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"Has anything of substance really changed since the days of Archbishop Ireland?"

Well, hope is a Christian virtue and as I always tell passengers in danger of missing connecting flights due to lenghty Customs and Border Protection (CBP) procedures, "Ya gotta be optimistic at the airport."

All the more so for life in our Churches. Change is a process and I choose to believe we're undergoing a period of change for the better. It calls for both patience and frankness.

Actually in some jurisdictions Catholics are re baptised in fact.

The liturgical and other practices of the eastern catholics is really a secondary issue and a distraction that eastern catholics find interesting but Orthodox are not interested in at all. Whether the filioque is said or not said, whether leavened bread is used or not, etc. etc. ad infinitum.

The point is that by staying "in communion with" or whatever else in relation to the Latin rite, the eastern Catholics are saying to the Orthodox "there is nothing material that presents communion".

This we do not agree upon, and no matter how close an eastern Catholic church looks to an Orthodox one, no matter how impeccably the eastern liturgy is celebrated, what words are said in the creed or whether a spoon is in the chalice, it does nothing to divert the Orthodox from the central issues regarding Roman primacy and its consequences. All else, whilst interesting academically and liturgically, is a distraction from the main game.

Then why are Copts only required to make a statement of faith, rather than being re-chrismated. They only accept the first three ecumenical councils.

Christ is in our midst!!

We're going off topic here. Remember the Holy Season. Let's rise above nitpicking and biting each other with words that have sharp teeth. Let's fast from biting each other.

Remember Hell is having to live with someone you really don't agree with and arguing for eternity. The only difference between these arguments and eternal ones is that we get to be the comedy routine in front of the Enemy and his minions.

Bob

Ainsi soit-il. Pax tecum.

Ned's point is extremely valid and well-phrased and worth remembering when someone next asks 'why'.

That said, that the opportunity arose for him to make it, is evidence clear and plain that the thread is - as Bob noted - off-topic.

David has clearly and succintly explained the differences in styles of prostration and bowing and metanies between parishes that follow the Great Russian praxis and those that do not. Virtually every other post - until we went seriously awry - was an expression of amazement at the generosity of the priest at the parish that KShaft visited. So, is there more to say of relevance to the original post? Apparently not and sielos' Amen is well-timed.

Thanks to all who participated. The thread is closed.

Many years,

Neil