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Did Metropolitan Basil receive the pallium this week-end. I thought he was going but in this mornings Vatican news it did not mention him.

If memory serves me --and it has been serving to good lately-- he did not receive it last year.

Thank you all in advance.

wonderfully source of info.

LGC,

I was informed that neither Metropolitan Basil nor any future Metropolitan of Pittsburgh will receive the pallium, due in large part to the way Metropolitan Judson's receiving of such was handled. (The EP threatened to boycott the SS Peter and Paul Mass if a Byzantine metropolitan was invested with the pallium) Whether the Romanian, Ethiopian, or Syro-Malankar Metropolitans will continue to receive it I do not know.

In Christ,
Subdeacon Lance

Dear Friends:

If Rome treated the Palium as what it actually is (was), just an evolved ormophor, then none of these concerns would be an issue.

Why don't they just create an ormophor, go through the same process they do for the Palium, and then send it to the Metropolitan as a symbol of communion.

This is what they used to do in the beginning.

It amazes me that they just don't see what is right in front of their eyes.

defreitas

Guys, I am dumb. Lance: what is EP.
Defreitas what is an ormophor?

How about a little history about what a pallium is and how was it handled with Met Judson?

EP, I would believe, refers to Hi All-Holiness, Patriarch Bartholemew I of Constantinople

Greetings,
As Brian has said, the EP would be the Ecumenical Patriarch, to whom we would look for spiritual guidance if it were not for so many historical disasters that have separated us.

Very briefly,
The Omophorion is the wide band of fabric, originally probably wool, that is worn by bishops in the East symbolic of their position. We've all seen it, it's that long stole that we recognize as a bishops shoulder garment. I was told that it symbolized the lamb upon the shoulders of the shepherd.

The Pallium is an equivelant woolen garment that has been reduced in size but is a gift of the pontiff to a bishop representing a bond of fidelity between the Pope of Rome and the bishop. You can always see it on the Pope with his little microphone hanging from it.

I was not aware of the brushfire about Metropolitan Judson. I would suspect that the EP regarded the granting of the Pallium to a Byzantine as an insult. Something like establishing dioceses in Russia on a smaller scale. After all, if Rome is serious about reunion efforts the Byzantine Catholic church would one day look once again to the Phanar for spiritual direction, and the Pallium would be unnecessary and out of place.

I guess.

God Bless,
Michael

Dear Friends,
There is more to the story. As I understand the affair, Metropolitan Judson was in Rome for the reception of the pallium. The pallia [?, it's been a long time since I studied Latin.] are presented to metropolitan archbishops on the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, yesterday. To avoid any embarassment to (much less confrontation with) His All-Holiness, Patriarch Bartholemew I of Constantinople, the pallium was presented to Metropolitan Judson the night before in a "special" (read quiet, private, but not secret) ceremony.
I do not know if Metropolitan Judson ever wore the pallium; I seriously doubt that he ever did. I certainly do not remember ever seeing any pictures of him with it around his neck.
All the best!

Dear Reader Joseph,

Thank you for the additional clarifying information.

Michael, the sinner

When did the pallium (if it is really just an woolen omophor that shrunk in the wash) begin to symbolize communion with Rome?

Isn't the omophor a sign of jursitiction (or pastoral responsibility), as in the phrase "beneath your omophorion"?

The Pallium in the CODE OF CANONS OF THE EASTERN CHURCHES: In Title VI -- METROPOLITAN CHURCHES AND OTHER CHURCHES SUI IURIS: Canon 156, Paragraph 1: "Within three months after episcopal ordination or, if already ordained a bishop, after the enthronement, the metropolitan is bound by the obligation to petition the pallium from the Roman Pontiff, which is a sign of his metropolitan power and full communion of the metropolitan Church sui iuris with the Roman Pontiff." Paragraph 2: "Prior to the imposition of the pallium, the metropolitan cannot convoke the council of hierarchs or ordain bishops."

Coalesco did a great job describing the pallium.
Here is what happened in Rome on June 27-29, 1995:
Metropolitan Archbishop Judson Procyk was one of thirty-two new metropolitan archbishops scheduled to receive the pallium from the Holy Father at the major Feast Day Liturgy set for the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul on June 29. AB Procyk was accompanied to Rome by 80 pilgrims, including priests, religious, and lay persons. This Liturgy was to be a very special event since it was the first Liturgy in Saint Peters to be attended by an Ecumenical Patriarch in a thousand years. On June 27 the EP apparently notified the Papal offices of his concern that an Eastern hierarch would receive the pallium at the Liturgy when he would be present. The next morning June 28 at 9:00 am the friends of AB Procyk attended a Liturgy at St. Peters. Near the conclusion of the Liturgy they were motioned to come together near a side chapel. They were then told that the Pope, in a special show of affection for the AB Procyk group from the USA, would celebrate a special Vespers service for the group that evening in his private chapel at 7:00. At Vespers the pallium was given to AB Procyk by the Pope. The pallium was presented in a box, rather than placed around his neck. The group had two hours of time with the Pope that evening, and enough time was allowed for individual photos. The Papal Office made certain that several cardinals were present for the event. A surprise guest was Pittsburgh RC Bishop Donald Wuerl, who flew to Rome for the event as a courtesy to AB Procyk. The next day AB Procyk sat with the 32 new metropolitan archbishops, but did not go forward when the others went to receive their pallium from the pope. The elaborately printed liturgical book did list all 32 names. At no time, then or later in his life, was AB Procyk seen wearing the pallium.

I think we Orthodox need to come clean on this. The objection by the EP was not that an eastern metropolitian was being 'latinized', but the traditonal refusal of many Orthodox prelates to have anything to do with 'uniates'. I think the whole incident was unfortunate.

Axios

What was more unfortunate is Romes buckleling under the EP's objection and letting him get his way.

The reply to the objection should have been, mind your own Church/Communion and we will mind ours.


David

Dear Friends,

Happy Feast Day of St John Maximovych of San Francisco!

I believe Axios is correct on the 'uniate' thingy. The EP has taken a strong stand on this score.

However, while Rome may bestow this or that Latin honour on whomever, it is up to Eastern Catholic hierarchs to respond appropriately.

During the lifetime of Patriarch Josef the Hieroconfessor, it was maintained by all that the Patriarch would be the one to approve any and all episcopal nominations by Rome for the UGCC.

When a bishop was nominated by Rome, he normally then went to visit the Patriarch for his blessing.

Bishops who didn't do this later regretted they did.

Our laity made sure they did . . .

Alex

From an Eastern Orthodox POV, I would have preferred that His All-Holiness the Ecumaniacal Patriarch had absented himself from Rome altogether. Except for the paid professional Orthodox ecumenists and those sharing their views found in forums online, you'd be surprised how many Eastern Orthodox Christians share the same view as I. The Byzantine Rite Catholic prelates may wear palliums to their heart's content, if that is their desire, just as Eastern Rite Catholic patriarchs and major archbishops may wear the Red Hat of a Roman cardinal, if that is to their liking. It is no business of us Orthodox, I agree.

OrthodoxEast