yes, I know I'm not telling you something you don't already know.) But, I also know that "man" has traditionally had the connotation of all humanity in English usage.

Seems to me the safest course of action was to just add "and women" to the translation.

As to tampering with the Creed, I'm not sure I would call what they did "tampering."

Well, I attended Sunday of Orthodoxy vespers at a Romanian Orthodox church yesterday. The first thing I did when entering the pew was pick up the pew book. Right there in front of my eyes was the same wording the Ruthenians are implementing. "Who for us", WITHOUT "MEN", in the creed.

I guess some Orthodox obviously translate it this way also. Maybe just a Romanian thing? My OCA parish and all others I've been to include Men in the creed.