www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News 10 Top Reasons for being with Rome

Dear Friends,

This is my top ten list for reasons to be in communion with Rome:

1) We are afforded an opportunity to have a universal vision of the Church among all peoples, all cultures in a unique manner;

2) We are brought into intimate communion with other Eastern Christians, Oriental and Assyrian, who would otherwise be "off limits" for us;

3) We are living witnesses to the way in which the Church of the first millennium expressed her unity;

4) We stand together with other Catholics in union with Rome in witnessing to the world the uncompromising Gospel of Christ through the social, doctrinal and moral teachings of the Holy Father;

5) The horizon of the Gospel of Christ does not end with the limitations of our parish, jurisdiction or ethnic group;

6) The principle of subsidiarity under which we struggle for our sui juris existence as Particular Churches has its fulfillment and justification in union with the First among Equals of the entire Church;

7) Our union with the Apostles with Peter and Paul as their heads is given more definite liturgical, episcopal and spiritual meaning;

8) By accepting Peter in the person of the Pope of Rome, his successor, we become more intimate participants in Peter's faith in Christ, the Son of the Living God, and heirs to the same promises;

9) We fulfill the Will of Christ for the ultimate visible unity of His Church on earth through union with the Rock on which that Church is built and against which the gates of hell will not prevail;

10) Our ancestors were in communion with Rome, and, to paraphrase the advice given to St Vladimir the Great with respect to his grandmother's choice of Byzantine Christianity, "It must be a good Church, if your ancestor was a member of it."

Alex Letterman

Glory to Jesus Christ!

I liked your previous Top 10 list better... it was less polemical.

In Christ,
Theophilos

Dear Alex,

Welcome back vchenyy bohoslov.

With this top ten list and the previous top ten list you realize you are making some very Orthodox Catholic arguements .

I like your previous list better. But what you state in this list is true also.

Dear Theophilos,

Yes, I didn't think too many Orthodox Christians would like this list!

I didn't intend it to be polemical as I wasn't directing it at anyone else, but was stating my faith as I saw it from an ideal perspective.

There were those who saw in my last top ten list a serious effort on my part to be controversial and even "schismatical." One even thought I should have kept it to myself.

I was shocked by those comments, as I am, a bit, by the idea that I am being polemical with these.

There is a positive and negative side to being in Communion with Rome, from our Eastern Catholic perspective.

I have sincerely given my take on both, as I see it, as an Eastern Catholic.

Alex

Alex:

FYI, my tongue was in my cheek. Both of your lists are fine.

Theophilos

Dear Theophilos,

Oh!

I also developed the latter list to revisit the earlier concerns of others.

It is heartening to see Cantor Joe worrying about my promotion of schism on this Forum.

And DavidB just doesn't want to talk to me any more, as I understand . . .

I just don't see any of this. Let's just begin with the fact that my surname is "Roman."

Alex

Alex,
While it is true that I did not like your last list, I did say so.

No where did I say that I don't want to talk to you anymore, where did you get that from?

I had hoped that that list was done in the "heat of the moment", that is something I can understand as you well know.

Your brother in Christ,
David

Dear David,

I felt sorry that you were "put off" by my last list and yes, it was a heated moment.

I said this to get you to say something to me.

I knew you couldn't go for too long without speaking to me.

Do you think Cantor Joe feels the same way?

God bless you, Servant of Christ!

Alex

Dear Alex,

the title Roman in your name only suggests that your ancestors made the Sacred Pilgrimage to Rome.

My ancestors also made this Pilgrimage.

My family's religious arguements sound very much like the ones you make on this forum.

Dear Steven,

Yes, you are right! "Roman" referred to anyone who made a pilgrimage to Rome way back when, just as the Archbishop of Canterbury takes the surname, "Cantuar" when she assumes the role (oops - where's the delete button again? ).

The last time an ancestor of mine made the pilgrimage to the Eternal City (I hope I'm not sounding polemical again ) was when my grandfather was born.

John was born crippled, the only one in a family of 25 (his father was a groundskeeper for Met. Andrew Sheptytsky and obviously had lots of time on his hands . . .).

An uncle of his brought back Holy Water from the Church marking the spot of St Paul's beheading.

John's father, Leo, then went before his Carpathian village and made a public vow that if his son, John, should walk, he would be a priest.

He then dipped John, then aged seven, into the water basin three times and put him on his feet - and John could walk.

Met. Andrew sent this miracle in to Rome . . .

John did become a (married) priest but only produced seven children. The Pepsi generation you know . . .

He walked to Church, sometimes for miles, for the 70 years of his priestly life.

I could barely keep up with him as his personal Cantor and collection counter.

(Have I told you this story before? If so, why didn't you stop me?)

Alex

From the home office in Lviv, Ukraine, Davyd Lystonosyts presents:

Top Ten Reasons to be a Uniate
(Read by the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church -- direct satelite link to Kyiv, Ukraine)

10. You can have two Christmases and two Easters in the same parish.

9. Roman Catholics think you are Orthodox and Orthodox think you are a heretic.

8. Your bishops get to test out space age technology for NASA, i.e. the collapsable mitre.

7. You never fit in...anywhere.

6. When it comes to services, you can cut out whatever you want, as long as it ends with an Amen.

5. When you join a monastery or convent, your standard of living goes up, not down.

4. Your pastor gets strange looks when going out to celebrate his wedding anniversary, and then gets looks of disgust when he explains "Yes, I'm Catholic."

3. Your kids get to go to Catholic school for free (at least in Canada).

2. You can go to World Youth Day and get that really cool back-pack.

1. You get the beauty of Orthodoxy (if you are lucky), but with only half the fasting!

I don't write it, I just post it. If you've got beef with it, call CBS.

Daniil

Dear Daniil,

Did you want to send our Synod my earlier top ten list (the negative one)?

Do you think they would read it too?

The only point I would take issue with is the one about not fitting in anywhere.

I truly do fit in everywhere - until I'm asked to leave.

Even Joe Thur can't remain mad at me for too long.

So much for that point . . .

p.s. aren't you supposed to be preparing for exams?

Alex

Dear Alex,

I like this story better than your Strawberry Island Treatise.

You sound positively Basilian when giving feedback on this bit of history .

Danill,

your top ten list sounds very Canadian.

I know a Canadian Priest who would agree with that top-ten list .

To all:

It could be a toss-up, but I prefer Daniil's TOP TEN to Alex's, either way.

I could still feel the "sock it to them (RCs)" blow!

It's non-polemical to the 'Dox; straight to your face (or behind) to us, RCs.

AmdG
An incorrigible (Roman) Catholic

Wow! I've heard of big Catholic families before, but this one takes the cake, Alex!!! Your family wins hands down. :p